| Time: 8 A.M., Thursday, June 16, 1904 Scene: Leopold Bloom's house at 7 Eccles Street in the northwest quadrant of Dublin. The house was one of a row of three-story over-basement houses on the north side of the street. Organ: kidney Art: economics [the useful art of household management] Colors: orange Symbol: nymph Technique: narrative (mature) Correspondences: Calypso-the Nymph [the print of the Bath of the Nymph over the Blooms' bed]; The Recall [as Hermes is sent to recall Odysseus]-Dlugacz; Ithaca-Zion Background: In book 5 of The Odyssey, Odysseus is discovered in bondage to the goddess Calypso (whose name means " the Concealer") on the island of Ogygia in "the sea's middle" (S. H. Butcher and Andrew Lang [1879] render the phrase "the navel of the sea"). Athena intercedes with Zeus on behalf of Odysseus, and Zeus sends Hermes to instruct Calypso to free Odysseus for his voyage home (i.e., to recall Odysseus to Ithaca and his own peo-ple). Odysseus has meanwhile been on the island for seven years, mourning his thralldom and long- ing for home. "Though he fought shy of her, and her de- sire, / he lay with her each night, for she compelled him". Calypso promises Hermes: "My counsel he shall have, and nothing hidden, / to help him homeward without harm". Odysseus is prepared for his voyage and sets out, only to be intercepted once again by Poseidon's antipathy inthe form of "high thunder- heads" (5:291; Fitzgerald, p. 101).Athena intercedes, calming the storms and sustaining Odysseus with the "gift of self-possession". |
Mr Leopold1 Bloom ate with relish the inner organs of beasts and fowls. He
liked thick giblet soup, nutty gizzards, a stuffed roast heart, liverslices
fried with crustcrumbs, fried hencods' roes. Most of all he liked grilled
mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of faintly scented
urine.
Kidneys were in his mind as he moved about the kitchen softly, righting
her breakfast things on the humpy tray. Gelid light and air were in the
kitchen but out of doors gentle summer morning everywhere. Made him feel
a bit peckish.2
The coals were reddening.
Another slice of bread and butter: three, four: right. She didn't like her
plate full. Right. He turned from the tray, lifted the kettle off the hob
and set it sideways on the fire. It sat there, dull and squat, its spout
stuck out. Cup of tea soon. Good. Mouth dry.
The cat walked stiffly round a leg of the table with tail on high.
--Mkgnao!
--O, there you are, Mr Bloom said, turning from the fire.
The cat mewed in answer and stalked again stiffly round a leg of the table,
mewing. Just how she stalks over my writingtable. Prr. Scratch my head.
Prr.
Mr Bloom watched curiously, kindly the lithe black form. Clean to see:
the gloss of her sleek hide, the white button under the butt of her tail,
the green flashing eyes. He bent down to her, his hands on his knees.
--Milk for the pussens, he said.
--Mrkgnao! the cat cried.
They call them stupid. They understand what we say better than we under-
stand them.3 She understands all she wants to. Vindictive too. Cruel. Her
nature. Curious mice never squeal. Seem to like it. Wonder what I look
like to her. Height of a tower? No, she can jump me.
--Afraid of the chickens she is, he said mockingly. Afraid of the
chookchooks. I never saw such a stupid pussens as the pussens.
Cruel. Her nature. Curious mice never squeal. Seem to like it.
--Mrkrgnao! the cat said loudly.
She blinked up out of her avid shameclosing eyes, mewing plaintively
and long, showing him her milkwhite teeth. He watched the dark eyeslits
narrowing with greed till her eyes were green stones. Then he went to
the dresser, took the jug Hanlon's milkman4 had just filled for him,
poured warmbubbled milk on a saucer and set it slowly on the floor.
--Gurrhr! she cried, running to lap.
He watched the bristles shining wirily in the weak light as she tipped
three times and licked lightly. Wonder is it true if you clip them they
can't mouse after.5 Why? They shine in the dark, perhaps, the tips. Or
kind of feelers in the dark, perhaps.
