Towardseveningtheygotup，andwenttomidnightMassatthegreatChurchoftheResurrection，wheretheLord’sSepulchreis。
ThepilgrimkeptclosetoEfí；mandwentwithhimeverywhere。
TheycametotheChurch；agreatmanypilgrimswerethere；someRussiansandsomeofothernationalities:Greeks，Armenians，Turks，andSyrians。Efí；menteredtheHolyGateswiththecrowd。A
monkledthempasttheTurkishsentinels，totheplacewheretheSaviourwastakendownfromthecrossandanointed，andwherecandleswereburninginninegreatcandlesticks。Themonkshowedandexplainedeverything。Efí；mofferedacandlethere。ThenthemonkledEfí；mtotheright，upthestepstoGolgotha，totheplacewherethecrosshadstood。Efí；mprayedthere。Thentheyshowedhimthecleftwherethegroundhadbeenrentasundertoitsnethermostdepths；thentheplacewhereChrist’shandsandfeetwerenailedtothecross；thenAdam’stomb，wherethebloodofChristhaddrippedontoAdam’sbones。ThentheyshowedhimthestoneonwhichChristsatwhenthecrownofthornswasplacedonHishead；thentheposttowhichChristwasboundwhenHewasscourged。ThenEfí；msawthestonewithtwoholesforChrist’sfeet。Theyweregoingtoshowhimsomethingelse，buttherewasastirinthecrowd，andthepeopleallhurriedtothechurchoftheLord’sSepulchreitself。TheLatinMasshadjustfinishedthere，andtheRussianMasswasbeginning。AndEfí；mwentwiththecrowdtothetombcutintherock。
Hetriedtogetridofthepilgrim，againstwhomhewasstillsinninginhismind，butthepilgrimwouldnotleavehim，butwentwithhimtotheMassattheHolySepulchre。Theytriedtogettothefront，butweretoolate。Therewassuchacrowdthatitwasimpossibletomoveeitherbackwardsorforwards。Efí；mstoodlookinginfrontofhim，praying，andeverynowandthenfeelingforhispurse。Hewasintwominds:sometimeshethoughtthatthepilgrimwasdeceivinghim，andthenagainhethoughtthatifthepilgrimspokethetruthandhispursehadreallybeenstolen，thesamethingmighthappentohimself。
Efí；mstoodtheregazingintothelittlechapelinwhichwastheHolySepulchreitselfwiththirty-sixlampsburningaboveit。Ashestoodlookingoverthepeople’sheads，hesawsomethingthatsurprisedhim。Justbeneaththelampsinwhichthesacredfireburnsandinfrontofeveryone，Efí；msawanoldmaninagreycoat，whosebald，shiningheadwasjustlikeElishaBó；drof。
’Itislikehim，’thoughtEfí；m，’butitcannotbeElisha。Hecouldnothavegotaheadofme。Theshipbeforeoursstartedaweeksooner。Hecouldnothavecaughtthat；andhewasnotonours，forIsaweverypilgrimonboard。’
HardlyhadEfí；mthoughtthis，whenthelittleoldmanbegantopray，andbowedthreetimes:onceforwardstoGod，thenonceoneachside——tothebrethren。Andasheturnedhisheadtotheright，Efí；mrecognizedhim。ItwasElishaBó；drofhimselfwithhisdark，curlybeardturninggreyatthecheeks，withhisbrows，hiseyesandnose，andhisexpressionofface。Yes，itwashe！
Efí；mwasverypleasedtohavefoundhiscomradeagain，andwonderedhowElishahadgotaheadofhim。
’Welldone，Elisha！’thoughthe。’Seehowhehaspushedahead。Hemusthavecomeacrosssomeonewhoshowedhimtheway。
Whenwegetout，Iwillfindhim，getridofthisfellowintheskull-cap，andkeeptoElisha。Perhapshewillshowmehowtogettothefrontalso。’
Efí；mkeptlookingout，soasnottolosesightofElisha。ButwhentheMasswasover，thecrowdbegantosway，pushingforwardtokissthetomb，andpushedEfí；maside。Hewasagainseizedwithfearlesthispurseshouldbestolen。Pressingitwithhishand，hebeganelbowingthroughthecrowd，anxiousonlytogetout。Whenhereachedtheopen，hewentaboutforalongtimesearchingforElishabothoutsideandintheChurchitself。InthecellsoftheChurchhesawmanypeopleofallkinds，eating，anddrinkingwine，andreadingandsleepingthere。ButElishawasnowheretobeseen。SoEfí；mreturnedtotheinnwithouthavingfoundhiscomrade。Thateveningthepilgrimintheskull-capdidnotturnup。
