Bartleby the Scrivener
-
Bartleby the Scrivener, A Story of Wall
Street
I am a rather elderly man. The
nature of my avocations for the last thirty years
has brought
me into more than ordinary
contact with what would seem an interesting and
somewhat singular
set of
men
，
of whom as
yet nothing that I know of has ever been
written
：
——
I mean
the
law-copyists or scriveners. I have
known very many of them
，
professionally and
privately
，
and
if I pleased
，
could relate divers
histories
，
at
which good-natured gentlemen might
smile
，
and
sentimental souls might weep. But I
waive the biographies of all other scriveners for
a few
passages in the life of
Bartleby
，
who was
a scrivener the strangest I ever saw or heard of.
While
of other law-copyists I might
write the complete life
，
of Bartleby nothing of that sort can be
done.
I believe that no materials exist
for a full and satisfactory biography of this man.
It is an
irreparable loss to
literature. Bartleby was one of those beings of
whom nothing is
ascertainable
，
except from the original
sources
，
and in
his case those are very small. What my own
astonished
eyes saw of
Bartleby
，
that is
all I know of him
，
except
，
indeed
，
one vague report which will
appear in the sequel.
Ere
introducing the scrivener
，
as he first appeared to
me
，
it is fit I
make some mention of
myself
，
my
employé
es
，
my business
，
my chambers
，
and general
surroundings
；
because
some such
description is indispensable to an adequate
understanding of the chief character about
to be presented.
Imprimis
：
I am a man who
，
from his youth
upwards
，
has been
filled with a profound
conviction that
the easiest way of life is the best.
Hence
，
though I
belong to a profession
proverbially
energetic and nervous
，
even to
turbulence
，
at
times
，
yet
nothing of that sort have
I ever
suffered to invade my peace. I am one of those
unambitious lawyers who never addresses a
jury
，
or in any way draws down public
applause
；
but in
the cool tranquillity of a snug
retreat
，
do a
snug business among rich men's bonds and mortgages
and title-deeds. All who know me
consider me an eminently safe man. The
late John Jacob Astor
，
a personage little given to poetic
enthusiasm
，
had no hesitation in pronouncing my
first grand point to be
prudence
；
my
next
，
method. I
do not speak it in vanity
，
but simply record the
fact
，
that I was
not unemployed in my
profession by the
late John Jacob Astor
；
a name which
，
I admit
，
I love to repeat
，
for it hath
a rounded and
orbicular sound to it
，
and rings like unto bullion. I will
freely add
，
that
I was not
insensible to the late John
Jacob Astor's good opinion.
Some time prior to the
period at which this little history
begins
，
my
avocations had been
largely increased.
The good old office
，
now extinct in the State of New-
York
，
of a Master
in
Chancery
，
had been conferred upon me. It was not
a very arduous office
，
but very pleasantly
remunerative. I seldom lose my
temper
；
much more
seldom indulge in dangerous indignation at
wrongs and
outrages
；
but I
must be permitted to be rash here and
declare
，
that I
consider the
sudden and violent
abrogation of the office of Master of
Chancery
，
by the
new Constitution
，
as
a
——
premature
act
；
inasmuch as
I had counted upon a life-lease of the
profits
，
whereas
I only
received those of a few short
years. But this is by the way.
My chambers were up stairs
at No.
——
Wall-street. At
one end they looked upon the white
wall
of the interior of a spacious sky-light
shaft
，
penetrating the building from top to
bottom.
This view might have been
considered rather tame than
otherwise
，
deficient in what landscape
painters call
“life.” But if
so
，
the view from
the other end of my chambers
offered
，
at
least
，
a
contrast
，
if nothing more. In that direction my
windows commanded an unobstructed view of a
lofty brick wall
，
black by age and everlasting
shade
；
which wall
required no spy-glass to bring
out its
lurking beauties
，
but for the benefit of all near-sighted
spectators
，
was
pushed up to
within ten feet of my
window panes. Owing to the great height of the
surrounding buildings
，
and
my chambers being on the
second floor
，
the
interval between this wall and mine not a little
resembled a huge square cistern.
At the period
just preceding the advent of
Bartleby
，
I had
two persons as copyists in my
employment
，
and a promising lad as an office-boy.
First
，
Turkey
；
second
，
Nippers
；
third
，
Ginger Nut. These may seem
names
，
the like
of which are not usually found in the Directory.
In
truth they were
nicknames
，
mutually conferred upon each other by
my three clerks
，
and were
deemed expressive
of their respective persons or characters. Turkey
was a short
，
pursy
Englishman of about my
own age
，
that
is
，
somewhere not
far from sixty. In the
morning
，
one
might say
，
his face was of a fine florid
hue
，
but after
twelve o'clock
，
meridian
——
his
dinner
hour
——
it
blazed like a grate full of Christmas
coals
；
and
continued blazing
——
but
，
as it
were
，
with a gradual
wane
——
till 6
o'clock
，
P. M. or
thereabouts
，
after which I saw no more
of
the proprietor of the face
，
which gaining its meridian with the
sun
，
seemed to
set with it
，
to
rise
，
culminate
，
and decline the following
day
，
with the
like regularity and undiminished glory.
There are many singular coincidences I
have known in the course of my
life
，
not the
least among
which was the
fact
，
that
exactly when Turkey displayed his fullest beams
from his red and
radiant
countenance
，
just
then
，
too
，
at that critical
moment
，
began the
daily period when I
considered his
business capacities as seriously disturbed for the
remainder of the twenty-four
hours. Not
that he was absolutely idle
，
or averse to business
then
；
far from
it. The difficulty
was
，
he was apt to be altogether too
energetic. There was a
strange
，
inflamed
，
flurried
，
flighty
recklessness of
activity about him. He would be incautious in
dipping his pen into his inkstand.
