=Josep Pla=

It's a demonstrable fact that people are apt to get on one another's nerves. It is most likely that this tendency to poke our noses where they're not wanted is why people find it hard to get on. I have never taken it too far. And neither have I allowed people to probe my affairs too closely. I like to be with people who can remain silent for a quarter of an hour, looking at the clouds or simply smoking. These quiet pauses can bring people together much more than the usual endless—and often poisonous—discussions. Marta was a passive, silent type. She was as blank and still as a bunch of roses in a vase by your side.