Themanunharnessedthehorse，andcarriedthesackintothebarn。Thenhemowedsomegrassandputitinthemanger。
Everybodylaydowntosleep。Elishawentoutsideandlaybytheroadside。
Thateveninghetookhisbagoutwithhim。Wheneveryonewasasleep，hegotup，packedandfastenedhisbag，wrappedthelinenbandsroundhislegs，putonhisshoesandcoat，andsetofftofollowEfí；m。
WhenElishahadwalkedrathermorethanthreemilesitbegantogrowlight。Hesatdownunderatree，openedhisbag，countedhismoney，andfoundhehadonlyseventeenroublesandtwentykopeksleft。
’Well，’thoughthe，’itisnousetryingtocrosstheseawiththis。
IfIbegmywayitmaybeworsethannotgoingatall。FriendEfí；mwillgettoJerusalemwithoutme，andwillplaceacandleattheshrinesinmyname。Asforme，I’mafraidIshallneverfulfilmyvowinthislife。ImustbethankfulitwasmadetoamercifulMaster，andtoonewhopardonssinners。’
Elisharose，jerkedhisbagwelluponhisshoulders，andturnedback。
Notwishingtoberecognizedbyanyone，hemadeacircuittoavoidthevillage，andwalkedbrisklyhomeward。Comingfromhomethewayhadseemeddifficulttohim，andhehadfoundithardtokeepupwithEfí；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。
Efí；m’sfamilyheardofhisreturnthesameday，andcamefornewsoftheiroldman；andtothemElishagavethesameanswers。
’Efí；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，Efí；mwaitedforhim。Heonlywentonalittlewaybeforehesatdown。Hewaitedandwaited，hadanap，wokeupagain，andagainsatwaiting；buthiscomradedidnotcome。Hegazedtillhiseyesached。Thesunwasalreadysinkingbehindatree，andstillnoElishawastobeseen。
’Perhapshehaspassedme，’thoughtEfí；m，’orperhapssomeonegavehimaliftandhedrovebywhileIslept，anddidnotseeme。
Buthowcouldhehelpseeingme？Onecanseesofarhereinthesteppe。
ShallIgoback？Supposeheisoninfront，weshallthenmisseachothercompletelyanditwillbestillworse。Ihadbettergoon，andweshallbesuretomeetwhereweputupforthenight。’
Hecametoavillage，andtoldthewatchman，ifanoldmanofacertaindescriptioncamealong，tobringhimtothehutwhereEfí；mstopped。ButElishadidnotturnupthatnight。Efí；mwenton，askingallhemetwhethertheyhadnotseenalittle，bald-headed，oldman？Noonehadseensuchatraveller。Efí；mwondered，butwentonalone，saying:
’WeshallbesuretomeetinOdessa，oronboardtheship，’andhedidnottroublemoreaboutit。
Ontheway，hecameacrossapilgrimwearingapriest’scoat，withlonghairandaskull-capsuchaspriestswear。ThispilgrimhadbeentoMountAthos，andwasnowgoingtoJerusalemforthesecondtime。Theybothstoppedatthesameplaceonenight，and，havingmet，theytravelledontogether。
TheygotsafelytoOdessa，andtherehadtowaitthreedaysforaship。
Manypilgrimsfrommanydifferentpartswereinthesamecase。AgainEfí；maskedaboutElisha，butnoonehadseenhim。
Efí；mgothimselfaforeignpassport，whichcosthimfiveroubles。
HepaidfortyroublesforareturntickettoJerusalem，andboughtasupplyofbreadandherringsforthevoyage。
ThepilgrimbeganexplainingtoEfí；mhowhemightgetontotheshipwithoutpayinghisfare；butEfí；mwouldnotlisten。’No，I
camepreparedtopay，andIshallpay，’saidhe。
Theshipwasfreighted，andthepilgrimswentonboard，Efí；mandhisnewcomradeamongthem。Theanchorswereweighed，andtheshipputouttosea。