All
his blots upon my documents
，
were dropped there after twelve
o'clock
，
meridian. Indeed
，
not only would he be reckless and sadly
given to making blots in the
afternoon
，
but
some days he
went
further
，
and was
rather noisy. At such times
，
too
，
his face flamed with augmented
blazonry
，
as if cannel coal had been heaped on
anthracite. He made an unpleasant racket with his
chair
；
spilled his sand-
box
；
in mending
his pens
，
impatiently split them all to
pieces
，
and
threw them on the floor in a sudden
passion
；
stood up
and leaned over his table
，
boxing his
papers about in a
most indecorous manner
，
very sad to behold in an elderly man
like him.
Nevertheless
，
as he was in many ways a most valuable
person to me
，
and
all the time before
twelve
o'clock
，
meridian
，
was the quickest
，
steadiest creature
too
，
accomplishing a great deal
of work in a style not easy to be
matched
——
for these
reasons
，
I was
willing to overlook his
eccentricities
，
though indeed
，
occasionally
，
I remonstrated with him. I did this
very gently
，
however
，
because
，
though the
civilest
，
nay
，
the blandest and most reverential of
men in the
morning
，
yet in the afternoon he was
disposed
，
upon
provocation
，
to
be slightly rash with his
tongue
，
in fact
，
insolent. Now
，
valuing his morning services as I
did
，
and resolved
not to lose
them
；
yet
，
at the same time made uncomfortable by
his inflamed ways after twelve
o'clock
；
and
being a man of peace
，
unwilling by my admonitions to call
forth unseemly retorts from
him
；
I took upon
me
，
one Saturday
noon
（
he was always worse on
Saturdays
）
，
to hint to him
，
very
kindly
，
that perhaps now that he was growing
old
，
it might be
well to abridge his labors
；
in
short
，
he need not come to my chambers after
twelve o'clock
，
but
，
dinner over
，
had best go
home to his
lodgings and rest himself till tea-time. But
no
；
he insisted
upon his afternoon
devotions. His
countenance became intolerably
fervid
，
as he
oratorically assured
me
——
gesticulating
with a long ruler at the other end of the
room
——
that if his services
in the
morning were
useful
，
how
indispensible
，
then
，
in the afternoon
？
“With
submission
，
sir
，
” said Turkey
on this occasion
，
“I consider myself your
right
-hand
man. In the
morning I but marshal and deploy my
columns
；
but in
the afternoon I put myself at
their
head
，
and
gallantly charge the foe
，
thus
！
”——
and he made a violent thrust with the ruler.
“But the
blots
，
Turkey
，
”
intimated I.
“True
，
——
but
，
with
submission
，
sir
，
behold these
hairs
！
I am
getting old. Surely
，
sir
，
a
blot or two of a warm afternoon is not to be
severely urged against gray hairs. Old
age
——
even if it
blot the page
——
is honorable.
With submission
，
sir
，
we both are getting old.”
This appeal to
my fellow-feeling was hardly to be resisted. At
all events
，
I saw
that go he
would not. So I made up my
mind to let him stay
，
resolving
，
nevertheless
，
to see to it
，
that
during the afternoon he
had to do with my less important papers.
Nippers
，
the second on my
list
，
was a
whiskered
，
sallow
，
and
，
upon the whole
，
rather
piratical-looking
young man of about five and twenty. I always
deemed him the victim of two evil
powers
——
ambition
and indigestion. The ambition was evinced by a
certain impatience of the
duties of a
mere copyist
，
an
unwarrantable usurpation of strictly professional
affairs
，
such as
the
original drawing up of legal
documents. The indigestion seemed betokened in an
occasional
nervous testiness and
grinning irritability
，
causing the teeth to audibly grind
together over
mistakes committed in
copying
；
unnecessary
maledictions
，
hissed
，
rather than
spoken
，
in the
heat of business
；
and especially by a continual
discontent with the height of the table where he
worked. Though of a very ingenious
mechanical turn
，
Nippers could never get this table to
suit
him. He put chips under
it
，
blocks of
various sorts
，
bits of
pasteboard
，
and
at last went so far
as to attempt an
exquisite adjustment by final pieces of folded
blotting-paper. But no invention
would
answer. If
，
for
the sake of easing his back
，
he brought the table lid at a sharp
angle well
up towards his
chin
，
and wrote
there like a man using the steep roof of a Dutch
house for his
desk
：
——
then he declared that it stopped
the circulation in his arms. If now he lowered the
table
to his
waistbands
，
and
stooped over it in writing
，
then there was a sore aching in his
back. In
short
，
the truth of the matter
was
，
Nippers knew
not what he wanted. Or
，
if he wanted any
thing
，
it was to be rid of a scrivener's table
altogether. Among the manifestations of his
diseased
ambition was a fondness he had
for receiving visits from certain ambiguous-
looking fellows in
seedy
coats
，
whom he
called his clients. Indeed I was aware that not
only was he
，
at
times
，
considerable of a ward-
politician
，
but
he occasionally did a little business at the
Justices' courts
，
and was not unknown on the steps of the
Tombs. I have good reason to
believe
，
however
，
that
one individual who
called upon him at my
chambers
，
and
who
，
with a grand
air
，
he insisted
was his client
，
was no other than a
dun
，
and the
alleged title-deed
，
a bill. But with all his
failings
，
and the annoyances he caused
me
，
Nippers
，
like his compatriot
Turkey
，
was a
very
useful man to
me
；
wrote a
neat
，
swift
hand
；
and
，
when he chose
，
was not deficient in a
gentlemanly sort of deportment. Added
to this
，
he
always dressed in a gentlemanly sort of
way
；
and
so
，
incidentally
，
reflected credit upon my chambers.
