to save yourself that way. You want it to
happen to the other person. You don't give a damn what they suffer. All you
care about is yourself.'
'All you care about is yourself,' he echoed.
'And after that, you don't feel the same towards the other person any
longer.'
'No,' he said, 'you don't feel the same.'
There did not seem to be anything more to say. The wind plastered
their thin overalls against their bodies. Almost at once it became
embarrassing to sit there in silence: besides, it was too cold to keep
still. She said something about catching her Tube and stood up to go.
'We must meet again,' he said.
'Yes,' she said, 'we must meet again.'
He followed irresolutely for a little distance, half a pace behind
her. They did not speak again. She did not actually try to shake him off,
but walked at just such a speed as to prevent his keeping abreast of her.
He had made up his mind that he would accompany her as far as the Tube
station, but suddenly this process of trailing along in the cold seemed
pointless and unbearable. He was overwhelmed by a desire not so much to get
away from Julia as to get back to the Chestnut Tree Cafe, which had never
seemed so attractive as at this moment. He had a nostalgic vision of his
corner table, with the newspaper and the chessboard and the ever-flow