He also would have liked to repent, or at least to have performed the comedy of repentance, to see what effect it would have. Unable to find the sobs and necessary words, he flung himself into violence again, stirring up Therese so as to irritate her and lead her back with him to furious madness.
Il aurait voulu se repentir, lui aussi, jouer tout au moins la comédie du remords, pour essayer; mais il ne pouvait trouver les sanglots et les mots nécessaires, il se rejetait dans la violence, il secouait Thérèse pour l'irriter et la ramener avec lui dans la folie furieuse.