I couldn’t help laughing.

“‘I’m afraid I can’t do anything for you just now,’ I said.

‘Come back and see me in another thirty-five years, and I’ll see what I can do.”

“He didn’t move. He went rather pale. He hesitated for a moment and then he told me that he had had bad luck at cards for some time. He hadn’t a penny. He’d pawned everything he had. He couldn’t pay his hotel bill and they wouldn’t give him any more credit. He was down and out. If he couldn’t get a job he’d have to commit suicide.”

“I looked at him for a bit. I could see now that he was all to pieces. He’d been drinking more than usual and he looked fifty.

“’Well, isn’t there anything you can do expect play cards?’ I asked him.

“‘I can swim,’ he said.

“‘Swim!’

“I could hardly believe my ears; it seemed such a silly answer.

“‘I swam for my university.’

“‘I was a pretty good swimmer myself when I was a young man,’ I said.

Suddenly I had an idea.

Pausing in his story, Burton turned to me.

“Do you know Kobe?” he asked.

“No,” I said, “I passed through it once, but I only spent a night there.”

“Then you don’t know the Shioya Club. When I was a young man I swam from there round the beacon and landed at the creek of Tarumi. It’s over three miles and it’s rather difficult on account of the currents round the beacon. Well, I told my young namesake about it and I said to him that if he’d do it I’d give him a job.

“I could see he was rather taken aback.

“‘You say you’re a swimmer,’ I said.

“‘I’m not in very good condition,’ He answered.

“I didn’t say anything. I shrugged my shoulders. He looked at me for a moment and then he nodded.

“‘All right,’ he said. ‘When do you want me to do it?’

“I looked at my watch. It was just after ten.

“‘The swim shouldn’t take you much over an hour and a quarter. I’ll drive round to the creek at half-past twelve and meet you. I’ll take you back to the club to dress and then we’ll have lunch together.’

“‘Done ‘ he said.

We shook hands. I wished him good luck and he left me. I had a lot of work to do that morning and I only just managed to get to the creek at half past twelve. I waited for him there, but in vain.”

“Did he get frightened at the last moment?” I asked.

“No, he didn’t. He started swimming. But of course he’d ruined his health by drink. The currents round the beacon were more than he could manage.”

I didn’t say anything for a moment or two. I was a little shocked. Then I asked Burton a question.

“When you offered him the job, did you know that he’d be drowned?”

He gave a little mild chuckle and he looked at me with those kind blue eyes of his. He rubbed his chin with his hand.

“Well, I hadn’t got a vacancy in my office at the moment.”

Assignments

1. Make sure you know the pronunciation of the following words. Write them down and transcribe them.

merchant, lounge, beacon, handsome, drown, vacancy, suicide, current.

2. Prepare an expressive reading of the first paragraph of the story.

3. Scan the story to find the answers to the following questions. First read the questions, be sure you’ve got them well in mind and then start scanning. Stop reading the text the moment you have found the necessary information.

1. What people puzzled the narrator most of all?

2. Where did Edward Burton die?

3. Where did Edward Burton and the narrator get acquainted?

4. Who did Edward Burton’s family consist of?

5. How old was Lenny Burton?

6. What for did he come to the office of his namesake?

7. What could he do?

8. What happened to Lenny in the end?

4. Read the story carefully and write out sentences in which the following words and phrases are used. Memorize the words and phrases. Use them when discussing the story.

to judge from (by)

to draw the conclusion

to give sb. a great surprise

to be capable of

to give the impression of

to have an instinct about

to arouse one’s instinct of protection

to have an excellent view of

can’t help doing smth.

to have bad luck at cards

to be down and out

to commit suicide

to be taken aback

to be (all) to pieces

to puzzle

to be popular with (among)

kindliness

in accordance with

to come across

to go broke

a namesake

to pawn

in vain

a vacancy

5. Paraphrase or explain the following sentences.

1. He was always neatly and quietly dressed in accordance with his age ad station.

2. He played a good game and a generous one.

3. … he aroused your instinct of protection.

4. I’m told he’s a remittance man.

5. He had a quiet, dry humor.

6. He had charm.

7. … he could tell a good and spicy story.

8. It was uncanny.

9. There was no harm in him, you know, he was only wild.

6. Support on challenge the following statements. Make suitable quotations to prove your point of view.

1. Edward Burton and Lenny Burton had many things in common.

2. Edward Burton was very popular at the club and people thought a lot of him.

3. When Lenny came to the office of his namesake he looked cheerful and full of optimism.

4. Edward Burton did not feel like helping his namesake.

5. Old Burton realized that Lenny would be drowned.

6. Edward Burton worried very much about the outcome of the swimming.

7. Pick out words and phrases which describe the appearance and manner of:

1. Edward Burton;

2. Lenny Burton.

8. Dramatize the dialogue between Edward Burton and Lenny Burton. Don’t forget that old Burton was busy in his office, not very easily impressed, indifferent to other people’s troubles; his namesake was down and out, all to pieces and not in very good condition to swim.

9. Retell the dialogue in indirect speech.

10. Look through the story again and find answers to the following comprehension questions.

1. Why was the narrator interested in Edward Burton?

2. What made Edward Burton so popular with people?

3. What kind of man was Lenny Burton? Do you approve of his way of living?

4. What was the situation Lenny found himself in?

5. On what condition did Edward Burton promise a job in his office to his namesake?

6. What were Lenny’s chances? Could he manage to cover three miles?

7. What is the importance of the last sentence of the story?

11. Point out phrases and sentences which reveal the author’s attitude to Edward Burton. What conclusion can you draw about the author’s attitude to old Burton?

12. What is the significance of the title of the story?

13. Make up a situation to illustrate one of the following proverbs. First make sure you know their meaning.

A friend in a need is a friend indeed

Appearances are deceitful

A fair face may hide a foul soul

Calamity is man’s true touchstone

Familiarity breeds contempt

14. Opinion questions.

1. The narrator holds that one should not judge people by appearance. Do you side with him? Why?

2. Why do you think Lenny turned to his namesake for help when he was ruined?

3. Why did Lenny accept the terms of Edward Burton?

4. Why did Edward Burton send his namesake to almost sure death?

5. What kind of man do you think old Burton really was?

6. What do you think both men should have done under the circumstances?

7. What is the main idea of the story?

8. Old Burton and young Burton are poles apart. Which of them do you like? Why?

9. Edward Burton called his story a funny one. The narrator was shocked by the story. What is your feeling after reading the story? Why?

15. Give a character sketch of:

1. Lenny Burton;

2. Edward Burton.

16. Tell the story as Lenny Burton might have told it.

17. Think of a different end to the story (comical, puzzling, etc.).

18. Make up an outline of the story.

19. Divide the story into logical parts. Entitle each.

20. Give a brief summary of the story.