“And what does she mean by love, anyway? People use that word and mean all sorts of things by it.”

“I must try to be charitable, Caroline thought: probably she doesn't mean to sound as if she is continually translating from Latin.”

“What did she love Shelley for? His reckless spontaneity -- like this. His helpless generous nature -- like this. His treatment of her as a reasonable human being and not a trembling little rose -- and so on. If she loved him for these things, could she hate him for them? Could she?”

“No expectations mean there is no risk of disappointment.”

“She simply cannot let go of love- and who can blame that? Is it not the hardest thing in the world to relinquish, once you have it?”

“Love is the hardest thing to grasp. You have to seize it at once, else it may be too late.”

“Grown people with rational minds somehow do not know what's best for them.”