CHAPTER132TheSymphony

itwasaclearsteel-blueday.thefirmamentsofairandseawerehardlyseparableinthatall-pervadingazure;only,thepensiveairwastransparentlypureandsoft,withawoman'slook,andtherobustandman-likeseaheavedwithlong,strong,lingeringswells,assamson'schestinhissleep.

hither,andthither,onhigh,glidedthesnow-whitewingsofsmall,unspeckledbirds;thesewerethegentlethoughtsofthefeminineair;buttoandfrointhedeeps,fardowninthebottomlessblue,rushedmightyleviathans,sword-fish,andsharks;andthesewerethestrong,troubled,murderousthinkingsofthemasculinesea.

butthoughthuscontrastingwithin,thecontrastwasonlyinshadesandshadowswithout;thosetwoseemedone;itwasonlythesex,asitwere,thatdistinguishedthem.

aloft,likearoyalczarandking,thesunseemedgivingthisgentleairtothisboldandrollingsea;evenasbridetogroom.andatthegirdlinglineofthehorizon,asoftandtremulousmotion—mostseenhereattheequator—denotedthefond,throbbingtrust,thelovingalarms,withwhichthepoorbridegaveherbosomaway.

tiedupandtwisted;gnarledandknottedwithwrinkles;ardlyfirmandunyielding;hiseyesglowinglikecoals,thatstillglowintheashesofruin;untotteringahabstoodforthintheclearnessofthemorn;liftinghissplinteredhelmetofabrowtothefairgirl'sforeheadofheaven.

oh,immortalinfancy,andinnocencyoftheazure!invisiblewingedcreaturesthatfrolicallroundus!sweetchildhoodofairandsky!howobliviouswereyeofoldahab'sclose-coiledwoe!butsohaveiseenlittlemiriamandmartha,laughing-eyedelves,heedlesslygambolaroundtheiroldsire;sportingwiththecircleofsingedlockswhichgrewonthemargeofthatburnt-outcraterofhisbrain.

slowlycrossingthedeckfromthescuttle,ahableanedoverthesideandwatchedhowhisshadowinthewatersankandsanktohisgaze,themoreandthemorethathestrovetopiercetheprofundity.butthelovelyaromasinthatenchantedairdidatlastseemtodispel,foramoment,thecankerousthinginhissoul.thatglad,happyair,thatwinsomesky,didatlaststrokeandcaresshim;thestep-motherworld,solongcruel—forbidding—nowthrewaffectionatearmsroundhisstubbornneck,anddidseemtojoyouslysoboverhim,asifoverone,thathoweverwilfulanderring,shecouldyetfinditinherhearttosaveandtobless.frombeneathhisslouchedhatahabdroppedatearintothesea;nordidallthepacificcontainsuchwealthasthatoneweedrop.

starbucksawtheoldman;sawhim,howheheavilyleanedovertheside;andheseemedtohearinhisowntrueheartthemeasurelesssobbingthatstoleoutofthecentreoftheserenityaround.carefulnottotouchhim,orbenoticedbyhim,heyetdrewneartohim,andstoodthere.

ahabturned.

"starbuck!"

"sir."

"oh,starbuck!itisamild,mildwind,andamildlookingsky.onsuchaday—verymuchsuchasweetnessasthis—istruckmyfirstwhale—aboyharpooneerofeighteen!forty—forty—fortyyearsago!—ago!fortyyearsofcontinualwhaling!fortyyearsofprivation,andperil,andstorm-time!fortyyearsonthepitilesssea!forfortyyearshasahabforsakenthepeacefulland,forfortyyearstomakewaronthehorrorsofthedeep!ayeandyes,starbuck,outofthosefortyyearsihavenotspentthreeashore.whenithinkofthislifeihaveled;thedesolationofsolitudeithasbeen;themasoned,walled-townofacaptain'sexclusiveness,whichadmitsbutsmallentrancetoanysympathyfromthegreencountrywithout—oh,weariness!heaviness!guinea-coastslaveryofsolitarycommand!—whenithinkofallthis;onlyhalf-suspected,notsokeenlyknowntomebefore—andhowforfortyyearsihavefedupondrysaltedfare—fitemblemofthedrynourishmentofmysoil!—whenthepoorestlandsmanhashadfreshfruittohisdailyhand,andbrokentheworld'sfreshbreadtomymouldycrusts—away,wholeoceansaway,fromthatyounggirl-wifeiweddedpastfifty,andsailedforcapehornthenextday,leavingbutonedentinmymarriagepillow—wife?wife?—ratherawidowwithherhusbandalive!aye,iwidowedthatpoorgirlwhenimarriedher,starbuck;andthen,themadness,thefrenzy,theboilingbloodandthesmokingbrow,withwhich,forathousandloweringsoldahabhasfuriously,foaminglychasedhisprey—moreademonthanaman!—aye,aye!whatafortyyears'fool—fool—oldfool,hasoldahabbeen!whythisstrifeofthechase?whyweary,andpalsythearmattheoar,andtheiron,andthelance?howthericherorbetterisahabnow?behold.oh,starbuck!isitnothard,thatwiththiswearyloadibear,onepoorlegshouldhavebeensnatchedfromunderme?here,brushthisoldhairaside;itblindsme,thatiseemtoweep.lockssogreydidnevergrowbutfromoutsomeashes!butdoilookveryold,sovery,veryold,starbuck?ifeeldeadlyfaint,bowed,andhumped,asthoughiwereadam,eringbeneaththepiledcenturiessinceparadise.god!god!god!—crackmyheart!—stavemybrain!—mockery!mockery!bitter,bitingmockeryofgreyhairs,haveilivedenoughjoytowearye;andseemandfeelthusintolerablyold?close!standclosetome,starbuck;letmelookintoahumaneye;itisbetterthantogazeintoseaorsky;betterthantogazeupongod.bythegreenland;bythebrighthearth-stone!thisisthemagicglass,man;iseemywifeandmychildinthineeye.no,no;stayonboard,onboard!—lowernotwhenido;whenbrandedahabgiveschasetomobydick.thathazardshallnotbethine.no,no!notwiththefarawayhomeiseeinthateye!"

