Une fois cette résolution bien arrêtée de renoncer au ministère si les rigueurs à l’égard de Fabrice dépassaient celles d’une simple détention, le comte se dit : « Si un caprice de la vanité de cet homme imprudemment bravée me coûte le bonheur, du moins l’honneur me restera… A propos, puisque je me moque de mon portefeuille, je puis me permettre cent actions qui, ce matin encore, m’eussent semblé hors du possible.
As soon as he had definitely made up his mind to resign from the Ministry if the rigour shewn Fabrizio went beyond that of simple detention, the Conte said to himself: "If a caprice of that man's vanity, rashly braved, should cost me my happiness, at least I shall have my honour left. ... By that token, since I am throwing my portfolio to the winds, I may allow myself a hundred actions which, only this morning, would have seemed to be outside the bounds of possibility.