Penitence

They demand public penitence from me.

They demanded public penitence from me.

an assassin who misses his aim and flounders into penitence much as that discomfortable drama misses its point and stumbles into vacuity

As for the moral turpitude that man unveiled to me, even with tears of penitence, I cannot, even in memory, dwell on it without a start of horror.

Away, Remorse! / Compunction, hence!. / Go, Moral Force! / Go, Penitence!