Whereas with respect to
Turkey
，
I had
much ado to keep him from being a
reproach to me. His clothes were apt to look oily
and smell of
eating-houses. He wore his
pantaloons very loose and baggy in summer. His
coats were
execrable
；
his hat not be to handled. But while
the hat was a thing of indifference to
me
，
inasmuch as
his natural civility and
deference
，
as a
dependent Englishman
，
always led him to
doff it
the moment he entered the
room
，
yet his
coat was another matter. Concerning his
coats
，
I
reasoned with
him
；
but with no
effect. The truth was
，
I suppose
，
that a man with so small an
income
，
could not afford to sport such a
lustrous face and a lustrous coat at one and the
same
time. As Nippers once
observed
，
Turkey's money went chiefly for red
ink. One winter day I
presented Turkey
with a highly-respectable looking coat of my
own
，
a padded
gray coat
，
of a
most comfortable
warmth
，
and which
buttoned straight up from the knee to the neck. I
thought
Turkey would appreciate the
favor
，
and abate
his rashness and obstreperousness of afternoons.
But no. I verily believe that buttoning
himself up in so downy and blanket-like a coat had
a
pernicious effect upon
him
；
upon the
same principle that too much oats are bad for
horses. In
fact
，
precisely as a
rash
，
restive
horse is said to feel his
oats
，
so Turkey
felt his coat. It made
him insolent. He
was a man whom prosperity harmed.
Though concerning the self-
indulgent habits of Turkey I had my own private
surmises
，
yet
touching Nippers I was well persuaded
that whatever might be his faults in other
respects
，
he
was
，
at least
，
a temperate young man. But
indeed
，
nature
herself seemed to have been his
vintner
，
and at his birth charged him so
thoroughly with an
irritable
，
brandy-like
disposition
，
that
all subsequent potations were needless. When I
consider how
，
amid the stillness of my
chambers
，
Nippers would sometimes impatiently
rise from his seat
，
and stooping over his
table
，
spread his
arms wide apart
，
seize the whole
desk
，
and move
it
，
and jerk
it
，
with a
grim
，
grinding
motion on the floor
，
as if the table were a perverse
voluntary agent
，
intent on thwarting
and
vexing him
；
I
plainly perceive that for
Nippers
，
brandy
and water were altogether
superfluous.
It was
fortunate for me that
，
owing to its peculiar cause
—
—
indigestion
——
the
irritability
and consequent nervousness
of Nippers
，
were
mainly observable in the
morning
，
while in
the
afternoon he was comparatively
mild. So that Turkey's paroxysms only coming on
about twelve
o'clock
，
I never had to do with their
eccentricities at one time. Their fits relieved
each other like
guards. When Nippers'
was on
，
Turkey's
was off
；
and vice
versa. This was a good natural
arrangement under the circumstances.
Ginger
Nut
，
the third on
my list
，
was a
lad some twelve years old. His father was a
carman
，
ambitious of seeing his son on the
bench instead of a cart
，
before he died. So he sent
him to my office as student at
law
，
errand
boy
，
and cleaner
and sweeper
，
at
the rate of one
dollar a week. He had a
little desk to himself
，
but he did not use it much. Upon
inspection
，
the
drawer exhibited a great array of the
shells of various sorts of nuts.
Indeed
，
to this
quick-witted
youth the whole noble
science of the law was contained in a nut-shell.
Not the least among the
employments of
Ginger Nut
，
as
well as one which he discharged with the most
alacrity
，
was his
duty as cake and apple purveyor for
Turkey and Nippers. Copying law papers being
proverbially a
dry
，
husky sort of
business
，
my two
scriveners were fain to moisten their mouths very
often
with Spitzenbergs to be had at
the numerous stalls nigh the Custom House and Post
Office. Also
，
they sent Ginger Nut very frequently
for that peculiar cake
——
smal
l
，
flat
，
round
，
and very
spicy
——
after
which he had been named by them. Of a cold morning
when business was but
dull
，
Turkey would gobble up scores of these
cakes
，
as if they
were mere wafers
——
indeed
they sell them at the rate of six or
eight for a penny
——
the
scrape of his pen blending with the
crunching of the crisp particles in his
mouth. Of all the fiery afternoon blunders and
flurried
rashnesses of
Turkey
，
was his
once moistening a ginger-cake between his
lips
，
and
clapping it
on to a mortgage for a
seal. I came within an ace of dismissing him then.
But he mollified me by
making an
oriental bow
，
and
saying
——“With
submission
，
sir
，
it was generous of me to find
you in stationery on my own
account.”
Now my original
business
——
that of a
conveyancer and title
hunter
，
and
drawer-up of
recondite documents of all
sorts
——
was considerably
increased by receiving the master's office.
There was now great work for
scriveners. Not only must I push the clerks
already with me
，
but I
must have additional
help. In answer to my
advertisement
，
a
motionless young man one
morning
，
stood upon my office
threshold
，
the
door being open
，
for it was summer. I can see
that figure
now
——
pallidly
neat
，
pitiably
respectable
，
incurably
forlorn
！
It was
Bartleby.
