CHAPTER 11 Nightgown

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.Withourshaggyjacketsdrawnaboutourshoulders,wenowpassedtheTomahawkfromonetotheother,tillslowlytheregrewoverusabluehangingtesterofsmoke,illuminatedbytheflameofthenew-litlamp.

Whetheritwasthatthisundulatingtesterrolledthesavageawaytofardistantscenes,Iknownot,buthenowspokeofhisnativeisland;and,eagertohearhishistory,Ibeggedhimtogoonandtellit.Hegladlycomplied.ThoughatthetimeIbutillcomprehendednotafewofhiswords,yetsubsequentdisclosures,whenIhadbecomemorefamiliarwithhisbrokenphraseology,nowenablemetopresentthewholestorysuchasitmayproveinthemereskeletonIgive.