Cette femme malheureuse, parvenue aux dernières limites du désespoir, et sentant bien que le gouverneur ne refuserait rien à un gendre aussi riche, alla jusqu’à se jeter à ses genoux : alors la pusillanimité du marquis Crescenzi sembla augmenter encore ; lui-même, à la vue de ce spectacle étrange, craignit d’être compromis sans le savoir ; mais il arriva une chose singulière : le marquis, bon homme au fond, fut touché des larmes et de la position, à ses pieds, d’une femme aussi belle et surtout aussi puissante.
This unhappy woman, who had reached the utmost limits of despair and knew well that the governor would refuse nothing to so rich a son-in-law, went so far as to fling herself at his feet; at this the Marchese's pusillanimity seemed to increase still further; he himself, at the sight of this strange spectacle, was afraid of being compromised unawares; but a singular thing happened: the Marchese, a good man at heart, was touched by the tears and by the posture, at his feet, of so beautiful and, above all, so influential a woman.