He listened to her licking lap. Ham and eggs, no. No good eggs with this
drouth. Want pure fresh water. Thursday: not a good day either for a mut-
ton kidney at Buckley's.6 Fried with butter, a shake of pepper. Better a
pork kidney7 at Dlugacz's.8 While the kettle is boiling. She lapped slower,
then licking the saucer clean.9 Why are their tongues so rough? To lap
better, all porous holes. Nothing she can eat? He glanced round him. No.
On quietly creaky boots he went up the staircase to the hall, paused
by the bedroom door. She might like something tasty. Thin bread and
butter10 she likes in the morning. Still perhaps: once in a way.
He said softly in the bare hall:
--I'm going round the corner. Be back in a minute.
And when he had heard his voice say it he added:
--You don't want anything for breakfast?
A sleepy soft grunt answered:
--Mn.
No. She didn't want anything. He heard then a warm heavy sigh, softer, as
she turned over and the loose brass quoits of the bedstead11 jingled. Must
get those settled really. Pity. All the way from Gibraltar.12 Forgotten any
little Spanish she knew. Wonder what her father gave for it. Old style.
Ah yes! of course. Bought it at the governor's auction. Got a short knock.13
Hard as nails at a bargain, old Tweedy. Yes, sir. At Plevna14 that was. I
rose from the ranks,15 sir, and I'm proud of it. Still he had brains enough
to make that corner in stamps.16 Now that was farseeing.
His hand took his hat from the peg over his initialled heavy overcoat and
his lost property office17 secondhand waterproof. Stamps: stickyback pictures.
Daresay lots of officers are in the swim18 too. Course they do. The sweated
legend in the crown of his hat told him mutely: Plasto's19 high grade ha. He
peeped quickly inside the leather headband. White slip of paper.20 Quite
safe.
On the doorstep he felt in his hip pocket for the latchkey. Not there. In
the trousers I left off. Must get it. Potato21 I have. Creaky wardrobe. No
use disturbing her. She turned over sleepily that time. He pulled the hall-
door to after him very quietly, more, till the footleaf dropped gently over
the threshold, a limp lid. Looked shut. All right till I come back anyhow.
He crossed to the bright side, avoiding the loose cellarflap of number s
eventyfive.22 The sun was nearing the steeple of George's church.23 Be a
warm day I fancy. Specially in these black clothes feel it more. Black
conducts,
reflects, (refracts is it?), the heat.24 But I couldn't go in that light suit.25
Make a picnic of it. His eyelids sank quietly often as he walked in happy
warmth. Boland's26 breadvan delivering with trays our daily but she prefers
yesterday's loaves turnovers crisp crowns hot. Makes you feel young. Some-
where in the east: early morning: set off at dawn. Travel round in front
of the sun, steal a day's march on him. Keep it up for ever never grow
a day older technically. Walk along a strand, strange land, come to a city
gate, sentry there, old ranker27 too, old Tweedy's big moustaches, leaning
on a long kind of a spear. Wander through awned streets. Turbaned faces
going by. Dark caves of carpet shops, big man, Turko the terrible,28 seated
crosslegged, smoking a coiled pipe. Cries of sellers in the streets. Drink
water scented with fennel, sherbet. Dander along all day. Might meet a
robber or two. Well, meet him. Getting on to sundown. The shadows of the
mosques among the pillars: priest with a scroll rolled up. A shiver of
the trees, signal, the evening wind. I pass on. Fading gold sky. A mother
watches me from her doorway. She calls her children home in their dark
language. High wall: beyond strings twanged. Night sky, moon, violet,
colour of Molly's new garters. Strings. Listen. A girl playing one of
those instruments what do you call them: dulcimers. I pass.
Probably not a bit like it really. Kind of stuff you read: in the track
of the sun.29 Sunburst on the titlepage.30 He smiled, pleasing himself. What
Arthur Griffith31 said about the headpiece over the Freeman leader: a
homerule sun rising up in the northwest from the laneway behind the bank
of Ireland.32 He prolonged his pleased smile. Ikey33 touch that: homerule
sun rising up in the north-west.