"oh,mycaptain!mycaptain!noblesoul!grandoldheart,afterall!whyshouldanyonegivechasetothathatedfish!awaywithme!letusflythesedeadlywatersletushome!wifeandchild,too,arestarbuck's—wifeandchildofhisbrotherly,sisterly,play-fellowyouth;evenasthine,sir,arethewifeandchildofthyloving,longing,paternaloldage!away!letusaway!—thisinstantletmealterthecourse!howcheerily,howhilariously,omycaptain,wouldwebowlonourwaytoseeoldnantucketagain!ithink,sir,theyhavesomesuchmildbluedays,evenasthis,innantucket."

"theyhave,theyhave.ihaveseenthem—somesummerdaysinthemorning.aboutthistime—yes,itishisnoonnapnow—theboyvivaciouslywakes;sitsupinbed;andhismothertellshimofme,ofcannibaloldme;howiamabroaduponthedeep,butwillyetcomebacktodancehimagain."

"'tismymary,mymaryherself!shepromisedthatmyboy,everymorning,shouldbecarriedtothehilltocatchthefirstglimpseofhisfather'ssail!yes,yes!nomore!itisdone!weheadfornantucket!come,mycaptain,studyoutthecourse,andletusaway!see,see!theboy'sfacefromthewindow!theboy'shandonthehill!"

butahab'sglancewasaverted;likeablightedfruittreeheshook,andcasthislast,cinderedappletothesoil.

"whatisit,whatnameless,inscrutable,unearthlythingisit;whatcozening,hiddenlordandmaster,andcruel,remorselessemperorcommandsme;thatagainstallnaturallovingsandlongings,isokeeppushing,andcrowding,andjammingmyselfonallthetime;recklesslymakingmereadytodowhatinmyownproper,naturalheart,idurstnotsomuchasdare?isahab,ahab?isiti,god,orwho,thatliftsthisarm?butifthegreatsunmovenotofhimself;butisasanerrand-boyinheaven;noronesinglestarcanrevolve,butbysomeinvisiblepower;howthencanthisonesmallheartbeat;thisonesmallbrainthinkthoughts;unlessgoddoesthatbeating,doesthatthinking,doesthatliving,andnoti.byheaven,man,weareturnedroundandroundinthisworld,likeyonderwindlass,andfateisthehandspike.andallthetime,lo!thatsmilingsky,andthisunsoundedsea!look!seeyonalbicore!whoputitintohimtochaseandfangthatflying-fish?wheredomurderersgo,man!who'stodoom,whenthejudgehimselfisedtothebar?butitisamild,mildwind,andamildlookingsky;andtheairsmellsnow,asifitblewfromafar-awaymeadow;theyhavebeenmakinghaysomewhereundertheslopesoftheandes,starbuck,andthemowersaresleepingamongthenew-mownhay.sleeping?aye,toilwehowwemay,weallsleepatlastonthefield.sleep?aye,andrustamidgreenness;aslastyear'sscythesflungdown,andleftinthehalfcutswaths—starbuck!"

butblanchedtoacorpse'shuewithdespair,thematehadstolenaway.

ahabcrossedthedecktogazeoverontheotherside;butstartedattworeflected,fixedeyesinthewaterthere.fedallahwasmotionlesslyleaningoverthesamerail.