Enter Ahab; to Him, Stubb

           Somedayselapsed,andiceandicebergsallastern,thePequodnowwentrollingthroughthebrightQuitospring,whichatsea,almostperpetuallyreignsonthethresholdoftheeternalAugustoftheTropic.Thewarmlycool,clear,ringingperfumed,overflowing,redundantdays,wereascrystalgobletsofPersiansherbet,heapedupflakedup,withrose-watersnow.Thestarredandstatelynightsseemedhaughtydamesinjewelledvelvets,nursingathomeinlonelypride,thememoryoftheirabsentconqueringEarls,thegoldenhelmetedsuns!Forsleepingman,‘twashardtochoosebetweensuchwinsomedaysandsuchseducingnights.Butallthewitcheriesofthatunwaningweatherdidnotmerelylendnewspellsandpotenciestotheoutwardworld.Inwardtheyturneduponthesoul,especiallywhenthestillmildhoursofevecameon;then,memoryshothercrystalsastheclearicemostformsofnoiselesstwilights.Andallthesesubtleagencies,moreandmoretheywroughtonAhab’stexture.

           Oldageisalwayswakeful;asif,thelongerlinkedwithlife,thelessmanhastodowithaughtthatlookslikedeath.Amongsea-commanders,theoldgreybeardswilloftenestleavetheirberthstovisitthenight-cloakeddeck.ItwassowithAhab;onlythatnow,oflate,heseemedsomuchtoliveintheopenair,thattrulyspeaking,hisvisitsweremoretothecabin,thanfromthecabintotheplanks."Itfeelslikegoingdownintoone’stomb,"hewouldmuttertohimself"foranoldcaptainlikemetobedescendingthisnarrowscuttle,togotomygrave-dugberth."

           So,almosteverytwenty-fourhours,whenthewatchesofthenightwereset,andthebandondecksentinelledtheslumbersofthebandbelow;andwhenifaropewastobehauledupontheforecastle,thesailorsflungitnotrudelydown,asbyday,butwithsomecautiousnessdroptittoitsplaceforfearofdisturbingtheirslumberingshipmates;

Содержание книги
Настройки
Фон страницы
Размер шрифта
Межстрочный интервал
Фразовые глаголы
Показать / Скрыть меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Страница 157 из 832