Bartleby the Scrivener: A Tale of Wall Street

124 THE PIAZZA TALES
similar to that just before on the deck, and whether it
was the start he gave, or a sudden gawky roll of the
hull in the calm, or a momentary unsteadiness of the
servant's hand, however it was, just then the razor drew
blood, spots of which stained the creamy lather under
the black barber drew back
the throat : immediately
his steel, and, remaining in his professional attitude,
back to Captain Delano, and face to Don Benito, held
up the trickling razor, saying, with a sort of half-humorous
sorrow, '
See, master—
you shook so— here 's Babo's
first blood.'
- No sword drawn before James the First of England,
no assassination in that timid king's presence, could
have produced a more terrified aspect than was now
presented by Don Benito.
Poor fellow, thought Captain Delano, so nervous he
can't even bear the sight of barber's blood ; and this
unstrung, sick man,
is it credible that I should have
imagined he meant to spill all my blood, who can't
endure the sight of one little drop of his own ? Surely,
Amasa Delano, you have been beside yourself this day.
Tell it not when you get home, sappy Amasa. Well,
well, he looks like a murderer, doesn't he ? More like
as if himself were to be done for. Well, well, this day's
experience shall be a good lesson.
Meantime, while these things were running through
the honest seaman's mind, the servant had taken the
napkin from his arm, and to Don Benito had said :
1
But answer Don Amasa, please, master, while I wipe
this ugly stuff off the razor, and strop it again.'
As he said the words, his face was turned half round,
so as to be alike visible to the Spaniard and the American,
and seemed, by its expression, to hint, that he was
desirous, by getting his master to go on with the conversation,
considerately to withdraw his attention from