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　　Towardseveningtheygotup，andwenttomidnightMassatthegreatChurchoftheResurrection，wheretheLord’sSepulchreis。

　　ThepilgrimkeptclosetoEf&iacute；mandwentwithhimeverywhere。

　　TheycametotheChurch；agreatmanypilgrimswerethere；someRussiansandsomeofothernationalities:Greeks，Armenians，Turks，andSyrians。Ef&iacute；menteredtheHolyGateswiththecrowd。A

　　monkledthempasttheTurkishsentinels，totheplacewheretheSaviourwastakendownfromthecrossandanointed，andwherecandleswereburninginninegreatcandlesticks。Themonkshowedandexplainedeverything。Ef&iacute；mofferedacandlethere。ThenthemonkledEf&iacute；mtotheright，upthestepstoGolgotha，totheplacewherethecrosshadstood。Ef&iacute；mprayedthere。Thentheyshowedhimthecleftwherethegroundhadbeenrentasundertoitsnethermostdepths；thentheplacewhereChrist’shandsandfeetwerenailedtothecross；thenAdam’stomb，wherethebloodofChristhaddrippedontoAdam’sbones。ThentheyshowedhimthestoneonwhichChristsatwhenthecrownofthornswasplacedonHishead；thentheposttowhichChristwasboundwhenHewasscourged。ThenEf&iacute；msawthestonewithtwoholesforChrist’sfeet。Theyweregoingtoshowhimsomethingelse，buttherewasastirinthecrowd，andthepeopleallhurriedtothechurchoftheLord’sSepulchreitself。TheLatinMasshadjustfinishedthere，andtheRussianMasswasbeginning。AndEf&iacute；mwentwiththecrowdtothetombcutintherock。

　　Hetriedtogetridofthepilgrim，againstwhomhewasstillsinninginhismind，butthepilgrimwouldnotleavehim，butwentwithhimtotheMassattheHolySepulchre。Theytriedtogettothefront，butweretoolate。Therewassuchacrowdthatitwasimpossibletomoveeitherbackwardsorforwards。Ef&iacute；mstoodlookinginfrontofhim，praying，andeverynowandthenfeelingforhispurse。Hewasintwominds:sometimeshethoughtthatthepilgrimwasdeceivinghim，andthenagainhethoughtthatifthepilgrimspokethetruthandhispursehadreallybeenstolen，thesamethingmighthappentohimself。

　　Ef&iacute；mstoodtheregazingintothelittlechapelinwhichwastheHolySepulchreitselfwiththirty-sixlampsburningaboveit。Ashestoodlookingoverthepeople’sheads，hesawsomethingthatsurprisedhim。Justbeneaththelampsinwhichthesacredfireburnsandinfrontofeveryone，Ef&iacute；msawanoldmaninagreycoat，whosebald，shiningheadwasjustlikeElishaB&oacute；drof。

　　’Itislikehim，’thoughtEf&iacute；m，’butitcannotbeElisha。Hecouldnothavegotaheadofme。Theshipbeforeoursstartedaweeksooner。Hecouldnothavecaughtthat；andhewasnotonours，forIsaweverypilgrimonboard。’

　　HardlyhadEf&iacute；mthoughtthis，whenthelittleoldmanbegantopray，andbowedthreetimes:onceforwardstoGod，thenonceoneachside——tothebrethren。Andasheturnedhisheadtotheright，Ef&iacute；mrecognizedhim。ItwasElishaB&oacute；drofhimselfwithhisdark，curlybeardturninggreyatthecheeks，withhisbrows，hiseyesandnose，andhisexpressionofface。Yes，itwashe！

　　Ef&iacute；mwasverypleasedtohavefoundhiscomradeagain，andwonderedhowElishahadgotaheadofhim。

　　’Welldone，Elisha！’thoughthe。’Seehowhehaspushedahead。Hemusthavecomeacrosssomeonewhoshowedhimtheway。