He approached Larry O'Rourke's.34 From the cellar grating floated up the
flabby gush of porter. Through the open doorway the bar squirted out
whiffs of ginger, teadust, biscuitmush. Good house, however: just the
end of the city traffic. For instance M'Auley's35 down there: n. g.36 as
position. Of course if they ran a tramline along the North Circular
from the cattlemarket to the quays37 value would go up like a shot.
Baldhead over the blind. Cute old codger. No use canvassing him for an
ad. Still he knows his own business best. There he is, sure enough, my
bold Larry,38 leaning against the sugarbin in his shirtsleeves watching
the aproned curate39 swab up with mop and bucket. Simon Dedalus takes him
off to a tee with his eyes screwed up. Do you know what I'm going to
tell you? What's that, Mr O'Rourke? Do you know what? The Russians,
they'd only be an eight o'clock breakfast for the Japanese.40
Stop and say a word: about the funeral perhaps. Sad thing about poor
Dignam,41 Mr O'Rourke.
Turning into Dorset street he said freshly in greeting through the
doorway:
--Good day, Mr O'Rourke.
--Good day to you.
--Lovely weather, sir.
--'Tis all that.
Where do they get the money? Coming up redheaded curates from the county
Leitrim,42 rinsing empties and old man in the cellar.43 Then, lo and behold,
they blossom out as Adam Findlaters44 or Dan Tallons.45 Then thin of the com-
petition. General thirst. Good puzzle would be cross Dublin without pass-
ing a pub. Save it they can't. Off the drunks perhaps. Put down three and
carry five. What is that, a bob here and there, dribs and drabs. On the
wholesale orders perhaps. Doing a double shuffle with the town travellers.46
Square it you with the boss and we'll split the job, see?
How much would that tot to off the porter in the month? Say ten barrels
of stuff. Say he got ten per cent off. O more. Fifteen. He passed Saint
Joseph's National School.47 Brats' clamour. Windows open. Fresh air helps
memory. Or a lilt. Ahbeesee defeegee kelomen opeecue rustyouvee doubleyou.
Boys are they? Yes. Inishturk. Inishark. Inishboffin.48 At their joggerfry.
Mine. Slieve Bloom.49
He halted before Dlugacz's50 window, staring at the hanks of sausages, pol-
onies, black and white.51 Fifteen multiplied by. The figures whitened in his
mind, unsolved: displeased, he let them fade. The shiny links, packed with
forcemeat, fed his gaze and he breathed in tranquilly the lukewarm breath
of cooked spicy pigs' blood.
A kidney oozed bloodgouts on the willowpatterned dish: the last. He stood
by the nextdoor girl at the counter. Would she buy it too, calling the
items
from a slip in her hand? Chapped: washingsoda. And a pound and a half of
Denny's sausages.52 His eyes rested on her vigorous hips. Woods53 his name
is. Wonder what he does. Wife is oldish. New blood. No followers allowed.
Strong pair of arms. Whacking a carpet on the clothesline. She does whack
it, by George. The way her crooked skirt swings at each whack.
The ferreteyed porkbutcher folded the sausages he had snipped off with
blotchy fingers, sausagepink. Sound meat there: like a stallfed heifer.
He took a page up from the pile of cut sheets: the model farm at Kinner-
eth on the lakeshore of Tiberias.53 Can become ideal winter sanatorium.
Moses Montefiore.54 I thought he was. Farmhouse, wall round it, blurred
cattle cropping. He held the page from him: interesting: read it nearer,
the title, the blurred cropping cattle, the page rustling. A young white
heifer. Those mornings in the cattlemarket,55 the beasts lowing in their
pens, branded sheep, flop and fall of dung, the breeders in hobnailed
boots trudging through the litter, slapping a palm on a ripemeated hind-
quarter, there's a prime one, unpeeled switches in their hands. He held
the page aslant patiently, bending his senses and his will, his soft
subject gaze at rest. The crooked skirt swinging, whack by whack by whack.
