Ferruccio held his peace. He was not at all remorseful at heart; quite the reverse: his misdemeanors arose rather from superabundance of life and audacity than from an evil mind; and his father had managed him badly in precisely this particular, that, holding him capable, at bottom, of the finest sentiments, and also, when put to the proof, of a vigorous and generous action, he left the bridle loose upon his neck, and waited for him to acquire judgment for himself. The lad was good rather than perverse, but stubborn; and it was hard for him, even when his heart was oppressed with repentance, to allow those good words which win pardon to escape his lips, "If I have done wrong, I will do so no more; I promise it; forgive me." His soul was full of tenderness at times; but pride would not permit it to manifest itself.

费鲁乔坦然地听着，毫不懊悔觉悟。他的所作所为原出于一时的血气，并无恶意。他父亲平常也太宽纵他了，因为知道自己的儿子有优良的心情，有时候会做出很好的行为，所以故意注意看着，等他自己觉悟。这孩子的性质原不恶，不过很刚硬，就是在心里悔悟了的时候，要想他说“如果我错了，下次就不如此，请原恕我！”这样的话来谢罪，也是非常困难的。有时心里虽充满了柔和的情感，但是倨傲心总不使他表示出来。

"Ah, Ferruccio," continued his grandmother, perceiving that he was thus dumb, "not a word of penitence do you utter to me! You see to what a condition I am reduced, so that I am as good as actually buried. You ought not to have the heart to make me suffer so, to make the mother of your mother, who is so old and so near her last day, weep; the poor grandmother who has always loved you so, who rocked you all night long, night after night, when you were a baby a few months old, and who did not eat for amusing you,--you do not know that! I always said, 'This boy will be my consolation!' And now you are killing me! I would willingly give the little life that remains to me if I could see you become a good boy, and an obedient one, as you were in those days when I used to lead you to the sanctuary--do you remember, Ferruccio? You used to fill my pockets with pebbles and weeds, and I carried you home in my arms, fast asleep. You used to love your poor grandma then. And now I am a paralytic, and in need of your affection as of the air to breathe, since I have no one else in the world, poor, half-dead woman that I am: my God!"

“费鲁乔，”祖母见孙子默不做声，于是继续说：“你连一句认错的话都没有吗？我已患了很苦的病了，不要再这样使我受苦啊！我是你母亲的母亲！不要再把已经命在旦夕的我，这样恶待啊！我曾怎样地爱过你啊！你小的时候，我曾每夜起来替你推那摇床，因为要使你欢喜，我曾为你减下食物，——你或者不知道，我时常说，‘这孩子是我将来的依靠呢。’现在你居然要遏杀我了！就是要杀我，也不要紧，横竖我已没有多少日子可活了！但愿你给我变成好孩子就好！但愿你变成柔顺的孩子，像我带了你到教堂里去的时候的样子。你还记得吗？费鲁乔！那时你曾把小石呀、草呀，塞满在我怀里呢，我等你睡熟，就抱了你回来的。那时，你很爱我哩！我虽然已身体不好，仍总想你爱我；我除了你以外，在世界中别无可以依靠的人了！我已一脚踏入坟墓里了！啊！天啊！”