　　Whenwegetout，Iwillfindhim，getridofthisfellowintheskull-cap，andkeeptoElisha。Perhapshewillshowmehowtogettothefrontalso。’

　　Ef&iacute；mkeptlookingout，soasnottolosesightofElisha。ButwhentheMasswasover，thecrowdbegantosway，pushingforwardtokissthetomb，andpushedEf&iacute；maside。Hewasagainseizedwithfearlesthispurseshouldbestolen。Pressingitwithhishand，hebeganelbowingthroughthecrowd，anxiousonlytogetout。Whenhereachedtheopen，hewentaboutforalongtimesearchingforElishabothoutsideandintheChurchitself。InthecellsoftheChurchhesawmanypeopleofallkinds，eating，anddrinkingwine，andreadingandsleepingthere。ButElishawasnowheretobeseen。SoEf&iacute；mreturnedtotheinnwithouthavingfoundhiscomrade。Thateveningthepilgrimintheskull-capdidnotturnup。

　　Hehadgoneoffwithoutrepayingtherouble，andEf&iacute；mwasleftalone。

　　ThenextdayEf&iacute；mwenttotheHolySepulchreagain，withanoldmanfromTamb&oacute；f，whomhehadmetontheship。Hetriedtogettothefront，butwasagainpressedback；sohestoodbyapillarandprayed。Helookedbeforehim，andthereintheforemostplaceunderthelamps，closetotheverySepulchreoftheLord，stoodElisha，withhisarmsspreadoutlikeapriestatthealtar，andwithhisbaldheadallshining。

　　’Well，now，’thoughtEf&iacute；m，’Iwon’tlosehim！’

　　Hepushedforwardtothefront，butwhenhegotthere，therewasnoElisha:hehadevidentlygoneaway。

　　AgainonthethirddayEf&iacute；mlooked，andsawattheSepulchre，intheholiestplace，Elishastandinginthesightofallmen，hisarmsoutspread，andhiseyesgazingupwardsasifhesawsomethingabove。

　　Andhisbaldheadwasallshining。

　　’Well，thistime，’thoughtEf&iacute；m，’heshallnotescapeme！Iwillgoandstandatthedoor，thenwecan’tmissoneanother！’

　　Ef&iacute；mwentoutandstoodbythedoortillpastnoon。Everyonehadpassedout，butstillElishadidnotappear。

　　Ef&iacute；mremainedsixweeksinJerusalem，andwenteverywhere:toBethlehem，andtoBethany，andtotheJordan。HehadanewshirtsealedattheHolySepulchreforhisburial，andhetookabottleofwaterfromtheJordan，andsomeholyearth，andboughtcandlesthathadbeenlitatthesacredflame。Ineightplacesheinscribednamestobeprayedfor，andhespentallhismoney，exceptjustenoughtogethomewith。Thenhestartedhomeward。HewalkedtoJaffa，sailedthencetoOdessa，andwalkedhomefromthereonfoot。

　　Ef&iacute；mtravelledthesameroadhehadcomeby；andashedrewnearerhomehisformeranxietyreturnedastohowaffairsweregettingoninhisabsence。’Muchwaterflowsawayinayear，’theproverbsays。Ittakesalifetimetobuildupahomestead，butnotlongtoruinit，thoughthe。Andhewonderedhowhissonhadmanagedwithouthim，whatsortofspringtheywerehaving，howthecattlehadwintered，andwhetherthecottagewaswellfinished。WhenEf&iacute；mcametothedistrictwherehehadpartedfromElishathesummerbefore，hecouldhardlybelievethatthepeoplelivingtherewerethesame。Theyearbeforetheyhadbeenstarving，butnowtheywerelivingincomfort。Theharvesthadbeengood，andthepeoplehadrecoveredandhadforgottentheirformermisery。