The porkbutcher snapped two sheets from the pile, wrapped up her
prime sausages and made a red grimace.
--Now, my miss, he said.
She tendered a coin, smiling boldly, holding her thick wrist out.
--Thank you, my miss. And one shilling threepence change. For you,
please?
Mr Bloom pointed quickly. To catch up and walk behind her if she went
slowly, behind her moving hams. Pleasant to see first thing in the
morning. Hurry up, damn it. Make hay while the sun shines. She stood
outside the shop in sunlight and sauntered lazily to the right. He sigh-
ed down his nose: they never understand. Sodachapped hands. Crusted
toenails too. Brown scapulars56 in tatters, defending her both ways. The
sting of disregard glowed to weak pleasure within his breast. For an-
other: a constable off duty cuddling her in Eccles lane.57 They like them
sizeable.58 Prime sausage. O please, Mr Policeman, I'm lost in the wood.59
--Threepence, please.
His hand accepted the moist tender gland and slid it into a sidepocket.
Then it fetched up three coins from his trousers' pocket and laid them
on the rubber prickles. They lay, were read quickly and quickly slid,
disc by disc, into the till.
--Thank you, sir. Another time.
A speck of eager fire from foxeyes thanked him. He withdrew his gaze
after an instant. No: better not: another time.
--Good morning, he said, moving away.
--Good morning, sir.
No sign. Gone. What matter?
He walked back along Dorset street, reading gravely. Agendath Netaim:60 plant-
ers' company. To purchase waste sandy tracts from Turkish government61 and plant
with eucalyptus trees. Excellent for shade, fuel and construction. Orangegroves
and immense melonfields north of Jaffa.62 You pay eighty marks63 and they plant a
dunam64 of land for you with olives, oranges, almonds or citrons. Olives cheaper:
oranges need artificial irrigation. Every year you get a sending of the crop.
Your name entered for life as owner in the book of the union. Can pay ten down
and the balance in yearly instalments. Bleibtreustrasse 34, Berlin, W.
15.64
Nothing doing. Still an idea behind it.
He looked at the cattle, blurred in silver heat. Silverpowdered olivetrees.
Quiet long days: pruning, ripening. Olives are packed in jars, eh? I have a
few left from Andrews.65 Molly spitting them out. Knows the taste of them now.
Oranges in tissue paper packed in crates. Citrons too. Wonder is poor Citron
still in Saint Kevin's parade.66 And Mastiansky67 with the old cither. Pleasant
evenings we had then. Molly in Citron's basketchair. Nice to hold, cool waxen
fruit, hold in the hand, lift it to the nostrils and smell the perfume. Like
that, heavy, sweet, wild perfume. Always the same, year after year. They
fetched high prices too, Moisel told me. Arbutus place: Pleasants street:68
pleasant old times. Must be without a flaw,69 he said. Coming all that way:
Spain, Gibraltar, Mediterranean, the Levant. Crates lined up on the quayside
at Jaffa, chap ticking them off in a book, navvies handling them barefoot in
soiled dungarees. There's whatdoyoucallhim out of. How do you? Doesn't see.
Chap you know just to salute bit of a bore. His back is like that Norwegian
captain's.70 Wonder if I'll meet him today. Watering cart. To provoke the rain.
On earth as it is in heaven.
A cloud began to cover the sun slowly, wholly. Grey. Far.
No, not like that. A barren land, bare waste. Vulcanic lake, the dead 71
sea: no fish, weedless, sunk deep in the earth. No wind could lift those
waves, grey metal, poisonous foggy waters. Brimstone they called it raining
down: the cities of the plain: Sodom, Gomorrah, Edom.72 All dead names. A
dead sea in a dead land, grey and old. Old now. It bore the oldest, the first
race.73 A bent hag crossed from Cassidy's, clutching a naggin bottle by the
neck. The oldest people. Wandered far away over all the earth, captivity to
captivity,74 multiplying, dying, being born everywhere. It lay there now. Now
it could bear no more. Dead: an old woman's: the grey sunken cunt of the
world.
