"You were saying that there were moments--yes ?" "Sometimes she jars upon me dreadfully," Marcello said in a low voice, as if he were ashamed of owning it.

"Then I want to get away." "Exactly.

You want to get away, not to leave her, but to be alone for a few hours, or a few days.

That would be the very best thing you could do--to separate for a little while.

You would very soon find out whether you could live without her or not; and believe me, if you feel that you can live without her, that means that you could not live with her for your whole life." "I should go back to her in twenty-four hours.