Why does Bernard travel to Rome in Section 7?

He travels to Rome in an effort, perhaps vainly, to rediscover himself. However, as he is now in middle-age and divorced from his wife, we find him slightly humbled, acknowledging that perhaps he did not have the talent he once believed, and perhaps he did not have the courage to truly pursue his life's dream. The reader can also imply that Bernard has some other purpose while in Rome, which becomes more apparent when Bernard sees someone that he knows. He says that before he is able to talk to this person, he has a story to finish.