Desolation.
Grey horror seared his flesh. Folding the page into his pocket he turned into
Eccles street, hurrying homeward. Cold oils slid along his veins, chilling his blood:
age crusting him with a salt cloak.75 Well, I am here now. Yes, I am here now.
Morning mouth bad images. Got up wrong side of the bed. Must begin again those
Sandow's exercises.76 On the hands down. Blotchy brown brick houses. Number
eighty still unlet. Why is that? Valuation is only twenty-eight.77 Towers, Batters-
by, North, MacArthur:78 parlour windows plastered with bills. Plasters on a sore
eye. To smell the gentle smoke of tea,79 fume of the pan, sizzling butter. Be near
her ample bedwarmed flesh. Yes, yes.
Quick warm sunlight came running from Berkeley road, swiftly, in slim sandals,
along the brightening footpath. Runs, she runs to meet me, a girl with gold
hair on the wind.80
Two letters and a card lay on the hallfloor. He stooped and gathered
them. Mrs Marion Bloom.81 His quickened heart slowed at once. Bold hand.
Mrs Marion.
--Poldy!
Entering the bedroom he halfclosed his eyes and walked through warm yellow
twilight towards her tousled head.
--Who are the letters for?
He looked at them. Mullingar.82 Milly.
--A letter for me from Milly, he said carefully, and a card to you. And a
letter for you.
He laid her card and letter on the twill bedspread near the curve of her
knees.
--Do you want the blind up?
Letting the blind up by gentle tugs halfway his backward eye83 saw her
glance at the letter and tuck it under her pillow.
--That do? he asked, turning.
She was reading the card, propped on her elbow.
--She got the things, she said.
He waited till she had laid the card aside and curled herself back slowly
with a snug sigh.
--Hurry up with that tea, she said. I'm parched.
--The kettle is boiling, he said.
But he delayed to clear the chair: her striped petticoat, tossed soiled
linen: and lifted all in an armful on to the foot of the bed.
As he went down the kitchen stairs she called:
--Poldy!
--What?
--Scald the teapot.
On the boil sure enough: a plume of steam from the spout. He scalded and
rinsed out the teapot and put in four full spoons of tea, tilting the kettle
then to let the water flow in. Having set it to draw he took off the kettle,
crushed the pan flat on the live coals and watched the lump of butter slide
and melt. While he unwrapped the kidney the cat mewed hungrily against him.
Give her too much meat she won't mouse. Say they won't eat pork.84 Kosher.
Here. He let the bloodsmeared paper fall to her and dropped the kidney amid
the sizzling butter sauce. Pepper. He sprinkled it through his fingers
ringwise
from the chipped eggcup.
Then he slit open his letter, glancing down the page and over. Thanks: new
tam: Mr Coghlan: lough Owel85 picnic: young student:86 Blazes Boylan's seaside
girls.87
The tea was drawn. He filled his own moustachecup, sham crown Derby, smiling.
Silly Milly's birthday gift.88 Only five she was then. No, wait: four. I gave
her the amberoid necklace she broke. Putting pieces of folded brown paper in
the letterbox for her. He smiled, pouring.
O, Milly Bloom, you are my darling.
You are my lookingglass from night to morning.
I'd rather have you without a farthing
Than Katey Keogh with her ass and garden.89
Poor old professor Goodwin.90 Dreadful old case. Still he was a courteous
old chap. Oldfashioned way he used to bow Molly off the platform. And
the little mirror in his silk hat. The night Milly brought it into the
parlour. O, look what I found in professor Goodwin's hat! All we
laughed. Sex breaking out even then. Pert little piece she was.
He prodded a fork into the kidney and slapped it over: then fitted the
teapot on the tray. Its hump bumped as he took it up. Everything on it?
Bread and butter, four, sugar, spoon, her cream. Yes. He carried it up-
stairs, his thumb hooked in the teapot handle.
