The Test - W.W.Jacobs | Текст песни

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• The Test
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It was dull at Pebblesea. Mt. Frederick Dix, mate of the Starfish returned to the harbour. He had nothing to do, so he decided to go to his ship and have a good sleep.

The skipper and the sailors were still ashore. The Starfish looked so lonely that Mr. Dix changed his mind about returning. He put his hands deep into his pockets and walked round the harbour. It was almost dark, and he could hardly see the only other man on the quay. The man was standing at the edge of the quay, looking at the water. He stood there so long that the mate grew interested and started walking up and down near him. After passing him twice, he came up to him and said: Fine night, isn't it?'
'The night is all right,' answered the young man grimly.
'You're rather near the edge,' said the mate after a pause.
'I like being near the edge,' was the reply.
Mr. Dix whistled softly and looked hard at the white-faced young man before him.
Have you got anything on your mind?" he asked.
The mate grew more and more interested. He took his arm and led him away from the edge.
The young man looked very unhappy, and Mn Dix decided to find out what was the matter. It took him about ten minutes to learn everything about him. The young man's name was Arthur Heard. He was in love with Emma Smith and he had asked her to marry him. She said 'no' because she did not love him. Now Mr. Heard was going to commit suicide.
'Why, I've known her for seven years,' he said, 'seven years, and this is the end of it.' The mate shook his head. told her I was going to drown myself,' continued Mr. Heard. 'My last words to her were: "When you see my dead body, you will be sorry".'
'I expect she'll cry and cry over your dead body,' said the mate politely.
The other turned and looked at him. 'Why, you don't think I'm going to drown myself, do you?' he asked crossly. ' I wouldn't drown myself for fifty girls!'
Then, why did you tell her you were going to?' said the surprised mate.
'Because I was hoping it would upset her and she would agree to marry me,' said the other grimly. 'But it only made her laugh at me.'
'It would serve her right if you did drown yourself,' said Mr. Dix firmly. 'She would feel sorry she refused to marry you, and it would spoil her life for her.'
'Ah, and it wouldn't spoil mine, I suppose,' said Mr. Heard with sarcasm.
'How she will laugh when she sees you tomorrow,' said the mate thoughtfully. 'Is she the sort of girl that would tell everybody about it and make you a laughing-stock?'
Mr. Heard said that she was. Forgetting for a moment his great love, he told Mr. Dix that Emma was very fond of gossiping. And he told him many other unpleasant things about her. The mate who saw that the man would not commit suicide after all, said thoughtfully: 'Why don't you just go in and out again? Then you could run to her house all dripping wet.'
'That would be clever, wouldn't it?' said Mr. Heard sarcastically. 'Starting to commit suicide, and then changing my mind. Why, that would make me a bigger laughing-stock than before.' 'But suppose I saved you against your will?' said Mr. Dix. 'How would that be?' 'It would be all right if I agreed to run the ri.4k,'3 said the other, 'but I don't. I don't want to struggle in the water while you are diving in the wrong places looking for inc.' 'I was thinking of a different plan,' said Mr. Dix. 'My idea was to pull you out of the water.' Mr. Heard looked at the black water a few feet below. 'How?' he asked shortly.

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