John no one thwarted, much less punished; though he twisted the necks of the pigeons, killed the little pea-chicks, set the dogs at the sheep, stripped the hothouse vines of their fruit, and broke the buds off the choicest plants in the conservatory: he called his mother "old girl," too; sometimes reviled her for her dark skin, similar to his own; bluntly disregarded her wishes; not unfrequently tore and spoiled her silk attire; and he was still "her own darling."
John non era né sgridato né punito, benché torcesse il collo ai piccioni, uccidesse i pavoncelli, aizzasse i cani contro le pecore, devastasse l'uva nelle serre, rompesse i rami delle piante esotiche e chiamasse la mamma "zitellona". Spesso egli la beffeggiava perché aveva la pelle nera come la sua, la contrariava e le macchiava e le strappava i vestiti di seta, eppure lo chiamava sempre "amor mio".