, no, my lad; stricken, blasted, if he be, Ahab has his humanities!«
    As I walked away, I was full of thoughtfulness; what had been incidentally
revealed to me of Captain Ahab, filled me with a certain wild vagueness of
painfulness concerning him. And somehow, at the time, I felt a sympathy and a
sorrow for him, but for I don't know what, unless it was the cruel loss of his
leg. And yet I also felt a strange awe of him; but that sort of awe, which I
cannot at all describe, was not exactly awe; I do not know what it was. But I
felt it; and it did not disincline me toward him; though I felt impatience at
what seemed like mystery in him, so imperfectly as he was known to me then.
However, my thoughts were at length carried in other directions, so that for the
present dark Ahab slipped my mind.
 

                                  Chapter XVII

                                  The Ramadan

As Queequeg's Ramadan, or Fasting and Humiliation, was to continue all day, I
did not choose to disturb him till toward night-fall; for I cherish the greatest
respect toward everybody's religious obligations, never mind how comical, and
could not find it in my heart to undervalue even a congregation of ants
worshipping a toadstool; or those other creatures in certain parts of our earth,
who with a degree of footmanism quite unprecedented in other planets, bow down
before the torso of a deceased landed proprietor merely on account of the
inordinate possessions yet owned and rented in his name.
    I say, we good Presbyterian Christians should be charitable in these things,
and not fancy ourselves so vastly superior to other mortals, pagans and what
not, because of their half-crazy conceits on these subjects. There was Queequeg,
now, certainly entertaining the most absurd notions about Yojo and his Ramadan;
- but what of that? Queequeg thought he knew what he was about, I suppose; he
seemed to be content; and there let him rest. All our arguing with him would not
avail; let him be, I say: and Heaven have mercy on us all - Presbyterians and
pagans alike - for we are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and
sadly need mending.
    Toward evening, when I felt assured that all his performances and rituals
must be over, I went up to his room and knocked at the door; but no answer. I
tried to open it, but it was fastened inside. »Queequeg,« said I softly through
the keyhole: - all silent. »
