The prefect began with some commonplace apology for the unseasonable hour of his visit, condoled with Mademoiselle Colomba, touched on the danger connected with strong emotions, blamed the custom of composing funeral dirges, which the very talent of the voceratrice rendered the more harrowing to her auditors, skilfully slipped in a mild reproof concerning the tendency of the improvisation just concluded, and then, changing his tone -
Prefetak aitzakia batzuk aipatu zituen hasieran bisita ordu desegokian egiten zietelako. Colomba andereñoaz errukitu egin zen, zirrara handien arriskuez hitz egin zuen eta hileta-doluetako ohitura hura gaitzestekoa zela adierazi zien;