After
a few words touching his
qualifications
，
I
engaged him
，
glad
to have among my
corps of copyists a
man of so singularly sedate an
aspect
，
which I
thought might operate
beneficially upon
the flighty temper of
Turkey
，
and the
fiery one of Nippers.
I should have stated before that ground
glass folding-doors divided my premises into two
parts
，
one of which was occupied by my
scriveners
，
the
other by myself. According to my
humor
I threw open these doors
，
or closed them. I resolved to assign
Bartleby a corner by the
folding-
doors
，
but on my
side of them
，
so
as to have this quiet man within easy
call
，
in case
any trifling thing was to be done. I
placed his desk close up to a small side-window in
that part of
the
room
，
a window
which originally had afforded a lateral view of
certain grimy back-yards and
bricks
，
but which
，
owing to subsequent
erections
，
commanded at present no view at
all
，
though it
gave some light. Within three feet of the panes
was a wall
，
and
the light came down
from far
above
，
between
two lofty buildings
，
as from a very small opening in a dome.
Still
further to a satisfactory
arrangement
，
I
procured a high green folding
screen
，
which
might
entirely isolate Bartleby from my
sight
，
though not
remove him from my voice. And
thus
，
in a
manner
，
privacy and society were conjoined.
At first
Bartleby did an extraordinary quantity of writing.
As if long famishing for something
to
copy
，
he seemed
to gorge himself on my documents. There was no
pause for digestion. He ran
a day and
night line
，
copying by sun-light and by candle-
light. I should have been quite delighted
with his
application
，
had
be been cheerfully industrious. But he wrote on
silently
，
palely
，
mechanically.
It is
，
of course
，
an indispensable part of a scrivener's
business to verify the accuracy of his
copy
，
word by word. Where there are two or
more scriveners in an
office
，
they
assist each other
in this
examination
，
one
reading from the copy
，
the other holding the original. It is a
very dull
，
wearisome
，
and lethargic affair. I can readily
imagine that to some sanguine temperaments it
would be altogether intolerable. For
example
，
I cannot
credit that the mettlesome poet Byron
would have contentedly sat down with
Bartleby to examine a law document
of
，
say five
hundred
pages
，
closely written in a crimpy hand.
Now and
then
，
in the
haste of business
，
it had been my habit to assist in
comparing some
brief document
myself
，
calling
Turkey or Nippers for this purpose. One object I
had in placing
Bartleby so handy to me
behind the screen
，
was to avail myself of his services on
such trivial
occasions. It was on the
third day
，
I
think
，
of his
being with me
，
and before any necessity had
arisen for having his own writing
examined
，
that
，
being much hurried to complete a small
affair
I had in
hand
，
I abruptly
called to Bartleby. In my haste and natural
expectancy of instant
compliance
，
I sat with my head bent over the
original on my desk
，
and my right hand
sideways
，
and
somewhat nervously extended with the
copy
，
so that
immediately upon emerging from his
retreat
，
Bartleby might snatch it and proceed to
business without the least delay.
In this very attitude did I
sit when I called to him
，
rapidly stating what it was I wanted
him
to do
——
namely
，
to examine a
small paper with me. Imagine my
surprise
，
nay
，
my
consternation
，
when without moving from his
privacy
，
Bartleby
in a singularly mild
，
firm
voice
，
replied
，
“I would prefer not to.”
I sat awhile in
perfect silence
，
rallying my stunned faculties.
Immediately it occurred to me
that my
ears had deceived me
，
or Bartleby had entirely misunderstood
my meaning. I repeated
my request in
the clearest tone I could assume. But in quite as
clear a one came the previous
reply
，
“I would prefer not to.”
“Prefer not
to
，
” echoed
I
，
rising in high
excitement
，
and
crossing the room with a stride.
“What
do you mean
？
Are
you moon-struck
？
I want you to help me compare this
sheet
here
——
take
it
，
” and I thrust it towards
him.
“I would prefer not
to
，
” said he.
I looked at him
steadfastly. His face was leanly
composed
；
his
gray eye dimly calm. Not a
wrinkle of
agitation rippled him. Had there been the least
uneasiness
，
anger
，
impatience or
impertinence
in his manner
；
in
other words
，
had
there been any thing ordinarily human about
him
，
doubtless I should have violently
dismissed him from the premises. But as it
was
，
I should
have as soon thought of turning my pale
plaster-of-paris bust of Cicero out of doors. I
stood
gazing at him
awhile
，
as he
went on with his own
writing
，
and then
reseated myself at my desk.
This is
very strange
，
thought I. What had one best
do
？
But my
business hurried me. I
concluded to
forget the matter for the
present
，
reserving it for my future leisure. So
calling
Nippers from the other
room
，
the paper
was speedily examined.
A few days after
this
，
Bartleby
concluded four lengthy
documents
，
being
quadruplicates of
a week's testimony
taken before me in my High Court of Chancery. It
became necessary to
examine them. It
was an important suit
，
and great accuracy was imperative.
Having all things
arranged I called
Turkey
，
Nippers
and Ginger Nut from the next
room
，
meaning to
place the
four copies in the hands of
my four clerks
，
while I should read from the original.
Accordingly
Turkey
，
Nippers and Ginger Nut had taken their
seats in a row
，
each with his document in
hand
，
when I called to Bartleby to join this
interesting group.
“Bartleby
！
quick
，
I am waiting.”
I heard a slow scrape of
his chair legs on the uncarpeted
floor
，
and soon
he appeared
standing at the entrance of
his hermitage.
