CHAPTER10ABosomFriend

returningtothespouter-innfromthechapel,ifoundqueequegtherequitealone;hehavingleftthechapelbeforethebenedictionsometime.hewassittingonabenchbeforethefire,withhisfeetonthestovehearth,andinonehandwasholdingcloseuptohisfacethatlittlenegroidolofhis;peeringhardintoitsface,andwithajack-knifegentlywhittlingawayatitsnose,meanwhilehummingtohimselfinhisheathenishway.

butbeingnowinterrupted,heputuptheimage;andprettysoon,goingtothetable,tookupalargebookthere,andplacingitonhislapbegancountingthepageswithdeliberateregularity;ateveryfiftiethpage—asifancied—stoppingamoment,lookingvacantlyaroundhim,andgivingutterancetoalongdrawngurglingwhistleofastonishment.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,halfpretendingmeanwhiletobelookingoutatthestormfromthecasement,heneverheededmypresence,nevertroubledhimselfwithsomuchasasingleglance;butappearedwhollyoccupiedwithcountingthepagesofthemarvellousbook.consideringhowsociablywehadbeensleepingtogetherthenightprevious,andespeciallyconsideringtheaffectionatearmihadfoundthrownovermeuponwakinginthemorning,ithoughtthisindifferenceofhisverystrange.butsavagesarestrangebeings;attimesyoudonotknowexactlyhowtotakethem.atfirsttheyareoverawing;theircalmself-collectednessofsimplicityseemsasocraticwisdom.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.wildhewas;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;tookouthisenormousowallet,andgropingundertheo,drewoutsomethirtydollarsinsilver;thenspreadingthemonthetable,andmechanicallydividingthemintotwoequalportions,pushedoneofthemtowardsme,andsaiditwasmine.iwasgoingtoremonstrate;buthesilencedmebypouringthemintomytrowsers'pockets.iletthemstay.hethenwentabouthiseveningprayers,tookouthisidol,andremovedthepaperfireboard.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.