Nudging the door open with his knee he carried the tray in and set it
on the chair by the bedhead.
--What a time you were! she said.
She set the brasses jingling as she raised herself briskly, an elbow on
the pillow. He looked calmly down on her bulk and between her large soft
bubs, sloping within her nightdress like a shegoat's udder. The warmth of
her couched body rose on the air, mingling with the fragrance of the tea
91
she poured.
A strip of torn envelope peeped from under the dimpled pillow.92 In the
act of going he stayed to straighten the bedspread.
--Who was the letter from? he asked.
Bold hand. Marion.
--O, Boylan, she said. He's bringing the programme.
--What are you singing?
--La ci darem93 with J. C. Doyle,94 she said, and Love's old sweet song.95
Her full lips, drinking, smiled. Rather stale smell that incense leaves
next day. Like foul flowerwater.96
--Would you like the window open a little?
She doubled a slice of bread into her mouth, asking:
--What time is the funeral?
--Eleven, I think, he answered. I didn't see the paper.
Following the pointing of her finger he took up a leg of her soiled
drawers from the bed. No? Then, a twisted grey garter looped round a
stocking: rumpled, shiny sole.
--No: that book.
Other stocking. Her petticoat.
--It must have fell down, she said.
He felt here and there. Voglio e non vorrei.97 Wonder if she pronounces
that right: Voglio. Not in the bed. Must have slid down. He stooped and
lifted the valance. The book, fallen, sprawled against the bulge of the
orangekeyed98 chamberpot.
--Show here, she said. I put a mark in it. There's a word I wanted to ask
you.
She swallowed a draught of tea from her cup held by nothandle and, having
wiped her fingertips smartly on the blanket, began to search the text with
the hairpin till she reached the word.
--Met him what? he asked.
--Here, she said. What does that mean?
He leaned downward and read near her polished thumbnail.
--Metempsychosis?99
--Yes. Who's he when he's at home?
--Metempsychosis, he said, frowning. It's Greek: from the Greek. That
means the transmigration of souls.
--O, rocks! she said. Tell us in plain words.
He smiled, glancing askance at her mocking eyes. The same young eyes.
The first night after the charades. Dolphin's Barn.100 He turned over the
smudged pages. Ruby: the Pride of the Ring.101 Hello. Illustration. Fierce
Italian with carriagewhip. Must be Ruby pride of the on the floor naked.
Sheet kindly lent.102 The monster Maffei desisted and flung his victim from
him with an oath.103 Cruelty behind it all. Doped animals. Trapeze at Heng-
ler's.104 Had to look the other way. Mob gaping. Break your neck and we'll
break our sides. Families of them. Bone them young105 so they metamspy-
chosis. That we live after death. Our souls. That a man's soul after he dies.
Dignam's soul . . .
--Did you finish it? he asked.
--Yes, she said. There's nothing smutty in it. Is she in love with the first
fellow all the time?
--Never read it. Do you want another?
--Yes. Get another of Paul de Kock's.106 Nice name he has.
She poured more tea into her cup, watching it flow sideways.
Must get that Capel street library107 book renewed or they'll write to Kearney,108
my guarantor. Reincarnation: that's the word.
--Some people believe, he said, that we go on living in another body after
death, that we lived before. They call it reincarnation. That we all lived
before on the earth thousands of years ago or some other planet. They say
we have forgotten it. Some say they remember their past lives.
The sluggish cream wound curdling spirals through her tea. Bette re-
mind her of the word: metempsychosis. An example would be better. An
example?
The Bath of the Nymph109 over the bed. Given away with the Easter number of
Photo Bits:110 Splendid masterpiece in art colours. Tea before you put milk
in. Not unlike her with her hair down: slimmer.111 Three and six I gave for
the frame. She said it would look nice over the bed. Naked nymphs:
Greece: and for instance all the people that lived then.
He turned the pages back.
--Metempsychosis, he said, is what the ancient Greeks called it. They used
to believe you could be changed into an animal or a tree, for instance. What
they called nymphs, for example.
