- Mary Forbes: I thought you weren't Italian?
- Giovanni Doria: Because my mother comes from America, doesn't make me less Italian. In this country, its the men who count. You American women are much too emancipated.
- Giovanni Doria: Why did you come with me?
- Mary Forbes: You didn't look very wicked. I'm not an imaginative woman. It was you. It was Rome! And I'm a housewife from Philadelphia. Well, why did you ask me?
- Giovanni Doria: Because when I saw you, I knew what wanting was.
- Mary Forbes: This morning, I woke up. It was scarcely dawn. I couldn't wait to see you. To hear your voice. I wandered through the streets, like a sleepwalker. It was raining and I hoped the rain would wash it away. This needing you and wanting.
- Giovanni Doria: You think the rain can do that?
- Giovanni Doria: What? Mend my clothes and cook my dinner? You wouldn't like that? Oh, I would. Don't forget, I'm an Italian too. If you didn't behave yourself...
- [waves hand]
- Giovanni Doria: ... I'd beat you.
- Mary Forbes: [laugh nervously] Giovanni, you wouldn't... would you?
- Giovanni Doria: I would. Naturally!
- Giovanni Doria: [Angrily to the police] What is this - a zoo? Are we a couple of monkeys or something?
- German Tourist: [Watching Mary and Giovanni being escorted into a Police Station] Sprechen Sie Deutsch?
- Italian Pensioner: No.
- German Tourist: Do you speak English?
- Italian Pensioner: Yes.
- German Tourist: What happened?
- Italian Pensioner: [Whispers] They caught them making love.
- opening title card: ROME - Eternal City of Culture, of Legend... and of Love
- Mary Forbes: [writing a letter] Giovanni darling -- A few minutes ago I came to the door of your apartment. Beyond that door you waited for me - you and a happiness I have never known. But I am running away - for I could not take those last steps toward you. Try to understand. Try to forgive. Goodbye, my dearest. I am heartsick, but...
- [crumples up the letter emotionally]
- Giovanni Doria: [sitting together in the train station's cafe] You start to leave Rome after these... after these weeks, this month... after yesterday... or don't you remember yesterday? What did you say to me then?
- Mary Forbes: That I loved you.
- [becomes emotional]
- Mary Forbes: But that was cruel!
- Giovanni Doria: Because it wasn't true, was it? Because you had a ticket bought and you had it in your pocket.
- Mary Forbes: No!
- [cautiously looks around]
- Giovanni Doria: W-wh-what am I t-to you suddenly? Some, an old guidebook that you don't really want anymore?
- Mary Forbes: Huh, don't really want?
- [earnestly looks him in the eyes]
- Mary Forbes: Then you don't know what wanting is.
- Giovanni Doria: Oh don't I?
- Giovanni Doria: [inquisitively] Now what?
- Mary Forbes: [skittishly] I wouldn't have thought there was a chance of our running into Paul. Yet, there he was.
- Giovanni Doria: [sternly] Why did you call to him?
- Mary Forbes: It was just that I, I was so surprised to see him. Anyway I... I suppose we better face it: everything seems to be working against us. Uh,
- [nervously extends her hand]
- Mary Forbes: goodbye Giovanni.
- [He angrily backhands her across the face, she yelps mortifiedly as startled onlookers watch, he runs away, and her nephew Paul concernedly rushes over to her aid]
- Paul Stevens: He hit you Aunt Mary, he hit you!
- Mary Forbes: [palliating the incident] No, y-you don't understand Paul.
- Bit part: [referring to his pregnant wife as he exits the first aid room with Mary] She good wife, good mother. Always... always for family, never for her.
- Mary Forbes: [contemplating his remark and paralleling it to her own situation] Yes, she's wonderful. Goodbye.
- Giovanni Doria: [tenderly clutching each other while secretly aboard an empty train at the station] Oh my darling, will you forgive me?
- Mary Forbes: There's nothing to forgive, I'm the one to be forgiven.
- Giovanni Doria: I want you to be happy, that's all I want. I'll let you go, I'll never see you again; but I want you to be happy!
- Mary Forbes: [tenderly holding each other while secretly aboard an empty train at the station] I could fall asleep - the warmth of you near me, the sound of your heart saying...
- Giovanni Doria: Saying what?
- Mary Forbes: [smiles] Together... together...
- train station loudspeaker: [indiscreetly loud and thus situationally ironic as Mary and Giovanni tensely sit in the police department due to their relatively innocent albeit embarassing crime] Mrs. Howard Forbes, Mrs. Howard Forbes, is kindly requested to go to the baggage room to claim her coat and luggage left with order number twelve. Mrs. Howard Forbes is kindly requested to claim her coat and luggage left with order number twelve.
- [last lines]
- Giovanni Doria: [aboard the departing 8:30 p.m. train from Rome to Paris while heartbreakingly saying goodbye to each other for the very last time] I-I-I guess maybe I'd better be getting off.
- Mary Forbes: Not yet. It'll begin soon enough, th-the wondering. All my life I'll wonder, 'Where is he; where, just this moment, just now? What is he looking at? What is he thinking? Is he well? Is he in love? Is she beautiful?'
- Giovanni Doria: [referring to Mary] He is in love, and she is beautiful. Oh I'll never, never...
- Mary Forbes: No!
- [puts her hand up and looks away, unable to bear the emotional agony]
- Railroad worker: [asking him to get off as the train begins to leave] Quick signore, si escive; signore please...
- [Giovanni reluctantly goes to the door and steps off the train, stumbling to the ground]
- Bit part: [helping him to his feet] Are you hurt?
- Giovanni Doria: No.
- [watches the train leave the station and walks away crestfallen - 'The End']
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