Alldaytheysailedsmoothly，buttowardsnightawindarose，raincameon，andthevesseltossedaboutandshippedwater。Thepeoplewerefrightened:thewomenwailedandscreamed，andsomeoftheweakermenranabouttheshiplookingforshelter。
Efí；mtoowasfrightened，buthewouldnotshowit，andremainedattheplaceondeckwherehehadsettleddownwhenfirsthecameonboard，besidesomeoldmenfromTambó；f。Theretheysatsilent，allnightandallnextday，holdingontotheirsacks。Onthethirddayitgrewcalm，andonthefifthdaytheyanchoredatConstantinople。
SomeofthepilgrimswentonshoretovisittheChurchofSt。Sophia，nowheldbytheTurks。Efí；mremainedontheship，andonlyboughtsomewhitebread。Theylaytherefortwenty-fourhours，andthenputtoseaagain。AtSmyrnatheystoppedagain；andatAlexandria；butatlasttheyarrivedsafelyatJaffa，whereallthepilgrimshadtodisembark。FromtherestillitwasmorethanfortymilesbyroadtoJerusalem。Whendisembarkingthepeoplewereagainmuchfrightened。Theshipwashigh，andthepeopleweredroppedintoboats，whichrockedsomuchthatitwaseasytomissthemandfallintothewater。Acoupleofmendidgetawetting，butatlastallweresafelylanded。
Theywentononfoot，andatnoononthethirddayreachedJerusalem。
Theystoppedoutsidethetown，attheRussianinn，wheretheirpassportswereindorsed。Then，afterdinner，Efí；mvisitedtheHolyPlaceswithhiscompanion，thepilgrim。ItwasnotthetimewhentheycouldbeadmittedtotheHolySepulchre，buttheywenttothePatriarchate。Allthepilgrimsassembledthere。Thewomenwereseparatedfromthemen，whowerealltoldtositinacircle，barefoot。Thenamonkcameinwithatoweltowashtheirfeet。Hewashed，wiped，andthenkissedtheirfeet，anddidthistoeveryoneinthecircle。Efí；m’sfeetwerewashedandkissed，withtherest。Hestoodthroughvespersandmatins，prayed，placedcandlesattheshrines，handedinbookletsinscribedwithhisparents，names，thattheymightbementionedinthechurchprayers。
HereatthePatriarchatefoodandwineweregiventhem。
NextmorningtheywenttothecellofMaryofEgypt，whereshehadliveddoingpenance。Heretootheyplacedcandlesandhadprayersread。FromtheretheywenttoAbraham’sMonastery，andsawtheplacewhereAbrahamintendedtoslayhissonasanofferingtoGod。ThentheyvisitedthespotwhereChristappearedtoMaryMagdalene，andtheChurchofJames，theLord’sbrother。ThepilgrimshowedEfí；malltheseplaces，andtoldhimhowmuchmoneytogiveateachplace。Atmid-daytheyreturnedtotheinnandhaddinner。Astheywerepreparingtoliedownandrest，thepilgrimcriedout，andbegantosearchhisclothes，feelingthemallover。
’Mypursehasbeenstolen，thereweretwenty-threeroublesinit，’saidhe，’twoten-roublenotesandtherestinchange。’
Hesighedandlamentedagreatdeal，butastherewasnohelpforit，theylaydowntosleep。
AsEfí；mlaythere，hewasassailedbytemptation。
’Noonehasstolenanymoneyfromthispilgrim，’thoughthe，’Idonotbelievehehadany。Hegavenoneawayanywhere，thoughhemademegive，andevenborrowedaroubleofme。’
Thisthoughthadnosoonercrossedhismind，thanEfí；mrebukedhimself，saying:’WhatrighthaveItojudgeaman？Itisasin。I
willthinknomoreaboutit。’Butassoonashisthoughtsbegantowander，theyturnedagaintothepilgrim:howinterestedheseemedtobeinmoney，andhowunlikelyitsoundedwhenhedeclaredthathispursehadbeenstolen。
’Heneverhadanymoney，’thoughtEfí；m。’It’sallaninvention。’