“What is wanted
？
”
said he mildly.
“The copies
，
the copies
，
” said
I hurriedly. “We are going to examine them.
There”——
and
I held towards
him the fourth quadruplicate.
“I would prefer not
to
，
” he
said
，
and gently
disappeared behind the screen.
For a few moments I was
turned into a pillar of
salt
，
standing at
the head of my seated
column of clerks.
Recovering myself
，
I advanced towards the
screen
，
and
demanded the reason
for such
extraordinary conduct.
“Why do you
refuse
？
”
“I would prefer
not to.”
With any other man I should have flown
outright into a dreadful
passion
，
scorned
all further
words
，
and thrust him ignominiously from my
presence. But there was something about Bartleby
that not only strangely disarmed
me
，
but in a
wonderful manner touched and disconcerted me. I
began to reason with him.
“These are your own copies
we are about to examine. It is labor saving
to you
，
because one
examination will
answer for your four papers. It is common usage.
Every copyist is bound to help
examine
his copy. Is it not so
？
Will you not
speak
？
Answer
！
”
“I prefer not
to
，
” he replied in a
flute
-like tone. It seemed to me that
while I had been
addressing
him
，
he carefully
revolved every statement that I
made
；
fully
comprehended the
meaning
；
could not gainsay the irresistible
conclusion
；
but
，
at the same time
，
some paramount
consideration
prevailed with him to reply as he did.
“Yo
u are
decided
，
then
，
not to comply with my
request
——
a request made
according to
common usage and common
sense
？
”
He briefly gave
me to understand that on that point my judgment
was sound. Yes
：
his
decision was
irreversible.
It is not seldom the case that when a
man is browbeaten in some unprecedented and
violently
unreasonable
way
，
he begins to
stagger in his own plainest faith. He
begins
，
as it
were
，
vaguely
to surmise that
，
wonderful as it may
be
，
all the
justice and all the reason is on the other side.
Accordingly
，
if any disinterested persons are
present
，
he turns
to them for some reinforcement
for his
own faltering mind.
“Turkey
，
” said
I
，
“what do you
think of this
？
Am
I not right
？
”
“With
submission
，
sir
，
” said
Turkey
，
with his
blandest tone
，
“I
think that you are.”
“Nippers
，
” said
I
，
“what do you
think of it
？
”
“I think I
should kick him out of the office.”
（
The
reader of nice perceptions will here perceive
that
，
it being
morning
，
Turkey's
answer
is couched in polite and
tranquil terms
，
but Nippers replies in ill-tempered
ones. Or
，
to
repeat a
previous
sentence
，
Nippers's ugly mood was on
duty
，
and
Turkey's off.
）
“Ginger
Nut
，
” said
I
，
willing to
enlist the smallest suffrage in my
behalf
，
“what do
you
think of
it
？
”
“I
think
，
sir
，
he's a little
luny
，
” replied Ginger
Nut
，
with a grin.
“You hear what
they say
，
” said
I
，
turning
towards the screen
，
“come forth and do your
duty.”
But he vouchsafed no reply.
I pondered a moment in sore perplexity. But once
more business
hurried me. I determined
again to postpone the consideration of this
dilemma to my future leisure.
With a
little trouble we made out to examine the papers
without Bartleby
，
though at every page
or
two
，
Turkey
deferentially dropped his opinion that this
proceeding was quite out of the
common
；
while Nippers
，
twitching in his chair with a dyspeptic
nervousness
，
ground out
between his set
teeth occasional hissing maledictions against the
stubborn oaf behind the screen.
And for
his
（
Nippers's
）
part
，
this was the first and the last time he
would do another man's
business without
pay.
Meanwhile
Bartleby sat in his
hermitage
，
oblivious to every thing but his own
peculiar
business there.
Some days
passed
，
the
scrivener being employed upon another lengthy
work. His late
remarkable conduct led
me to regard his ways narrowly. I observed that he
never went to dinner
；
indeed that he never went any where. As
yet I had never of my personal knowledge known him
to
be outside of my office. He was a
perpetual sentry in the corner. At about eleven
o'clock though
，
in the morning
，
I noticed that Ginger Nut would advance
toward the opening in Bartleby's
screen
，
as if silently beckoned thither by a
gesture invisible to me where I sat. The boy would
then leave the office jingling a few
pence
，
and
reappear with a handful of ginger-nuts which he
delivered in the
hermitage
，
receiving two of the cakes for his
trouble.
He
lives
，
then
，
on ginger-nuts
，
thought I
；
never eats a
dinner
，
properly
speaking
；
he must
be a vegetarian then
；
but no
；
he never eats even
vegetables
，
he
eats nothing but
ginger-nuts. My mind
then ran on in reveries concerning the probable
effects upon the human
constitution of
living entirely on ginger-nuts. Ginger-nuts are so
called because they contain
ginger as
one of their peculiar
constituents
，
and
the final flavoring one. Now what was
ginger
？
A
hot
，
spicy thing.
Was Bartleby hot and spicy
？
Not at all.
Ginger
，
then
，
had no effect upon
Bartleby.
Probably he preferred it should have none.
Nothing so
aggravates an earnest person as a passive
resistance. If the individual so resisted
be of a not inhumane
temper
，
and the
resisting one perfectly harmless in his
passivity
；
then
，
in
the better moods of the
former
，
he will
endeavor charitably to construe to his imagination
what
proves impossible to be solved by
his judgment. Even so
，
for the most
part
，
I regarded
Bartleby
and his ways. Poor
fellow
！
thought
I
，
he means no
mischief
；
it is
plain he intends no
insolence
；
his
aspect sufficiently evinces that his
eccentricities are involuntary. He is useful to
me. I can get
along with him. If I turn
him away
，
the
chances are he will fall in with some less
indulgent
employer
，
and then he will be rudely
treated
，
and
perhaps driven forth miserably to starve. Yes.
