All came off as arranged. We sat together at my window. It was a glorious night, and a faint, fresh wind blew in from the sea. The lights in the harbour twinkled, the stars glistened in the sky. But as Paul told me his good news, the whole horizon was one great flame before my eyes. He began by recapitulating, though with fuller details than was possible by letter, what I knew pretty well already; the story of the great success of his book, which had been reviewed in all the theological magazines of Europe, and had gone through four editions in the year, and been translated into German and Italian; the story of how he had been encouraged to come to St. Petersburg, and how he had prospered on the press there. And then came the grand news--he was offered the editorship of the _Novoe Vremia_, the great St. Petersburg paper! In an instant I realized all it meant, and in my horror I almost fainted. Paul would direct this famous Government and anti-Semitic organ, Paul would pen day after day those envenomed leaders, goading on the mob to turn and rend their Jewish fellow-citizens, denying them the rights of human beings. Paul would direct the flood of sarcasm and misrepresentation poured forth day after day upon my inoffensive brethren. The old anguish with which I had read that article a year ago returned to me; but not the old tempest of wrath. By sheer force of will I kept myself calm. A great issue was at stake, and I nerved myself for the contest. "Paul," said I, "you are a lucky fellow." I kissed him on the brow with icy lips. He saw my great emotion, but felt it was but natural. "_Da_," said he, "I am a lucky fellow. It is a great thing. Few men have had such an opportunity at twenty-five." "_Nutchozh?_ And how do you propose to utilize it?" I asked. "_Och_, I must conduct the paper on the same general lines," he said; "of course, with improvements." "Amongst the latter the omission of the anti-Semitic bias, I hope." He stared at me. "Certainly not. The proprietors make its continuance on the same general lines a condition. They are very good. They even guard me against possible prosecutions by paying a handsome salary to a man of straw. _Ish-lui_, it is a fine berth that I've got." Should I tell him the thing was impossible--that he was a Jew? No; time for that when all other means had failed. "_Och_, you have accepted it?" I said. "Of course I have, father. Why should I give them time to change their minds?" "I should have thought you would have consulted me first." "_Nu, uzh_, I have never consulted you yet about accepting work," he said in a wondering, disappointed tone. "_Nuka_, but this puts you finally into a career, does it not?" "Certainly. That is why I accepted it, and I thought you would be glad." "That is why you should have refused it. But I _am_ glad all the same." "I do not understand you, father."