Her spoon ceased to stir up the sugar. She gazed straight before her, inhal-
ing through her arched nostrils.
--There's a smell of burn, she said. Did you leave anything on the fire?
--The kidney! he cried suddenly.
He fitted the book roughly into his inner pocket and, stubbing his toes
against the broken commode, hurried out towards the smell, stepping hastily
down the stairs with a flurried stork's legs. Pungent smoke shot up in an
angry jet from a side of the pan. By prodding a prong of the fork under the
kidney he detached it and turned it turtle on its back. Only a little burnt.
He tossed it off the pan on to a plate and let the scanty brown gravy trickle
over it.
Cup of tea now. He sat down, cut and buttered a slice of the loaf. He shore
away the burnt flesh and flung it to the cat. Then he put a forkful into
his
mouth, chewing with discernment the toothsome pliant meat.112 Done to a
turn. A mouthful of tea. Then he cut away dies of bread, sopped one in the
gravy and put it in his mouth. What was that about some young student and
a picnic? He creased out the letter at his side, reading it slowly as he
chewed, sopping another die of bread in the gravy and raising it to his mouth.
Dearest Papli
Thanks ever so much for the lovely birthday present. It suits me splendid.
Everyone says I am quite the belle in my new tam. I got mummy's Iovely box
of creams and am writing. They are lovely. I am getting on swimming in the
photo business now. Mr Coghlan took one of me and Mrs. Will send when devel-
oped. We did great biz yesterday. Fair day and all the beef to the heels113
were in. We are going to lough Owel114 on Monday with a few friends to make a
scrap picnic.115 Give my love to mummy and to yourself a big kiss and thanks.
I hear them at the piano downstairs. There is to be a concert in the Greville
Arms116 on Saturday. There is a young student comes here some evenings named
Bannon his cousins or something are big swells and he sings Boylan's (I was
on the pop of writing Blazes Boylan's) song about those seaside girls.117 Tell
him silly Milly sends my best respects. I must now close with fondest love
Your fond daughter, Milly.
P. S. Excuse bad writing am in hurry. Byby. M.
Fifteen yesterday. Curious, fifteenth of the month too. Her first
birthday away from home. Separation. Remember the summer morning she
was born, running to knock up Mrs Thornton in Denzille street.118 Jolly old
woman. Lot of babies she must have helped into the world. She knew from
the first poor little Rudy119 wouldn't live. Well, God is good, sir.120 She
knew at once. He would be eleven now if he had lived.
His vacant face stared pityingly at the postscript. Excuse bad writing.
Hurry. Piano downstairs. Coming out of her shell. Row with her in the XL
Cafe121 about the bracelet. Wouldn't eat her cakes or speak or look. Sauce-
box. He sopped other dies of bread in the gravy and ate piece after piece
of kidney. Twelve and six a week.122 Not much. Still, she might do worse.
Music hall stage.123 Young student. He drank a draught of cooler tea to
wash down his meal. Then he read the letter again: twice.
O, well: she knows how to mind herself. But if not? No, nothing has hap-
pened. Of course it might. Wait in any case till it does. A wild piece
of goods. Her slim legs running up the staircase. Destiny. Ripening now.
Vain: very.
He smiled with troubled affection at the kitchen window. Day I caught her
in the street pinching her cheeks to make them red. Anemic a little. Was
given milk too long.124 On the Erin's King that day round the Kish.125 Damned
old tub pitching about. Not a bit funky.126 Her pale blue scarf loose in the
wind with her hair.
All dimpled cheeks and curls,
Your head it simply swirls.
Seaside girls. Torn envelope. Hands stuck in his trousers' pockets, jarvey
127
off for the day, singing. Friend of the family. Swurls, he says. Pier with
lamps, summer evening, band,128
Those girls, those girls,
Those lovely seaside girls.
Milly too. Young kisses: the first. Far away now past. Mrs Marion.
