"My God! What does it all mean?" thought he.

" And here, where at any moment the Emperor may see them....

But no, these must be only a handful of scoundrels.

It will soon be over, it can't be that, it can't be! Only to get past them quicker, quicker!" The idea of defeat and flight could not enter Rostov's head.

Though he saw French cannon and French troops on the Pratzen Heights just where he had been ordered to look for the commander in chief, he could not, did not wish to, believe that.