Here I can cheaply purchase a delicious
self-approval. To befriend
Bartleby
；
to
humor him in his
strange
wilfulness
，
will
cost me little or nothing
，
while I lay up in my soul what will
eventually
prove a sweet morsel for my
conscience. But this mood was not invariable with
me. The
passiveness of Bartleby
sometimes irritated me. I felt strangely goaded on
to encounter him in new
opposition
，
to elicit some angry spark from him
answerable to my own. But indeed I might as
well have essayed to strike fire with
my knuckles against a bit of Windsor soap. But one
afternoon
the evil impulse in me
mastered me
，
and
the following little scene
ensued
：
“Bartleby
，
” said
I
，
“when those
papers are all copied
，
I will compare them with
you.”
“I would prefer not to.”
“How
？
Surely you do not mean to persist in
that mulish
vagary
？
”
No answer.
I threw open
the folding-doors near by
，
and turning upon Turkey and
Nippers
，
exclaimed
in an excited
manner
——
“He
says
，
a second
time
，
he won't
examine his papers. What do you think of
it
，
Turkey
？
”
It was
afternoon
，
be it
remembered. Turkey sat glowing like a brass
boiler
，
his bald
head
steaming
，
his hands reeling among his blotted
papers.
“Think
of it
？
” roared
Turkey
；
“I think
I'll just step behind his
screen
，
and black
his eyes
for
him
！
”
So
saying
，
Turkey
rose to his feet and threw his arms into a
pugilistic position. He was
hurrying
away to make good his
promise
，
when I
detained him
，
alarmed at the effect of
incautiously rousing Turkey's
combativeness after dinner.
“Sit
down
，
Turkey
，
” said
I
，
“and hear what
Nippers
has to say. What do you think
of it
，
Nippers
？
Would I not be justified in immediately
dismissing
Bartleby
？
”
“Excuse
me
，
that is for
you to decide
，
sir. I think his conduct quite
unusual
，
and
indeed
unjust
，
as regards Turkey and myself. But it
may only b
e a passing whim.”
“Ah
，
” exclaimed
I
，
“you have
strangely changed your mind then——
you
speak very gently
of him
now.”
“All beer
，
” cried
Turkey
；
“gentleness is effects of
beer——
Nippers and I dined together
to-day. You see how gentle I
am
，
sir. Shall I
go and black his
eyes
？
”
“You refer to
Bartleby
，
I
suppose. No
，
not
to-day
，
Turkey
，
” I
replied
；
“pray
，
put
up your
fists.”
I closed the
doors
，
and again
advanced towards Bartleby. I felt additional
incentives
tempting me to my fate. I
burned to be rebelled against again. I remembered
that Bartleby never
left the office.
“Bartleby
，
” said
I
，
“Ginger Nut is
away
；
just step
round to the Post Office
，
won't you
？
（
it was but a three minutes
walk
，）
and see if
there is any thing for me.”
“I would prefer not
to.”
“You will
not
？
”
“I prefer not.”
I staggered to
my desk
，
and sat
there in a deep study. My blind inveteracy
returned. Was
there any other thing in
which I could procure myself to be ignominiously
repulsed by this lean
，
penniless
wight
？
——
my hired
clerk
？
What added
thing is there
，
perfectly
reasonable
，
that
he will be sure to refuse to
do
？
“Bartleby
！
”
No
answer.
“Bartleby
，
” in a
louder tone.
No answer.
“Bartleby
，
” I
roared.
Like a very
ghost
，
agreeably
to the laws of magical
invocation
，
at
the third summons
，
he
appeared at the entrance
of his hermitage.
“Go to the next
room
，
and tell
Nippers to come to me.”
“I prefer not
to
，
” he respectfully and
slowly said
，
and
mildly disappeared.
“Very good
，
Bartleby
，
” said
I
，
in a quiet
sort of serenely severe self-possessed
tone
，
intimating
the unalterable purpose of some terrible
retribution very close at hand. At the moment I
half intended something of the kind.
But upon the whole
，
as it was drawing towards my
dinner-hour
，
I thought it best to put on my hat and
walk home for the day
，
suffering much from
perplexity and distress of mind.
Shall I
acknowledge it
？
The conclusion of this whole business
was
，
that it soon
became a
fixed fact of my
chambers
，
that a
pale young scrivener
，
by the name of
Bartleby
，
had a
desk
there
；
that he copied for me at the usual rate
of four cents a folio
（
one
hundred words
）；
but
he was permanently
exempt from examining the work done by
him
，
that duty
being transferred to
Turkey and
Nippers
，
one of
compliment doubtless to their superior
acuteness
；
moreover
，
said
Bartleby was never on
any account to be dispatched on the most trivial
errand of any sort
；
and
that even if entreated
to take upon him such a
matter
，
it was
generally understood that he would
prefer not to
——
in
other words
，
that
he would refuse point-blank.
