If Stubb even, who is but a peg higher
than Flask, happens to have but a small appetite, and soon shows
symptoms of concluding his repast, then Flask must bestir himself,
he will not get more than three mouthfuls that day; for it
is against holy usage for Stubb to precede Flask to the deck.
Therefore it was that Flask once admitted in private,
that ever since he had arisen to the dignity of an officer,
from that moment he had never known what it was to be otherwise
than hungry, more or less. For what he ate did not so much relieve
his hunger, as keep it immortal in him. Peace and satisfaction,
thought Flask, have for ever departed from my stomach.
I am an officer; but, how I wish I could fist a bit of old-fashioned
beef in the fore-castle, as I used to when I was before the mast.
There's the fruits of promotion now; there's the vanity of glory:
there's the insanity of life! Besides, if it were so that
any mere sailor of the Pequod had a grudge against Flask
in Flask's official capacity, all that sailor had to do,
in order to obtain ample vengeance, was to go aft at dinnertime,
and get a peep at Flask through the cabin sky-light, sitting
silly and dumfoundered before awful Ahab.
Pages:
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258