CHAPTER11Nightgown

wehadlainthusinbed,chattingandnappingatshortintervals,andqueequegnowandthenaffectionatelythrowinghisbrowntattooedlegsovermine,andthendrawingthemback;soentirelysociableandfreeandeasywerewe;when,atlast,byreasonofourconfabulations,whatlittlenappishnessremainedinusaltogetherdeparted,andwefeltlikegettingupagain,thoughday-breakwasyetsomewaydownthefuture.

yes,webecameverywakeful;somuchsothatourrecumbentpositionbegantogrowwearisome,andbylittleandlittlewefoundourselvessittingup;theclotheswelltuckedaroundus,leaningagainstthehead-boardwithourfourkneesdrawnupclosetogether,andourtwonosesbendingoverthem,asifourkneepanswerewarming-pans.wefeltveryniceandsnug,themoresosinceitwassochillyoutofdoors;indeedoutofbed-clothestoo,seeingthattherewasnofireintheroom.themoreso,isay,becausetrulytoenjoybodilywarmth,somesmallpartofyoumustbecold,forthereisnoqualityinthisworldthatisnotwhatitismerelybycontrast.nothingexistsinitself.ifyouflatteryourselfthatyouareallovercomfortable,andhavebeensoalongtime,thenyoucannotbesaidtobecomfortableanymore.butif,likequeequegandmeinthebed,thetipofyournoseorthecrownofyourheadbeslightlychilled,whythen,indeed,inthegeneralconsciousnessyoufeelmostdelightfullyandunmistakablywarm.forthisreasonasleepingapartmentshouldneverbefurnishedwithafire,whichisoneoftheluxuriousdiscomfortsoftherich.fortheheightofthissortofdeliciousnessistohavenothingbuttheblanketbetweenyouandyoursnugnessandthecoldoftheouterair.thenthereyoulieliketheonewarmsparkintheheartofanarcticcrystal.

wehadbeensittinginthiscrouchingmannerforsometime,whenallatonceithoughtiwouldopenmyeyes;forwhenbetweensheets,whetherbydayorbynight,andwhetherasleeporawake,ihaveawayofalwayskeepingmyeyesshut,inorderthemoretoconcentratethesnugnessofbeinginbed.becausenomancaneverfeelhisownidentityarightexcepthiseyesbeclosed;asifdarknesswereindeedtheproperelementofouressences,thoughlightbemorecongenialtoourclayeypart.uponopeningmyeyesthen,andcomingoutofmyownpleasantandselfcreateddarknessintotheimposedandcoarseoutergloomoftheunilluminatedtwelve-o'clock-at-night,iexperiencedadisagreeablerevulsion.nordidiatallobjecttothehintfromqueequegthatperhapsitwerebesttostrikealight,seeingthatweweresowideawake;andbesideshefeltastrongdesiretohaveafewquietpuffsfromhistomahawk.beitsaid,thatthoughihadfeltsuchastrongrepugnancetohissmokinginthebedthenightbefore,yetseehowelasticourstiffprejudicesgrowwhenloveoncecomestobendthem.fornowilikednothingbetterthantohavequeequegsmokingbyme,eveninbed,becauseheseemedtobefullofsuchserenehouseholdjoythen.inomorefeltundulyconcernedforthelandlord'spolicyofinsurance.iwasonlyalivetothecondensedconfidentialcomfortablenessofsharingapipeandablanketwitharealfriend.withouryjacketsdrawnaboutourshoulders,wenowpassedthetomahawkfromonetotheother,tillslowlytheregrewoverusabluehangingtesterofsmoke,illuminatedbytheflameofthenew-litlamp.

whetheritwasthatthisundulatingtesterrolledthesavageawaytofardistantscenes,iknownot,buthenowspokeofhisnativeisland;and,eagertohearhishistory,iedhimtogoonandtellit.hegladlycomplied.thoughatthetimeibutillcomprehendednotafewofhiswords,yetsubsequentdisclosures,whenihadbecomemorefamiliarwithhisbrokenphraseology,nowenablemetopresentthewholestorysuchasitmayproveinthemereskeletonigive.