As days passed
on
，
I became
considerably reconciled to Bartleby. His
steadiness
，
his
freedom from all
dissipation
，
his
incessant industry
（
except
when he chose to throw himself into
a
standing revery behind his
screen
）
，
his great
stillness
，
his
unalterableness of demeanor under
all
circumstances
，
made him a valuable acquisition. One
prime thing was
this
，
——
he was
always
there
；
——
first in
the morning
，
continually through the
day
，
and the last
at night. I had
a singular confidence
in his honesty. I felt my most precious papers
perfectly safe in his hands.
Sometimes
to be sure I could not
，
for the very soul of
me
，
avoid falling
into sudden spasmodic
passions with
him. For it was exceeding difficult to bear in
mind all the time those strange
peculiarities
，
privileges
，
and unheard of
exemptions
，
forming the tacit stipulations on
Bartleby's part under which he remained
in my office. Now and then
，
in the eagerness of
dispatching pressing
business
，
I would
inadvertently summon
Bartleby
，
in a
short
，
rapid
tone
，
to put his
finger
，
say
，
on the incipient tie of a bit of red
tape with which I was about
compressing
some papers. Of course
，
from behind the screen the usual
answer
，
“I prefer
not
to
，
” was sure
to come
；
and
then
，
how could a
human creature with the common infirmities of
our nature
，
refrain from bitterly exclaiming upon
such perverseness
——
such
unreasonableness.
However
，
every added repulse of this sort which
I received only tended to lessen the probability
of my repeating the inadvertence.
Here is must be
said
，
that
according to the custom of most legal gentlemen
occupying
chambers in densely-populated
law buildings
，
there were several keys to my door. One
was kept
by a woman residing in the
attic
，
which
person weekly scrubbed and daily swept and dusted
my
apartments. Another was kept by
Turkey for convenience sake. The third I sometimes
carried in
my own pocket. The fourth I
knew not who had.
Now
，
one Sunday morning I happened to go to
Trinity Church
，
to hear a celebrated
preacher
，
and finding myself rather early on the
ground
，
I thought
I would walk round to my
chambers for a
while. Luckily I had my key with
me
；
but upon
applying it to the lock
，
I found it
resisted by
something inserted from the inside. Quite
surprised
，
I
called out
；
when
to my
consternation a key was turned
from within
；
and
thrusting his lean visage at
me
，
and holding
the
door ajar
，
the apparition of Bartleby
appeared
，
in his
shirt sleeves
，
and otherwise in a strangely
tattered
dishabille
，
saying quietly that he was
sorry
，
but he was
deeply engaged just then
，
and
——
preferred
not admitting me at present. In a brief word or
two
，
he moreover
added
，
that
perhaps I had better walk round the
block two or three times
，
and by that time he would probably
have concluded his affairs.
Now
，
the utterly unsurmised appearance of
Bartleby
，
tenanting my law-chambers of a
Sunday morning
，
with his cadaverously gentlemanly
nonchalance
，
yet
withal firm and
self-
possessed
，
had
such a strange effect upon
me
，
that
incontinently I slunk away from my own
door
，
and did as desired. But not without
sundry twinges of impotent rebellion against the
mild
effrontery of this unaccountable
scrivener. Indeed
，
it was his wonderful mildness
chiefly
，
which
not only disarmed
me
，
but unmanned
me
，
as it were.
For I consider that one
，
for the time
，
is
a sort of unmanned when
he tranquilly permits his hired clerk to dictate
to him
，
and order
him
away from his own premises.
Furthermore
，
I
was full of uneasiness as to what Bartleby could
possibly be doing in my office in his
shirt sleeves
，
and in an otherwise dismantled
condition of a
Sunday morning. Was any
thing amiss going on
？
Nay
，
that was out of the question. It was
not
to be thought of for a moment that
Bartleby was an immoral person. But what could he
be doing
there
？
——
copying
？
Nay again
，
whatever might be his
eccentricities
，
Bartleby was an
eminently
decorous person. He would be the last man to sit
down to his desk in any state
approaching to nudity.
Besides
，
it was
Sunday
；
and there
was something about Bartleby that
forbade the supposition that we would
by any secular occupation violate the proprieties
of the day.
Nevertheless
，
my mind was not
pacified
；
and
full of a restless
curiosity
，
at
last I returned
to the door. Without
hindrance I inserted my key
，
opened it
，
and entered. Bartleby was not to be
seen. I looked round
anxiously
，
peeped
behind his screen
；
but it was very plain that he was gone.
Upon more closely examining the
place
，
I surmised
that for an indefinite period Bartleby must
have ate
，
dressed
，
and slept in my
office
，
and that
too without plate
，
mirror
，
or bed. The
cushioned seat
of a ricketty old sofa in one corner bore the
faint impress of a lean
，
reclining form.
Rolled away
under his desk
，
I
found a blanket
；
under the empty
grate
，
a blacking
box and
brush
；
on a chair
，
a tin basin
，
with soap and a ragged
towel
；
in a
newspaper a few crumbs
of ginger-nuts
and a morsel of cheese. Yet
，
thought I
，
it is evident enough that Bartleby has
been making his home
here
，
keeping
bachelor's hall all by himself. Immediately then
the thought
came sweeping across
me
，
What
miserable friendlessness and loneliness are here
revealed
！
His
poverty is great
；
but his solitude
，
how horrible
！
Think of it. Of a
Sunday
，
Wall-
street is
deserted as
Petra
；
and every
night of every day it is an emptiness. This
building too
，
which of
week-days hums with
industry and life
，
at nightfall echoes with sheer
vacancy
，
and all
through
Sunday is forlorn. And here
Bartleby makes his home
；
sole spectator of a solitude which he
has
seen all
populous
——
a sort of innocent
and transformed Marius brooding among the ruins of
Carthage
！
For the first
time in my life a feeling of overpowering stinging
melancholy seized me.
