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　　Elishasucceededinpersuadinghiscomrade。Inthemorning，afterthinkingitwellover，Ef&iacute；mcametoElisha。

　　’Youareright，’saidhe，’letusgo。LifeanddeathareinGod’shands。

　　Wemustgonow，whilewearestillaliveandhavethestrength。’

　　Aweeklatertheoldmenwerereadytostart。Ef&iacute；mhadmoneyenoughathand。Hetookahundredroubleshimself，andlefttwohundredwithhiswife。

　　Elisha，too，gotready。Hesoldtenhivestohisneighbour，withanynewswarmsthatmightcomefromthembeforethesummer。

　　Hetookseventyroublesforthelot。Therestofthehundredroubleshescrapedtogetherfromtheothermembersofhishousehold，fairlyclearingthemallout。Hiswifegavehimallshehadbeensavingupforherfuneral；andhisdaughter-in-lawalsogavehimwhatshehad。

　　Ef&iacute；mgavehiseldestsondefiniteordersabouteverything:whenandhowmuchgrasstomow，wheretocartthemanure，andhowtofinishoffandroofthecottage。Hethoughtouteverything，andgavehisordersaccordingly。Elisha，ontheotherhand，onlyexplainedtohiswifethatshewastokeepseparatetheswarmsfromthehiveshehadsold，andtobesuretolettheneighbourhavethemall，withoutanytricks。Astohouseholdaffairs，hedidnotevenmentionthem。

　　’Youwillseewhattodoandhowtodoit，astheneedsarise，’hesaid。

　　’Youarethemasters，andwillknowhowtodowhat’sbestforyourselves。’

　　Sotheoldmengotready。Theirpeoplebakedthemcakes，andmadebagsforthem，andcutthemlinenforleg-bands[11]。Theyputonnewleathershoes，andtookwiththemspareshoesofplattedbark。Theirfamilieswentwiththemtotheendofthevillageandtheretookleaveofthem，andtheoldmenstartedontheirpilgrimage。

　　Elishalefthomeinacheerfulmood，andassoonashewasoutofthevillageforgotallhishomeaffairs。Hisonlycarewashowtopleasehiscomrade，howtoavoidsayingarudewordtoanyone，howtogettohisdestinationandhomeagaininpeaceandlove。

　　Walkingalongtheroad，Elishawouldeitherwhispersomeprayertohimselforgooverinhismindsuchofthelivesofthesaintsashewasabletoremember。Whenhecameacrossanyoneontheroad，orturnedinanywhereforthenight，hetriedtobehaveasgentlyaspossibleandtosayagodlyword。Sohejourneyedon，rejoicing。

　　Onethingonlyhecouldnotdo，hecouldnotgiveuptakingsnuff。Thoughhehadlefthissnuff-boxbehind，hehankeredafterit。Thenamanhemetontheroadgavehimsomesnuff；

　　andeverynowandthenhewouldlagbehindnottoleadhiscomradeintotemptationandwouldtakeapinchofsnuff。

　　Ef&iacute；mtoowalkedwellandfirmly；doingnowrongandspeakingnovainwords，buthisheartwasnotsolight。Householdcaresweighedonhismind。Hekeptworryingaboutwhatwasgoingonathome。

　　Hadhenotforgottentogivehissonthisorthatorder？

　　Wouldhissondothingsproperly？Ifhehappenedtoseepotatoesbeingplantedormanurecarted，ashewentalong，hewonderedifhissonwasdoingashehadbeentold。Andhealmostwantedtoturnbackandshowhimhowtodothings，orevendothemhimself。

　　Theoldmenhadbeenwalkingforfiveweeks，theyhadwornouttheirhome-madebarkshoes，andhadtobeginbuyingnewoneswhentheyreachedLittleRussia[12]。Fromthetimetheylefthometheyhadhadtopayfortheirfoodandfortheirnight’slodging，butwhentheyreachedLittleRussiathepeopleviedwithoneanotherinaskingthemintotheirhuts。Theytooktheminandfedthem，andwouldacceptnopayment；andmorethanthat，theyputbreadorevencakesintotheirbagsforthemtoeatontheroad。

　　Theoldmentravelledsomefivehundredmilesinthismannerfreeofexpense，butaftertheyhadcrossedthenextprovince，theycametoadistrictwheretheharvesthadfailed。Thepeasantsstillgavethemfreelodgingatnight，butnolongerfedthemfornothing。Sometimes，even，theycouldgetnobread:theyofferedtopayforit，buttherewasnonetobehad。Thepeoplesaidtheharvesthadcompletelyfailedtheyearbefore。Thosewhohadbeenrichwereruinedandhadhadtosellalltheypossessed；thoseofmoderatemeanswereleftdestitute，andthoseofthepoorwhohadnotleftthoseparts，wanderedaboutbegging，orstarvedathomeinutterwant。Inthewintertheyhadhadtoeathusksandgoosefoot。

