engaged in conversation
with Mr. Jackson. The ocean was somewhat rough. The ladies did not
come out on deck; Mr. Jackson was, therefore, free and evidently in
high spirits. He spoke with great animation. My companion had his
note-book in his hands and there was a slyly respectful smile on his
face.

"We are discussing the Jewish question," he said in Russian. "Mr.
Carson, a quarter of an hour ago, praised the Jews, and ever since
'our man' cannot calm down. He enlightens me with arguments which
sound as if they were just taken from our yellow newspapers. Please,
go on, sir," he respectfully addressed Mr. Jackson. "Everything you
say is so new and interesting...."

Mr. Jackson, who was flattered by the respectful attention of the
naive Russian, continued his sermon. It was before the days of the
Beyliss trial. Nevertheless, except for the "ritual" murder, all the
rest of the jargon of our anti-Semitic papers was there, and the
Jewish character was painted the most frightful black.

On the other end of the deck resounded the shrill sound of the gong, a
signal for lunch.

"Thank you, sir," said my companion. "It is with great pleasure that I
have listened to your views on the subject, and I am certain that all
this will be found extremely novel in our country.... I have a few
more minutes to ask you one last question...."

"What else do you wish to know?" said Mr. Jackson.

"I wonder," answered my friend, "what conclusions are to be drawn from
this enlightening conversation. You are undoubtedly against equal
rights for the Jews. You would shut the doors of the country for the
Jews, wouldn't you? And you would limit the rights of those who
already live there, by establishing, let us say, something in the
nature of a special zone outside of which they would not be allowed to
settle?"

Even as my friend was saying this the American's eyebrows went up,
forming a sharp angle, and he looked at the speaker with such an air
of pity that the latter was somewhat put out of countenance.

"How in the world have you reached such a conclusion?" asked Jackson
coldly, and somewhat severely.

"But ... you dislike the Jews heartily...."

The clanging of the gong was reaching our corner. Mr. Jackson rose
and buttoning his coat, he said:

"It does not follow. You have made a bad syllogism: the conclusion
does not follow from the premises."

"But, sir...."

"It is true that I dislike those people, but it doesn't follow that I