CHAPTER 10 A Bosom Friend

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;tookouthisenormoustobaccowallet,andgropingunderthetobacco,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.