"Yes, I am a Mason," Pierre replied.

"Why, we`ve not done any harm! We did it just out of foolishness. It`s all nonsense... I said then that it was not in order," voices were heard bickering with one another.

And the commander, turning to look at the adjutant, directed his jerky steps down the line. He was evidently pleased at his own display of anger and walking up to the regiment wished to find a further excuse for wrath. Having snapped at an officer for an unpolished badge, at another because his line was not straight, he reached the third company.