　　Onenighttheoldmenstoppedinasmallvillage；theyboughtfifteenpoundsofbread，sleptthere，andstartedbeforesunrise，togetwellontheirwaybeforetheheatoftheday。Whentheyhadgonesomeeightmiles，oncomingtoastreamtheysatdown，and，fillingabowlwithwater，theysteepedsomebreadinit，andateit。

　　Thentheychangedtheirleg-bands，andrestedforawhile。

　　Elishatookouthissnuff-box。Ef&iacute；mshookhisheadathim。

　　’Howisityoudon’tgiveupthatnastyhabit？’saidhe。

　　Elishawavedhishand。’TheevilhabitisstrongerthanI，’hesaid。

　　Presentlytheygotupandwenton。Afterwalkingfornearlyanothereightmiles，theycametoalargevillageandpassedrightthroughit。Ithadnowgrownhot。Elishawastiredoutandwantedtorestandhaveadrink，butEf&iacute；mdidnotstop。Ef&iacute；mwasthebetterwalkerofthetwo，andElishafoundithardtokeepupwithhim。

　　’IfIcouldonlyhaveadrink，’saidhe。

　　’Well，haveadrink，’saidEf&iacute；m。’Idon’twantany。’

　　Elishastopped。

　　’Yougoon，’hesaid，’butI’lljustrunintothelittlehutthere。

　　Iwillcatchyouupinamoment。’

　　’Allright，’saidEf&iacute；m，andhewentonalongthehighroadalone，whileElishaturnedbacktothehut。

　　Itwasasmallhutplasteredwithclay，thebottomadarkcolour，thetopwhitewashed；buttheclayhadcrumbledaway。Evidentlyitwaslongsinceithadbeenre-plastered，andthethatchwasofftheroofononeside。Theentrancetothehutwasthroughtheyard。

　　Elishaenteredtheyard，andsaw，lyingclosetoabankofearththatranroundthehut，agaunt，beardlessmanwithhisshirttuckedintohistrousers，asisthecustominLittleRussia[13]。Themanmusthavelaindownintheshade，butthesunhadcomeroundandnowshonefullonhim。Thoughnotasleep，hestilllaythere。Elishacalledtohim，andaskedforadrink，butthemangavenoanswer。

　　’Heiseitherillorunfriendly，’thoughtElisha；andgoingtothedoorheheardachildcryinginthehut。Hetookholdoftheringthatservedasadoor-handle，andknockedwithit。

　　’Hey，masters！’hecalled。Noanswer。Heknockedagainwithhisstaff。

　　’Hey，Christians！’Nothingstirred。

　　’Hey，servantsofGod！’Stillnoreply。

　　Elishawasabouttoturnaway，whenhethoughthoheardagroantheothersideofthedoor。

　　’Dearme，somemisfortunemusthavehappenedtothepeople？Ihadbetterhavealook。’

　　AndElishaenteredthehut。

　　Elishaturnedthering；thedoorwasnotfastened。Heopeneditandwentalongupthenarrowpassage。Thedoorintothedwelling-roomwasopen。Totheleftwasabrickoven；infrontagainstthewallwasanicon-stand[14]andatablebeforeit，bythetablewasabenchonwhichsatanoldwoman，bareheadedandwearingonlyasinglegarment。Thereshesatwithherheadrestingonthetable，andnearherwasathin，wax-colouredboy，withaprotrudingstomach。Hewasaskingforsomething，pullingathersleeve，andcryingbitterly。Elishaentered。Theairinthehutwasveryfoul。Helookedround，andsawawomanlyingonthefloorbehindtheoven:shelayflatonthegroundwithhereyesclosedandherthroatrattling，nowstretchingoutaleg，nowdraggingitin，tossingfromsidetoside；andthefoulsmellcamefromher。Evidentlyshecoulddonothingforherselfandnoonehadbeenattendingtoherneeds。Theoldwomanliftedherhead，andsawthestranger。

　　’Whatdoyouwant？’saidshe。’Whatdoyouwantman？Wehavenothing。’

　　Elishaunderstoodher，thoughshespokeintheLittle-Russiandialect。

　　’Icameinforadrinkofwater，servantofGod，’hesaid。

　　’There’snoone——noone——wehavenothingtofetchitin。Goyourway。’

　　ThenElishaasked:

　　’Istherenooneamongyou，then，wellenoughtoattendtothatwoman？’

　　’No，wehavenoone。Mysonisdyingoutside，andwearedyinginhere。’

　　Thelittleboyhadceasedcryingwhenhesawthestranger，butwhentheoldwomanbegantospeak，hebeganagain，andclutchingholdofhersleevecried:

　　’Bread，Granny，bread。’

　　Elishawasabouttoquestiontheoldwoman，whenthemanstaggeredintothehut。Hecamealongthepassage，clingingtothewall，butashewasenteringthedwelling-roomhefellinthecornernearthethreshold，andwithouttryingtogetupagaintoreachthebench，hebegantospeakinbrokenwords。Hebroughtoutawordatatime，stoppingtodrawbreath，andgasping。

　　’Illnesshasseizedus……，’saidhe，’andfamine。Heisdying……ofhunger。’

　　Andhemotionedtowardstheboy，andbegantosob。