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Wehadlainthusinbed,chattingandnappingatshortintervals,andQueequegnowandthenaffectionatelythrowinghisbrowntattooedlegsovermine,andthendrawingthemback;soentirelysociableandfreeandeasywerewe;when,atlast,byreasonofourconfabulations,whatlittlenappishnessremainedinusaltogetherdeparted,andwefeltlikegettingupagain,thoughday-breakwasyetsomewaydownthefuture.
Yes,webecameverywakeful;somuchsothatourrecumbentpositionbegantogrowwearisome,andbylittleandlittlewefoundourselvessittingup;theclotheswelltuckedaroundus,leaningagainsttheheadboardwithourfourkneesdrawnupclosetogether,andourtwonosesbendingoverthem,asifourknee-panswerewarming-pans.
Wefeltveryniceandsnug,themoresosinceitwassochillyoutofdoors;indeedoutofbed-clothestoo,seeingthattherewasnofireintheroom.
Themoreso,Isay,becausetrulytoenjoybodilywarmth,somesmallpartofyoumustbecold,forthereisnoqualityinthisworldthatisnotwhatitismerelybycontrast.Nothingexistsinitself.
Ifyouflatteryourselfthatyouareallovercomfortable,andhavebeensoalongtime,thenyoucannotbesaidtobecomfortableanymore.
Butif,likeQueequegandmeinthebed,thetipofyournoseorthecrownofyourheadbeslightlychilled,whythen,indeed,inthegeneralconsciousnessyoufeelmostdelightfullyandunmistakablywarm.
Forthisreasonasleepingapartmentshouldneverbefurnishedwithafire,whichisoneoftheluxuriousdiscomfortsoftherich.
Fortheheightofthissortofdeliciousnessistohavenothingbuttheblanketsbetweenyouandyoursnugnessandthecoldoftheouterair.
Thenthereyoulieliketheonewarmsparkintheheartofanarcticcrystal.
Wehadbeensittinginthiscrouchingmannerforsometime,whenallatonceIthoughtIwouldopenmyeyes;forwhenbetweensheets,whetherbydayorbynight,andwhetherasleeporawake,Ihaveawayofalwayskeepingmyeyesshut,inorderthemoretoconcentratethesnugnessofbeinginbed.
Becausenomancaneverfeelhisownidentityarightexcepthiseyesbeclosed;asif,darknesswereindeedtheproperelementofouressences,thoughlightbemorecongenialtoourclayeypart.
Uponopeningmyeyesthen,andcomingoutofmyownpleasantandself-createddarknessintotheimposedandcoarseoutergloomoftheunilluminatedtwelve-o’clock-at-night,Iexperiencedadisagreeablerevulsion.
NordidIatallobjecttothehintfromQueequegthatperhapsitwerebesttostrikealight,seeingthatweweresowideawake;andbesideshefeltastrongdesiretohaveafewquietpuffsfromhisTomahawk.
Beitsaid,thatthoughIhadfeltsuchastrongrepugnancetohissmokinginthebedthenightbefore,yetseehowelasticourstiffprejudicesgrowwhenoncelovecomestobendthem.
FornowIlikednothingbetterthantohaveQueequegsmokingbyme,eveninbed,becauseheseemedtobefullofsuchserenehouseholdjoythen.
Inomorefeltundulyconcernedforthelandlord’spolicyofinsurance.
Iwasonlyalivetothecondensedconfidentialcomfortablenessofsharingapipeandablanketwitharealfriend.
Withourshaggyjacketsdrawnaboutourshoulders,wenowpassedtheTomahawkfromonetotheother,tillslowlytheregrewoverusabluehangingtesterofsmoke,illuminatedbytheflameofthenew-litlamp.
Whetheritwasthatthisundulatingtesterrolledthesavageawaytofardistantscenes,Iknownot,buthenowspokeofhisnativeisland;and,eagertohearhishistory,Ibeggedhimtogoonandtellit.Hegladlycomplied.
ThoughatthetimeIbutillcomprehendednotafewofhiswords,yetsubsequentdisclosures,whenIhadbecomemorefamiliarwithhisbrokenphraseology,nowenablemetopresentthewholestorysuchasitmayproveinthemereskeletonIgive.
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