Hehadgoneoffwithoutrepayingtherouble，andEfí；mwasleftalone。
ThenextdayEfí；mwenttotheHolySepulchreagain，withanoldmanfromTambó；f，whomhehadmetontheship。Hetriedtogettothefront，butwasagainpressedback；sohestoodbyapillarandprayed。Helookedbeforehim，andthereintheforemostplaceunderthelamps，closetotheverySepulchreoftheLord，stoodElisha，withhisarmsspreadoutlikeapriestatthealtar，andwithhisbaldheadallshining。
’Well，now，’thoughtEfí；m，’Iwon’tlosehim！’
Hepushedforwardtothefront，butwhenhegotthere，therewasnoElisha:hehadevidentlygoneaway。
AgainonthethirddayEfí；mlooked，andsawattheSepulchre，intheholiestplace，Elishastandinginthesightofallmen，hisarmsoutspread，andhiseyesgazingupwardsasifhesawsomethingabove。
Andhisbaldheadwasallshining。
’Well，thistime，’thoughtEfí；m，’heshallnotescapeme！Iwillgoandstandatthedoor，thenwecan’tmissoneanother！’
Efí；mwentoutandstoodbythedoortillpastnoon。Everyonehadpassedout，butstillElishadidnotappear。
Efí；mremainedsixweeksinJerusalem，andwenteverywhere:toBethlehem，andtoBethany，andtotheJordan。HehadanewshirtsealedattheHolySepulchreforhisburial，andhetookabottleofwaterfromtheJordan，andsomeholyearth，andboughtcandlesthathadbeenlitatthesacredflame。Ineightplacesheinscribednamestobeprayedfor，andhespentallhismoney，exceptjustenoughtogethomewith。Thenhestartedhomeward。HewalkedtoJaffa，sailedthencetoOdessa，andwalkedhomefromthereonfoot。
Efí；mtravelledthesameroadhehadcomeby；andashedrewnearerhomehisformeranxietyreturnedastohowaffairsweregettingoninhisabsence。’Muchwaterflowsawayinayear，’theproverbsays。Ittakesalifetimetobuildupahomestead，butnotlongtoruinit，thoughthe。Andhewonderedhowhissonhadmanagedwithouthim，whatsortofspringtheywerehaving，howthecattlehadwintered，andwhetherthecottagewaswellfinished。WhenEfí；mcametothedistrictwherehehadpartedfromElishathesummerbefore，hecouldhardlybelievethatthepeoplelivingtherewerethesame。Theyearbeforetheyhadbeenstarving，butnowtheywerelivingincomfort。Theharvesthadbeengood，andthepeoplehadrecoveredandhadforgottentheirformermisery。
OneeveningEfí；mreachedtheveryplacewhereElishahadremainedbehind；andasheenteredthevillage，alittlegirlinawhitesmockranoutofahut。
Daddy，daddy，cometoourhouse！’
Efí；mmeanttopasson，butthelittlegirlwouldnotlethim。
Shetookholdofhiscoat，laughing，andpulledhimtowardsthehut，whereawomanwithasmallboycameoutintotheporchandbeckonedtohim。
’Comein，grandfather，’shesaid。’Havesupperandspendthenightwithus。’
SoEfí；mwentin。
’ImayaswellaskaboutElisha，’hethought。’Ifancythisistheveryhuthewenttoforadrinkofwater。’
Thewomanhelpedhimoffwiththebaghecarried，andgavehimwatertowashhisface。Thenshemadehimsitdowntotable，andsetmilk，curd-cakesandporridgebeforehim。Efí；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。
AftergivingEfí；mfoodanddrink，theyshowedhimwherehewastosleep；andlaydowntosleepthemselves。
ButthoughEfí；mlaydown，hecouldnotsleep。HecouldnotgetElishaoutofhismind，butrememberedhowhehadseenhimthreetimesatJerusalem，standingintheforemostplace。
’Sothatishowhegotaheadofme，’thoughtEfí；m。’GodmayormaynothaveacceptedmypilgrimagebutHehascertainlyacceptedhis！’
NextmorningEfí；mbadefarewelltothepeople，whoputsomepattiesinhissackbeforetheywenttotheirwork，andhecontinuedhisjourney。