Before
，
I had never experienced aught but a
not-unpleasing sadness. The bond of a common
humanity now drew me irresistibly to
gloom. A fraternal
melancholy
！
For
both I and Bartleby
were sons of Adam.
I remembered the bright silks and sparkling faces
I had seen that day
，
in gala
trim
，
swan-like sailing down the Mississippi
of Broadway
；
and
I contrasted them with the pallid
copyist
，
and thought to
myself
，
Ah
，
happiness courts the
light
，
so we deem
the world is gay
；
but misery hides
aloof
，
so we deem
that misery there is none. These sad fancyings
——
chimeras
，
doubtless
，
of a sick and silly
brain
——
led on to other and
more special thoughts
，
concerning
the
eccentricities of Bartleby. Presentiments of
strange discoveries hovered round me. The
scrivener's pale form appeared to me
laid out
，
among
uncaring strangers
，
in its shivering
winding
sheet.
Suddenly
I was attracted by Bartleby's closed
desk
，
the key in
open sight left in the lock.
I mean no
mischief
，
seek
the gratification of no heartless
curiosity
，
thought I
；
besides
，
the desk is mine
，
and its contents
too
，
so I will
make bold to look within. Every thing was
methodically
arranged
，
the
papers smoothly placed. The pigeon holes were
deep
，
and
removing
the files of
documents
，
I
groped into their recesses. Presently I felt
something there
，
and
dragged it out. It was
an old bandanna
handkerchief
，
heavy and knotted. I opened
it
，
and saw it
was a savings' bank.
I now recalled all the
quiet mysteries which I had noted in the man. I
remembered that he
never spoke but to
answer
；
that
though at intervals he had considerable time to
himself
，
yet I
had never seen him reading
——
no
，
not even a
newspaper
；
that
for long periods he would stand
looking
out
，
at his pale
window behind the screen
，
upon the dead brick
wall
；
I was quite
sure
he never visited any refectory or
eating house
；
while his pale face clearly indicated
that he never
drank beer like
Turkey
，
or tea
and coffee even
，
like other men
；
that he never went any where
in particular that I could
learn
；
never went
out for a walk
，
unless indeed that was the case at
present
；
that he had declined telling who he
was
，
or whence he
came
，
or whether
he had any
relatives in the
world
；
that
though so thin and pale
，
he never complained of ill health. And
more
than all
，
I remembered a certain unconscious air
of pallid
——
how shall I call
it
？
——
of pallid
haughtiness
，
say
，
or rather an austere reserve about
him
，
which had
positively awed me into
my tame
compliance with his
eccentricities
，
when I had feared to ask him to do the
slightest
incidental thing for
me
，
even though I
might know
，
from
his long-continued
motionlessness
，
that behind his screen he must be
standing in one of those dead-wall reveries of
his.
Revolving
all these things
，
and coupling them with the recently
discovered fact that he made
my office
his constant abiding place and
home
，
and not
forgetful of his morbid
moodiness
；
revolving all these
things
，
a
prudential feeling began to steal over me. My
first emotions had
been those of pure
melancholy and sincerest
pity
；
but just in
proportion as the forlornness of
Bartleby grew and grew to my
imagination
，
did
that same melancholy merge into
fear
，
that pity
into repulsion. So true it
is
，
and so
terrible too
，
that up to a certain point the thought
or sight of
misery enlists our best
affections
；
but
，
in certain special
cases
，
beyond
that point it does not.
They err who
would assert that invariably this is owing to the
inherent selfishness of the human
heart. It rather proceeds from a
certain hopelessness of remedying excessive and
organic ill. To a
sensitive
being
，
pity is
not seldom pain. And when at last it is perceived
that such pity cannot
lead to effectual
succor
，
common
sense bids the soul be rid of it. What I saw that
morning
persuaded me that the scrivener
was the victim of innate and incurable disorder. I
might give alms
to his
body
；
but his
body did not pain him
；
it was his soul that
suffered
，
and his
soul I could
not reach.
I did not accomplish the
purpose of going to Trinity Church that morning.
Somehow
，
the
things I had seen disqualified me for
the time from church-going. I walked
homeward
，
thinking
what I would do
with Bartleby. Finally
，
I resolved upon
this
；
——
I would
put certain calm
questions to him the
next morning
，
touching his
history
，
&c.
，
and if he declined to answer then
openly and reservedly
（
and I supposed he would
prefer not
），
then
to give him a twenty dollar
bill over
and above whatever I might owe
him
，
and tell him
his services were no longer
required
；
but
that if in any other way I could assist
him
，
I would be
happy to do so
，
especially if he
desired to
return to his native place
，
wherever that might
be
，
I would
willingly help to defray the
expenses.
Moreover
，
if
，
after reaching
home
，
he found
himself at any time in want of
aid
，
a
letter from him would be sure of a
reply.
The next
morning came.
“Bartleby
，
” said
I
，
gently calling
to him behind his screen.
No reply.
“Bartleby
，
” said
I
，
in a still
gentler tone
，
“come here
；
I am not going to ask you to do
any thing you would prefer not to
do
——I simply wish to speak to
you.”
Upon this he noiselessly slid into
view.
“Will you
tell me
，
Bartleby
，
where you were
born
？
”
“I would prefer
not to.”
“Will you tell me any thing about
yourself
？
”
“I would prefer
not to.”
“But what reasonable objection can you
have to speak to me
？
I fe
el friendly towards
you.”