"It seems it's no use knocking one's head against a wall!" he said, coming from the window and giving Rostov a large envelope.

In it was the petition to the Emperor drawn up by the auditor, in which Denisov, without alluding to the offenses of the commissariat officials, simply asked for pardon.

"Hand it in.

It seems..." He did not finish, but gave a painfully unnatural smile.