Page:Tolstoy - Tales from Tolstoi.djvu/240

Tales from Tolstoi to look out again: in the selfsame place stands Elisyei, in the same shape, with hands folded and uplifted glance, as if he were looking at something above him. And his baldness lighted up his whole head.

"Well," thought Efim, "now I really will not lose sight of him. I will go and stand at the entrance. There he cannot escape me."

So Efim went out, and stood and stood, and all the people passed out; and there was no Elisyei.

Efim remained six weeks in Jerusalem, and went everywhere—to Bethlehem, to Bethany, to Jordan; and on a new shirt he bought he had a seal impressed at the Sepulchre of the Lord, and in that shirt he meant to be buried; and he took water from the Jordan in a flask, and he took earth, and a candle from the holy place, and spent all his money, save only so much as might take him home; and Efim went back home. He came to Jaffa, went on board ship, sailed to Odessa, and set off home on foot.

Efim went all alone on that journey. He began to draw near to home, and again doubt befell him how they had been living without him.

"In a year," thought he, "a lot of water flows away. It takes a whole age to make a home, but to destroy a home does not take very long. How had his son managed things during his absence, how had the spring sowing been managed, how had the cattle weathered the winter: had they repaired the hut?"

Efim arrived at the place where he had parted from 190