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ReturningtotheSpouter-InnfromtheChapel,IfoundQueequegtherequitealone;hehavinglefttheChapelbeforethebenedictionsometime.
Hewassittingonabenchbeforethefire,withhisfeetonthestovehearth,andinonehandwasholdingcloseuptohisfacethatlittlenegroidolofhis;peeringhardintoitsface,andwithajack-knifegentlywhittlingawayatitsnose,meanwhilehummingtohimselfinhisheathenishway.
Butbeingnowinterrupted,heputuptheimage;andprettysoon,goingtothetable,tookupalargebookthere,andplacingitonhislapbegancountingthepageswithdeliberateregularity;ateveryfiftiethpage-asIfancied-stoppingforamoment,lookingvacantlyaroundhim,andgivingutterancetoalong-drawngurglingwhistleofastonishment.
Hewouldthenbeginagainatthenextfifty;seemingtocommenceatnumberoneeachtime,asthoughhecouldnotcountmorethanfifty,anditwasonlybysuchalargenumberoffiftiesbeingfoundtogether,thathisastonishmentatthemultitudeofpageswasexcited.
WithmuchinterestIsatwatchinghim.Savagethoughhewas,andhideouslymarredabouttheface-atleasttomytaste-hiscountenanceyethadasomethinginitwhichwasbynomeansdisagreeable.Youcannothidethesoul.
Throughallhisunearthlytattooings,IthoughtIsawthetracesofasimplehonestheart;andinhislarge,deepeyes,fieryblackandbold,thereseemedtokensofaspiritthatwoulddareathousanddevils.
Andbesidesallthis,therewasacertainloftybearingaboutthePagan,whichevenhisuncouthnesscouldnotaltogethermaim.
Helookedlikeamanwhohadnevercringedandneverhadhadacreditor.
Whetheritwas,too,thathisheadbeingshaved,hisforeheadwasdrawnoutinfreerandbrighterrelief,andlookedmoreexpansivethanitotherwisewould,thisIwillnotventuretodecide;butcertainitwashisheadwasphrenologicallyanexcellentone.
Itmayseemridiculous,butitremindedmeofGeneralWashington’shead,asseeninthepopularbustsofhim.
Ithadthesamelongregularlygradedretreatingslopefromabovethebrows,whichwerelikewiseveryprojecting,liketwolongpromontoriesthicklywoodedontop.
QueequegwasGeorgeWashingtoncannibalisticallydeveloped.
WhilstIwasthuscloselyscanninghim,half-pretendingmeanwhiletobelookingoutatthestormfromthecasement,heneverheededmypresence,nevertroubledhimselfwithsomuchasasingleglance;butappearedwhollyoccupiedwithcountingthepagesofthemarvellousbook.
Consideringhowsociablywehadbeensleepingtogetherthenightprevious,andespeciallyconsideringtheaffectionatearmIhadfoundthrownovermeuponwakinginthemorning,Ithoughtthisindifferenceofhisverystrange.
Butsavagesarestrangebeings;attimesyoudonotknowexactlyhowtotakethem.
Atfirsttheyareoverawing;theircalmself-collectednessofsimplicityseemsasSocraticwisdom.
IhadnoticedalsothatQueequegneverconsortedatall,orbutverylittle,withtheotherseamenintheinn.
Hemadenoadvanceswhatever;appearedtohavenodesiretoenlargethecircleofhisacquaintances.
Allthisstruckmeasmightysingular;yet,uponsecondthoughts,therewassomethingalmostsublimeinit.
Herewasamansometwentythousandmilesfromhome,bythewayofCapeHorn,thatis-whichwastheonlywayhecouldgetthere-thrownamongpeopleasstrangetohimasthoughhewereintheplanetJupiter;andyetheseemedentirelyathisease;preservingtheutmostserenity;contentwithhisowncompanionship;alwaysequaltohimself.
Surelythiswasatouchoffinephilosophy;thoughnodoubthehadneverheardtherewassuchathingasthat.
But,perhaps,tobetruephilosophers,wemortalsshouldnotbeconsciousofsolivingorsostriving.
SosoonasIhearthatsuchorsuchamangiveshimselfoutforaphilosopher,Iconcludethat,likethedyspepticoldwoman,hemusthave“brokenhisdigester.”
AsIsatthereinthatnowlonelyroom;thefireburninglow,inthatmildstagewhen,afteritsfirstintensityhaswarmedtheair,itthenonlyglowstobelookedat;theeveningshadesandphantomsgatheringroundthecasements,andpeeringinuponussilent,solitarytwain;thestormboomingwithoutinsolemnswells;Ibegantobesensibleofstrangefeelings.Ifeltameltinginme.
