Chapter 4 Four Friends in Distress

I have been reading people for thirty years.I don't know much about them yet.Surely I would hesitate to hire a servant by one face alone, yet I think we judge most of the people we meet by one face alone: ​​the shape of the jaw, the look of the eyes, the outline of the mouth. draw conclusions.I don't know if we're more often right than wrong in doing this.The reason why novels and plays so often appear unreal is that writers are compelled to make their characters consistent; they cannot make them contradict themselves, because that would make them incomprehensible.In real life, however, most of us are contradicting ourselves.Human beings have some disorganized and contradictory characteristics.If a book on logic tells you that yellow is tube-shaped and gratitude is heavier than air, it is undoubtedly nonsense.Yet in the paradoxical, incongruous mixture of human natures, it is possible to combine the same yellow into horses and carts, and gratitude into the day of the next week.When people tell me that their first impression of a person is always right, I just shrug my shoulders.I think they must be short-sighted, or over-confident.In my case, I find that the longer I've known people, the more they confuse me.My oldest friends are precisely the ones I can tell I don't know at all.

The reason why I have these thoughts is because I saw Edward.Hyde.News of Burton's death in Kobe.He is a businessman who has been doing business in Japan for many years.I didn't know him very well, but he surprised me once and I became interested in him.If I hadn't heard him tell me the following story, I would never have believed that he would have done such a thing.He reminded one, both in appearance and manner, of a stereotyped figure, and it was all the more shocking that there was one consistent man, that he was.He was a short man, not more than five feet four, thin and frail, with white hair, a wrinkled face, a ruddy complexion, and blue eyes.I guess he was about sixty years old when I met him.He was always neatly dressed, befitting his age and station.

Burton's office is in Kobe, but he often travels to Yokohama.I happened to be there on business for a few days, waiting for a ship, and was introduced to him at the English Club.We play bridge together.He played well and was generous.When we drank together, then or later, he didn't talk much, but when he did he was reasonable.He has an unflappable sense of humor.He seemed quite popular at the club, and when he left he was said to be one of the noblest of men.We both happened to be staying at the Da Guang Hotel, and he invited me to have dinner with him the next day.There, I saw his elderly wife, fat and smiling, and his two daughters.Obviously a harmonious and loving family.What impressed me the most was his loyalty and kindness.There was a very lovely look in his mild blue eyes; his voice was soft too, and it was impossible to imagine him being able to roar aloud; and his smile was just as kind.There is a kind of person who attracts you because you feel that he has a genuine love for people.He was charming without being artificial.He likes to play cards, drink cocktails, can tell vivid and interesting stories to the point, and was a sportsman in his youth.He was rich, and he earned every penny.It seemed to me that he was so frail and small that you liked him, that he aroused in you pity for him.You get the sense that he couldn't bear to hurt a fly.

One afternoon, I was sitting in the lobby of the Da Guang Hotel.That was before the big earthquake [Note: In 1923, there was a big earthquake in Tokyo, Japan. ], there are many leather armchairs in the hall.Looking out from the window, the view is wide, and you can see the busy harbor.Huge passenger ships bound for Vancouver and San Francisco, or bound for Europe via Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore; Number of sampans.It was an exciting and busy scene, and yet, for some reason, exhilarating.I think there must be legendary stories in this lively scene, and people seem to be able to find them at their fingertips.

Soon Burton came into the hall, saw me, and took the chair next to me. How about a drink? He clapped for the waiter and ordered two gin and sodas.When the waiter brought it, a man passed by on the street outside, saw me at a glance, and waved to me. Do you know Turner?Burton asked as I nodded. I saw him at the club.I heard that he lived on remittances from China. Yes, I believe so.There are many such people here. He is very good at bridge. They generally are.There was a guy here last year who, by coincidence, had the same last name as me and was the best bridge player I've ever seen.I suppose you never met him in London.He said his name was Rainey.Burton.I believe he must have been in some famous clubs.

No, I don't recall hearing that name. He is a very good bridge player.Strange to say, he seemed to have a natural talent for bridge.He was in Kobe for a while and I played with him a lot. Burton sipped a soda schnapps. It's quite an interesting story.He said, he's not a bad guy, I like him.He was always well-dressed and personable.His hair is curly, his cheeks are rosy, and he can be regarded as a handsome man.The women are crazy about him.He's not mean, but he's a bit unruly and drinks too much, which is what they always do, of course.Every season, some money will be sent to him in China, and he also earns some by playing cards.He's won me a lot of money, I know that.

Burton smiled softly.I know from my own experience that he can be at ease when he loses money at poker.He touched his shaved chin with his bony hands, the veins on his hands were exposed and almost transparent. I think the reason why he came to me at a bad time was probably because he had won me a lot of money; the other reason was that he had the same surname as me.One day he came to my office and asked me to arrange a career for him.I was quite surprised.He told me that his family stopped sending him money, so he wanted to find a job.I asked how old he was. Thirty-five years old.He said.

What have you done so far?I asked him. Well, nothing was done.He said. I couldn't help laughing. I'm afraid I can't help you at all right now, so I said, come to me in another thirty-five years, and then I'll see if I can think of something for you. He was motionless and pale.He hesitated for a moment, and then told me that I have been unlucky in playing poker for quite some time.He didn't want to play bridge all the time, so he played stud. ], as a result, he lost all his money and became penniless.He had pawned everything, and he couldn't pay the hotel bill, which the owner had given him no credit for.He was now at the end of his rope, and if he couldn't find anything to do, he had to die.

I watched him for a while, and I could see he was all broken.Drank more than usual, like a man of fifty.If girls see him now, they won't fall in love with him. So what else do you do besides playing poker?I continued to ask. I can swim.He said. swim! I couldn't believe my ears; it was like a madman answered! I once represented my university in swimming competitions. I kind of understand what he means.I know quite a few people who were once little college idols and they can't forget it. I was also a good swimmer when I was younger.I said. Suddenly, I had an idea. Burton interrupted his story and turned to me.

Are you familiar with Kobe?he asked. Not familiar, I said, I passed by there once, but only stayed for one night. Then you don't know Shioya Club.When I was young, I swam from there, round the lighthouse, and landed in Tarumi's Cove, more than three miles away.Swimming across is quite difficult due to the strong currents near the lighthouse.Well, I talked about the situation with my young man of the same name, and said I'd give him a job if he could swim over. I saw that he was quite troubled. Didn't you say you were a good swimmer?I said. But my health is not very good.he answered.

I didn't say anything, just shrugged.He looked at me for a moment, then nodded. Well, he said, when do you want me to go? I looked at my watch: it was just past ten. The journey will not exceed an hour and a quarter of an hour.I'll pick you up at the cove over there at half past twelve.Send you back to the club to get dressed, and then we'll have lunch together. It's a deal.He said. We shake hands.I wish him luck and he's gone.I had a lot of work to do that morning, and finally arrived at Tarumi's Cove just at half past twelve.In fact, I needn't have worried because he hadn't shown up all the time. Did he scare off at the last minute?I asked. No, he wasn't scared off, he swam fairly well at first.However, alcoholism and debauchery ruined his constitution.He couldn't handle the flow of water around the lighthouse.His body was not found until about three days later. For a minute or two I was speechless.I'm a little shocked.Then Burton was asked a question. When you were going to give him a job, did you know he would drown? He smiled softly and looked at me with good, honest blue eyes.Putting his hand to his chin, he said: Well, there were no vacancies in my office at the time.