إن اعتراف الناس بالجميل حتى الطيبين منهم ، كالفاكهة يجب جمعها في أوانها ، أما إذا تُركت زمنا على الشجر فلن تلبث أن تفسد ! - Romain Rolland

همه‌چیز، خاطره‌ی گفت‌وگوها، بوسه‌ها، هم‌آغوشی پیکرهای دل‌داده، همه‌چیز می‌گذرد؛ ولی تماس ارواحی که یک‌دیگر را لمس کرده و در میان انبوه اشکال زودگذر یک‌دیگر را شناخته‌اند، هرگز زدوده نمی‌شود.

There are some dead who are more alive than the living." "No, no! It would be more true to say that there are some who are more dead than the dead." "Maybe. In any case there are old things which are still young." "Then if they are still young we can find them for ourselves.... But I don't believe it. What has been good once never is good again.

When Christophe at last made up his mind to go to bed, chilled in body and soul, he heard the window below him shut. And, as he lay, he thought sadly that it is cruel for the poor to dwell on the past, for they have no right to have a past, like the rich: they have no home, no corner of the earth wherein to house their memories: their joys, their sorrows, all their days, are scattered in the wind.