59 
THE WHITE WHALE 
two of them, one for Queequeg, and one for me. It’s ominous, thinks 
I. A Coffin my Innkeeper upon landing in my first whaling port; 
tombstones staring at me in the whalemen’s chapel ; and here a gallows ! 
and a pair of prodigious black pots too ! Are these last throwing out 
oblique hints touching Tophet ? 
I was called from these reflections by the sight of a freckled woman 
with yellow hair and a yellow gown, standing in the porch of the inn, 
under a dull red lamp swinging there, that looked much like an injured 
eye, and carrying on a brisk scolding with a man in a purple woollen 
shirt. 
“Get along with ye,” said she to the man, “or I’ll be combing ye !” 
“Come on, Queequeg,” said I, “all right. There’s Mrs. Hussey.” 
And so it turned out; Mr. Hosea Hussey being from home, but 
leaving Mrs. Hussey entirely competent to attend to all his affairs. 
Upon making known our desires for a supper and a bed, Mrs. Hussey, 
postponing further scolding for the present ushered us into a little 
room, and seating us a,t a table spread with the relics of a recently 
concluded repast, turned round to us and said — “Clam or Cod ?” 
“What’s that about Cods, ma’am?” said I, with much politeness. 
“Clam or Cod ?” she repeated. 
“A clam for supper ? a cold clam ; is that what you mean, Mrs. Hus- 
sey ?” says I ; “but that’s a rather cold and clammy reception in the 
winter time, ain’t it, Mrs. Hussey ?” 
But being in a great hurry to resume scolding the man in the purple 
shirt, who was waiting for it in the entry, and seeming to hear nothing 
but the word “clam,” Mrs. Hussey hurried towards an open door leading 
to the kitchen, and bawling out “clam for two,” disappeared. 
“Queequeg,” said I, “do you think that we can make out a supper for 
us both on one clam ?” 
However, a warm savoury steam from the kitchen served to belie the 
apparently cheerless prospect before us. But when that smoking chow- 
der came in, the mystery was delightfully explained. Oh, sweet 
friends ! harken to me. It was made of small juicy clams, scarcely 
bigger than hazel nuts, mixed with pounded ship biscuit, and salted 
pork cut up into little flakes; the whole enriched with butter, and 
plentifully seasoned with pepper and salt. Our appetites being 
sharpened by the frosty voyage, and in particular, Queequeg seeing his 
