Page:Tolstoy - Tales from Tolstoi.djvu/235

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Two Old Men

town in the Russian quarter, showed their passports, had a little breakfast, and went with the pilgrims about the holy places. To the very Sepulchre of the Lord Himself they were not yet admitted. First of all, they went to early morning mass to the Monastery of the Patriarch, and prayed there and offered their votive candles. They looked from the outside on the Church of the Resurrection, where was the very tomb of the Lord.

On the first day they were only admitted into the cell of St. Mary of Egypt, where she had fled for refuge. They placed their votive candles and recited their prayers. They wished to come to early mass to the Sepulchre of the Lord, but came too late. They went to the Monastery of Abraham; they saw the garden of Savek, the place where Abraham would have sacrificed his son to God. Then they went to the place where Christ appeared to St. Mary Magdalene, and to the church of St. James, the Lord's brother. The pilgrim showed them all these places, and told them everywhere how much money they had to pay, and where to place their candles. Again they returned to the resting-place, and they had only just laid them down to sleep when the pilgrim raised a wail, and began to search all about his clothes.

"They have filched my purse," cried he, "with all my money, twenty-three roubles—two ten-rouble notes, and three in small money."

The pilgrim fretted and fumed, but there was no help for it, and they all laid them down to sleep.

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