　　OneeveningEf&iacute；mreachedtheveryplacewhereElishahadremainedbehind；andasheenteredthevillage，alittlegirlinawhitesmockranoutofahut。

　　Daddy，daddy，cometoourhouse！’

　　Ef&iacute；mmeanttopasson，butthelittlegirlwouldnotlethim。

　　Shetookholdofhiscoat，laughing，andpulledhimtowardsthehut，whereawomanwithasmallboycameoutintotheporchandbeckonedtohim。

　　’Comein，grandfather，’shesaid。’Havesupperandspendthenightwithus。’

　　SoEf&iacute；mwentin。

　　’ImayaswellaskaboutElisha，’hethought。’Ifancythisistheveryhuthewenttoforadrinkofwater。’

　　Thewomanhelpedhimoffwiththebaghecarried，andgavehimwatertowashhisface。Thenshemadehimsitdowntotable，andsetmilk，curd-cakesandporridgebeforehim。Ef&iacute；mthankedher，andpraisedherforherkindnesstoapilgrim。Thewomanshookherhead。

　　’Wehavegoodreasontowelcomepilgrims，’shesaid。’Itwasapilgrimwhoshoweduswhatlifeis。WewerelivingforgetfulofGod，andGodpunishedusalmosttodeath。Wereachedsuchapasslastsummer，thatwealllayillandhelplesswithnothingtoeat。Andweshouldhavedied，butthatGodsentanoldmantohelpus——justsuchaoneasyou。Hecameinonedaytoaskforadrinkofwater，sawthestatewewerein，tookpityonus，andremainedwithus。Hegaveusfoodanddrink，andsetusonourfeetagain；andheredeemedourland，andboughtacartandhorseandgavethemtous。’

　　Heretheoldwomanenteringthehut，interruptedtheyoungeroneandsaid:

　　’Wedon’tknowwhetheritwasaman，oranangelfromGod。Helovedusall，pitiedusall，andwentawaywithouttellingushisname，sothatwedon’tevenknowwhomtoprayfor。Icanseeitallbeforemenow！ThereIlaywaitingfordeath，whenincomesabald-headedoldman。Hewasnotanythingmuchtolookat，andheaskedforadrinkofwater。I，sinnerthatIam，thoughttomyself:“Whatdoeshecomeprowlingaboutherefor？“Andjustthinkwhathedid！Assoonashesawus，heletdownhisbag，onthisveryspot，anduntiedit。’

　　Herethelittlegirljoinedin。

　　’No，Granny，’saidshe，’firstheputitdownhereinthemiddleofthehut，andthenhelifteditontothebench。’

　　Andtheybegandiscussingandrecallingallhehadsaidanddone，wherehesatandslept，andwhathehadsaidtoeachofthem。

　　Atnightthepeasanthimselfcamehomeonhishorse，andhetoobegantotellaboutElishaandhowhehadlivedwiththem。

　　’Hadhenotcomeweshouldallhavediedinoursins。Weweredyingindespair，murmuringagainstGodandman。Buthesetusonourfeetagain；andthroughhimwelearnedtoknowGod，andtobelievethatthereisgoodinman。MaytheLordblesshim！Weusedtolivelikeanimals；hemadehumanbeingsofus。

　　AftergivingEf&iacute；mfoodanddrink，theyshowedhimwherehewastosleep；andlaydowntosleepthemselves。

　　ButthoughEf&iacute；mlaydown，hecouldnotsleep。HecouldnotgetElishaoutofhismind，butrememberedhowhehadseenhimthreetimesatJerusalem，standingintheforemostplace。

　　’Sothatishowhegotaheadofme，’thoughtEf&iacute；m。’GodmayormaynothaveacceptedmypilgrimagebutHehascertainlyacceptedhis！’

　　NextmorningEf&iacute；mbadefarewelltothepeople，whoputsomepattiesinhissackbeforetheywenttotheirwork，andhecontinuedhisjourney。