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　　Themanunharnessedthehorse，andcarriedthesackintothebarn。Thenhemowedsomegrassandputitinthemanger。

　　Everybodylaydowntosleep。Elishawentoutsideandlaybytheroadside。

　　Thateveninghetookhisbagoutwithhim。Wheneveryonewasasleep，hegotup，packedandfastenedhisbag，wrappedthelinenbandsroundhislegs，putonhisshoesandcoat，andsetofftofollowEf&iacute；m。

　　WhenElishahadwalkedrathermorethanthreemilesitbegantogrowlight。Hesatdownunderatree，openedhisbag，countedhismoney，andfoundhehadonlyseventeenroublesandtwentykopeksleft。

　　’Well，’thoughthe，’itisnousetryingtocrosstheseawiththis。

　　IfIbegmywayitmaybeworsethannotgoingatall。FriendEf&iacute；mwillgettoJerusalemwithoutme，andwillplaceacandleattheshrinesinmyname。Asforme，I’mafraidIshallneverfulfilmyvowinthislife。ImustbethankfulitwasmadetoamercifulMaster，andtoonewhopardonssinners。’

　　Elisharose，jerkedhisbagwelluponhisshoulders，andturnedback。

　　Notwishingtoberecognizedbyanyone，hemadeacircuittoavoidthevillage，andwalkedbrisklyhomeward。Comingfromhomethewayhadseemeddifficulttohim，andhehadfoundithardtokeepupwithEf&iacute；m，butnowonhisreturnjourney，Godhelpedhimtogetoverthegroundsothathehardlyfeltfatigue。

　　Walkingseemedlikechild’splay。Hewentalongswinginghisstaff，anddidhisfortytofiftymilesaday。

　　WhenElishareachedhometheharvestwasover。Hisfamilyweredelightedtoseehimagain，andallwantedtoknowwhathadhappened:Whyandhowhehadbeenleftbehind？AndwhyhehadreturnedwithoutreachingJerusalem？ButElishadidnottellthem。

　　’ItwasnotGod’swillthatIshouldgetthere，’saidhe。’Ilostmymoneyontheway，andlaggedbehindmycompanion。Forgiveme，fortheLord’ssake！’

　　Elishagavehisoldwifewhatmoneyhehadleft。Thenhequestionedthemabouthomeaffairs。Everythingwasgoingonwell；alltheworkhadbeendone，nothingneglected，andallwerelivinginpeaceandconcord。

　　Ef&iacute；m’sfamilyheardofhisreturnthesameday，andcamefornewsoftheiroldman；andtothemElishagavethesameanswers。

　　’Ef&iacute；misafastwalker。WepartedthreedaysbeforeSt。Peter’sday，andImeanttocatchhimupagain，butallsortsofthingshappened。Ilostmymoney，andhadnomeanstogetanyfurther，soIturnedback。’

　　Thefolkswereastonishedthatsosensibleamanshouldhaveactedsofoolishly:shouldhavestartedandnotgottohisdestination，andshouldhavesquanderedallhismoney。Theywonderedatitforawhile，andthenforgotallaboutit，andElishaforgotittoo。Hesettoworkagainonhishomestead。Withhisson’shelphecutwoodforfuelforthewinter。Heandthewomenthreshedthecorn。

　　Thenhemendedthethatchontheouthouses，putthebeesundercover，andhandedovertohisneighbourthetenhiveshehadsoldhiminspring，andalltheswarmsthathadcomefromthem。Hiswifetriednottotellhowmanyswarmstherehadbeenfromthesehives，butElishaknewwellenoughfromwhichtherehadbeenswarmsandfromwhichnot。Andinsteadoften，hehandedoverseventeenswarmstohisneighbour。Havinggoteverythingreadyforthewinter，Elishasenthissonawaytofindwork，whilehehimselftooktoplattingshoesofbark，andhollowingoutlogsforhives。

　　AllthatdaywhileElishastoppedbehindinthehutwiththesickpeople，Ef&iacute；mwaitedforhim。Heonlywentonalittlewaybeforehesatdown。Hewaitedandwaited，hadanap，wokeupagain，andagainsatwaiting；buthiscomradedidnotcome。Hegazedtillhiseyesached。Thesunwasalreadysinkingbehindatree，andstillnoElishawastobeseen。

　　’Perhapshehaspassedme，’thoughtEf&iacute；m，’orperhapssomeonegavehimaliftandhedrovebywhileIslept，anddidnotseeme。

　　Buthowcouldhehelpseeingme？Onecanseesofarhereinthesteppe。

　　ShallIgoback？Supposeheisoninfront，weshallthenmisseachothercompletelyanditwillbestillworse。Ihadbettergoon，andweshallbesuretomeetwhereweputupforthenight。’

　　Hecametoavillage，andtoldthewatchman，ifanoldmanofacertaindescriptioncamealong，tobringhimtothehutwhereEf&iacute；mstopped。ButElishadidnotturnupthatnight。Ef&iacute；mwenton，askingallhemetwhethertheyhadnotseenalittle，bald-headed，oldman？Noonehadseensuchatraveller。Ef&iacute；mwondered，butwentonalone，saying:

