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Iquicklyfollowedsuit,anddescendingintothebar-roomaccostedthegrinninglandlordverypleasantly.
Icherishednomalicetowardshim,thoughhehadbeenskylarkingwithmenotalittleinthematterofmybedfellow.
However,agoodlaughisamightygoodthing,andrathertooscarceagoodthing;themore’sthepity.
So,ifanyoneman,inhisownproperperson,affordstuffforagoodjoketoanybody,lethimnotbebackward,butlethimcheerfullyallowhimselftospendandtobespentinthatway.
Andthemanthathasanythingbountifullylaughableabouthim,besurethereismoreinthatmanthanyouperhapsthinkfor.
Thebar-roomwasnowfulloftheboarderswhohadbeendroppinginthenightprevious,andwhomIhadnotasyethadagoodlookat.
Theywerenearlyallwhalemen;chiefmates,andsecondmates,andthirdmates,andseacarpenters,andseacoopers,andseablacksmiths,andharpooneers,andshipkeepers;abrownandbrawnycompany,withboskybeards;anunshorn,shaggyset,allwearingmonkeyjacketsformorninggowns.
Youcouldprettyplainlytellhowlongeachonehadbeenashore.
Thisyoungfellow’shealthycheekislikeasun-toastedpearinhue,andwouldseemtosmellalmostasmusky;hecannothavebeenthreedayslandedfromhisIndianvoyage.
Thatmannexthimlooksafewshadeslighter;youmightsayatouchofsatinwoodisinhim.
Inthecomplexionofathirdstilllingersatropictawn,butslightlybleachedwithal;hedoubtlesshastarriedwholeweeksashore.
ButwhocouldshowacheeklikeQueequeg?
which,barredwithvarioustints,seemedliketheAndes’westernslope,toshowforthinonearray,contrastingclimates,zonebyzone.
“Grub,ho!”nowcriedthelandlord,flingingopenadoor,andinwewenttobreakfast.
Theysaythatmenwhohaveseentheworld,therebybecomequiteateaseinmanner,quiteself-possessedincompany.
Notalways,though:Ledyard,thegreatNewEnglandtraveller,andMungoPark,theScotchone;ofallmen,theypossessedtheleastassuranceintheparlor.
ButperhapsthemerecrossingofSiberiainasledgedrawnbydogsasLedyarddid,orthetakingalongsolitarywalkonanemptystomach,inthenegroheartofAfrica,whichwasthesumofpoorMungo’sperformances-thiskindoftravel,Isay,maynotbetheverybestmodeofattainingahighsocialpolish.
Still,forthemostpart,thatsortofthingistobehadanywhere.
Thesereflectionsjusthereareoccasionedbythecircumstancethatafterwewereallseatedatthetable,andIwaspreparingtohearsomegoodstoriesaboutwhaling;tomynosmallsurprisenearlyeverymanmaintainedaprofoundsilence.
Andnotonlythat,buttheylookedembarrassed.
Yes,herewereasetofsea-dogs,manyofwhomwithouttheslightestbashfulnesshadboardedgreatwhalesonthehighseas-entirestrangerstothem-andduelledthemdeadwithoutwinking;andyet,heretheysatatasocialbreakfasttable-allofthesamecalling,allofkindredtastes-lookingroundassheepishlyateachotherasthoughtheyhadneverbeenoutofsightofsomesheepfoldamongtheGreenMountains.
Acurioussight;thesebashfulbears,thesetimidwarriorwhalemen!
ButasforQueequeg-why,Queequegsatthereamongthem-attheheadofthetable,too,itsochanced;ascoolasanicicle.
TobesureIcannotsaymuchforhisbreeding.
Hisgreatestadmirercouldnothavecordiallyjustifiedhisbringinghisharpoonintobreakfastwithhim,andusingittherewithoutceremony;reachingoverthetablewithit,totheimminentjeopardyofmanyheads,andgrapplingthebeefsteakstowardshim.
Butthatwascertainlyverycoollydonebyhim,andeveryoneknowsthatinmostpeople’sestimation,todoanythingcoollyistodoitgenteelly.
WewillnotspeakofallQueequeg’speculiaritieshere;howheeschewedcoffeeandhotrolls,andappliedhisundividedattentiontobeefsteaks,donerare.
Enough,thatwhenbreakfastwasoverhewithdrewliketherestintothepublicroom,lightedhistomahawk-pipe,andwassittingtherequietlydigestingandsmokingwithhisinseparablehaton,whenIsalliedoutforastroll.
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