Nomoremysplinteredheartandmaddenedhandwereturnedagainstthewolfishworld.Thissoothingsavagehadredeemedit.
Therehesat,hisveryindifferencespeakinganatureinwhichtherelurkednocivilizedhypocrisiesandblanddeceits.
hewas;averysightofsightstosee;yetIbegantofeelmyselfmysteriouslydrawntowardshim.
Andthosesamethingsthatwouldhaverepelledmostothers,theyweretheverymagnetsthatthusdrewme.
I’lltryapaganfriend,thoughtI,sinceChristiankindnesshasprovedbuthollowcourtesy.
Idrewmybenchnearhim,andmadesomefriendlysignsandhints,doingmybesttotalkwithhimmeanwhile.
Atfirsthelittlenoticedtheseadvances;butpresently,uponmyreferringtohislastnight’shospitalities,hemadeouttoaskmewhetherwewereagaintobebedfellows.
Itoldhimyes;whereatIthoughthelookedpleased,perhapsalittlecomplimented.
Wethenturnedoverthebooktogether,andIendeavoredtoexplaintohimthepurposeoftheprinting,andthemeaningofthefewpicturesthatwereinit.
ThusIsoonengagedhisinterest;andfromthatwewenttojabberingthebestwecouldaboutthevariousoutersightstobeseeninthisfamoustown.
SoonIproposedasocialsmoke;and,producinghispouchandtomahawk,hequietlyofferedmeapuff.
Andthenwesatexchangingpuffsfromthatwildpipeofhis,andkeepingitregularlypassingbetweenus.
IfthereyetlurkedanyiceofindifferencetowardsmeinthePagan’sbreast,thispleasant,genialsmokewehad,soonthaweditout,andleftuscronies.
HeseemedtotaketomequiteasnaturallyandunbiddenlyasItohim;andwhenoursmokewasover,hepressedhisforeheadagainstmine,claspedmeroundthewaist,andsaidthathenceforthweweremarried;meaning,inhiscountry’sphrase,thatwewerebosomfriends;hewouldgladlydieforme,ifneedshouldbe.
Inacountryman,thissuddenflameoffriendshipwouldhaveseemedfartoopremature,athingtobemuchdistrusted;butinthissimplesavagethoseoldruleswouldnotapply.
Aftersupper,andanothersocialchatandsmoke,wewenttoourroomtogether.
Hemademeapresentofhisembalmedhead;tookouthisenormoustobaccowallet,andgropingunderthetobacco,drewoutsomethirtydollarsinsilver;thenspreadingthemonthetable,andmechanicallydividingthemintotwoequalportions,pushedoneofthemtowardsme,andsaiditwasmine.
Iwasgoingtoremonstrate;buthesilencedmebypouringthemintomytrowsers’pockets.Iletthemstay.
Hethenwentabouthiseveningprayers,tookouthisidol,andremovedthepaperfirebrand.
Bycertainsignsandsymptoms,Ithoughtheseemedanxiousformetojoinhim;butwellknowingwhatwastofollow,Ideliberatedamomentwhether,incaseheinvitedme,Iwouldcomplyorotherwise.
IwasagoodChristian;bornandbredinthebosomoftheinfalliblePresbyterianChurch.
HowthencouldIunitewiththiswildidolatorinworshippinghispieceofwood?Butwhatisworship?
thoughtI.Doyousupposenow,Ishmael,thatthemagnanimousGodofheavenandearth-pagansandallincluded-canpossiblybejealousofaninsignificantbitofblackwood?Impossible!Butwhatisworship?-todothewillofGod?thatisworship.AndwhatisthewillofGod?
-todotomyfellowmanwhatIwouldhavemyfellowmantodotome-thatisthewillofGod.Now,Queequegismyfellowman.
AndwhatdoIwishthatthisQueequegwoulddotome?
Why,unitewithmeinmyparticularPresbyterianformofworship.
Consequently,Imustthenunitewithhiminhis;ergo,Imustturnidolator.
SoIkindledtheshavings;helpedpropuptheinnocentlittleidol;offeredhimburntbiscuitwithQueequeg;salamedbeforehimtwiceorthrice;kissedhisnose;andthatdone,weundressedandwenttobed,atpeacewithourownconsciencesandalltheworld.
Butwedidnotgotosleepwithoutsomelittlechat.
HowitisIknownot;butthereisnoplacelikeabedforconfidentialdisclosuresbetweenfriends.
Manandwife,theysay,thereopentheverybottomoftheirsoulstoeachother;andsomeoldcouplesoftenlieandchatoveroldtimestillnearlymorning.
Thus,then,inourhearts’honeymoon,layIandQueequeg-acosy,lovingpair.
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