Rostov noticed by their faces that all those gentlemen had already heard that story more than once and were tired of it.

Only the man who had the next bed, a stout Uhlan, continued to sit on his bed, gloomily frowning and smoking a pipe, and little one-armed Tushin still listened, shaking his head disapprovingly.

In the middle of the reading, the Uhlan interrupted Denisov.

"But what I say is," he said, turning to Rostov, "it would be best simply to petition the Emperor for pardon.

They say great rewards will now be distributed, and surely a pardon would be granted....