He no longer held her daintily; he clipped her close to him, straining her breasts against his chest; he was on fire with her.

She could not but know it; his arms shook, his bosom heaved; she felt the quick hammering of his heart; and a murmur, an inarticulate murmur, of infinite longing trembled from his throat.

And something of his madness passed into her and made a sweet tumult in her blood.

He stopped still holding her; he felt her fingers clasp tighter; he looked downwards into her face upturned to his.

They were alone for a moment, these two, alone in an uninhabited world.