　　’WeshallbesuretomeetinOdessa，oronboardtheship，’andhedidnottroublemoreaboutit。

　　Ontheway，hecameacrossapilgrimwearingapriest’scoat，withlonghairandaskull-capsuchaspriestswear。ThispilgrimhadbeentoMountAthos，andwasnowgoingtoJerusalemforthesecondtime。Theybothstoppedatthesameplaceonenight，and，havingmet，theytravelledontogether。

　　TheygotsafelytoOdessa，andtherehadtowaitthreedaysforaship。

　　Manypilgrimsfrommanydifferentpartswereinthesamecase。AgainEf&iacute；maskedaboutElisha，butnoonehadseenhim。

　　Ef&iacute；mgothimselfaforeignpassport，whichcosthimfiveroubles。

　　HepaidfortyroublesforareturntickettoJerusalem，andboughtasupplyofbreadandherringsforthevoyage。

　　ThepilgrimbeganexplainingtoEf&iacute；mhowhemightgetontotheshipwithoutpayinghisfare；butEf&iacute；mwouldnotlisten。’No，I

　　camepreparedtopay，andIshallpay，’saidhe。

　　Theshipwasfreighted，andthepilgrimswentonboard，Ef&iacute；mandhisnewcomradeamongthem。Theanchorswereweighed，andtheshipputouttosea。

　　Alldaytheysailedsmoothly，buttowardsnightawindarose，raincameon，andthevesseltossedaboutandshippedwater。Thepeoplewerefrightened:thewomenwailedandscreamed，andsomeoftheweakermenranabouttheshiplookingforshelter。

　　Ef&iacute；mtoowasfrightened，buthewouldnotshowit，andremainedattheplaceondeckwherehehadsettleddownwhenfirsthecameonboard，besidesomeoldmenfromTamb&oacute；f。Theretheysatsilent，allnightandallnextday，holdingontotheirsacks。Onthethirddayitgrewcalm，andonthefifthdaytheyanchoredatConstantinople。

　　SomeofthepilgrimswentonshoretovisittheChurchofSt。Sophia，nowheldbytheTurks。Ef&iacute；mremainedontheship，andonlyboughtsomewhitebread。Theylaytherefortwenty-fourhours，andthenputtoseaagain。AtSmyrnatheystoppedagain；andatAlexandria；butatlasttheyarrivedsafelyatJaffa，whereallthepilgrimshadtodisembark。FromtherestillitwasmorethanfortymilesbyroadtoJerusalem。Whendisembarkingthepeoplewereagainmuchfrightened。Theshipwashigh，andthepeopleweredroppedintoboats，whichrockedsomuchthatitwaseasytomissthemandfallintothewater。Acoupleofmendidgetawetting，butatlastallweresafelylanded。

　　Theywentononfoot，andatnoononthethirddayreachedJerusalem。

　　Theystoppedoutsidethetown，attheRussianinn，wheretheirpassportswereindorsed。Then，afterdinner，Ef&iacute；mvisitedtheHolyPlaceswithhiscompanion，thepilgrim。ItwasnotthetimewhentheycouldbeadmittedtotheHolySepulchre，buttheywenttothePatriarchate。Allthepilgrimsassembledthere。Thewomenwereseparatedfromthemen，whowerealltoldtositinacircle，barefoot。Thenamonkcameinwithatoweltowashtheirfeet。Hewashed，wiped，andthenkissedtheirfeet，anddidthistoeveryoneinthecircle。Ef&iacute；m’sfeetwerewashedandkissed，withtherest。Hestoodthroughvespersandmatins，prayed，placedcandlesattheshrines，handedinbookletsinscribedwithhisparents，names，thattheymightbementionedinthechurchprayers。

　　HereatthePatriarchatefoodandwineweregiventhem。

　　NextmorningtheywenttothecellofMaryofEgypt，whereshehadliveddoingpenance。Heretootheyplacedcandlesandhadprayersread。FromtheretheywenttoAbraham’sMonastery，andsawtheplacewhereAbrahamintendedtoslayhissonasanofferingtoGod。ThentheyvisitedthespotwhereChristappearedtoMaryMagdalene，andtheChurchofJames，theLord’sbrother。ThepilgrimshowedEf&iacute；malltheseplaces，andtoldhimhowmuchmoneytogiveateachplace。Atmid-daytheyreturnedtotheinnandhaddinner。Astheywerepreparingtoliedownandrest，thepilgrimcriedout，andbegantosearchhisclothes，feelingthemallover。

　　’Mypursehasbeenstolen，thereweretwenty-threeroublesinit，’saidhe，’twoten-roublenotesandtherestinchange。’

　　Hesighedandlamentedagreatdeal，butastherewasnohelpforit，theylaydowntosleep。

　　AsEf&iacute；mlaythere，hewasassailedbytemptation。

　　’Noonehasstolenanymoneyfromthispilgrim，’thoughthe，’Idonotbelievehehadany。Hegavenoneawayanywhere，thoughhemademegive，andevenborrowedaroubleofme。’

　　Thisthoughthadnosoonercrossedhismind，thanEf&iacute；mrebukedhimself，saying:’WhatrighthaveItojudgeaman？Itisasin。I

　　willthinknomoreaboutit。’Butassoonashisthoughtsbegantowander，theyturnedagaintothepilgrim:howinterestedheseemedtobeinmoney，andhowunlikelyitsoundedwhenhedeclaredthathispursehadbeenstolen。

　　’Heneverhadanymoney，’thoughtEf&iacute；m。’It’sallaninvention。’