Reading, lying back now, counting the strands of her hair, smiling,
braiding.129
A soft qualm, regret,130 flowed down his backbone, increasing. Will hap-
pen, yes. Prevent. Useless: can't move. Girl's sweet light lips. Will
happen too. He felt the flowing qualm spread over him. Useless to move
now. Lips kissed, kissing, kissed. Full gluey woman's lips.
Better where she is down there: away. Occupy her. Wanted a dog to pass
the time. Might take a trip down there. August bank holiday,131 only two
and six return. Six weeks off, however. Might work a press pass. Or
through M'Coy.132
The cat, having cleaned all her fur, returned to the meatstained paper,
nosed at it and stalked to the door. She looked back at him, mewing. Wants
to go out. Wait before a door sometime it will open. Let her wait. Has the
fidgets. Electric. Thunder in the air. Was washing at her ear with her back
to the fire too.
He felt heavy, full: then a gentle loosening of his bowels. He stood up,
undoing the waistband of his trousers. The cat mewed to him.
--Miaow! he said in answer. Wait till I'm ready.
Heaviness: hot day coming. Too much trouble to fag133 up the stairs to the
landing.
A paper. He liked to read at stool. Hope no ape comes knocking just as
I'm.
In the tabledrawer he found an old number of Titbits.134 He folded it under
his armpit, went to the door and opened it. The cat went up in soft
bounds. Ah, wanted to go upstairs, curl up in a ball on the bed.
Listening, he heard her voice:
--Come, come, pussy. Come.
He went out through the backdoor into the garden: stood to listen
towards the next garden. No sound. Perhaps hanging clothes out to
dry. The maid was in the garden.135 Fine morning.
He bent down to regard a lean file of spearmint growing by the wall.
Make a summerhouse here. Scarlet runners. Virginia creepers. Want to
manure the whole place over, scabby soil. A coat of liver of sulphur.
All soil like that without dung. Household slops. Loam, what is this
that is? The hens in the next garden: their droppings are very good
top dressing. Best of all though are the cattle, especially when they
are fed on those oilcakes.136 Mulch of dung. Best thing to clean ladies'
kid gloves. Dirty cleans. Ashes too. Reclaim the whole place. Grow peas
in that corner there. Lettuce. Always have fresh greens then. Still
gardens have their drawbacks. That bee or bluebottle here Whitmonday.137
He walked on. Where is my hat, by the way? Must have put it back on
the peg. Or hanging up on the floor. Funny I don't remember that.
Hallstand too full. Four umbrellas, her raincloak. Picking up the
letters. Drago's138 shopbell ringing. Queer I was just thinking that
moment. Brown brillantined hair over his collar. Just had a wash
and brushup. Wonder have I time for a bath this morning. Tara street.139
Chap in the paybox there got away James Stephens, they say. O'Brien.140
Deep voice that fellow Dlugacz has. Agendath what is it? Now, my miss.
Enthusiast.141
He kicked open the crazy142 door of the jakes. Better be careful not to
get these trousers dirty for the funeral. He went in, bowing his head under
the low lintel. Leaving the door ajar, amid the stench of mouldy limewash
and stale cobwebs he undid his braces. Before sitting down he peered
through a chink up at the nextdoor windows. The king was in his counting-
house.143 Nobody.
Asquat on the cuckstool144 he folded out his paper, turning its pages
over on his bared knees. Something new and easy. No great hurry. Keep it
a bit. Our prize titbit: Matcham's Masterstroke.145 Written by Mr Philip
Beaufoy, Playgoers' Club, London.146 Payment at the rate of one guinea a
column has been made to the writer. Three and a half. Three pounds three.
Three pounds, thirteen and six.
Quietly he read, restraining himself, the first column and, yielding but
resisting, began the second. Midway, his last resistance yielding, he al-
lowed his bowels to ease themselves quietly as he read, reading still pa-
tiently that slight constipation of yesterday quite gone. Hope it's not too
big bring on piles again. No, just right. So. Ah! Costive. One tabloid of
cascara sagrada.147 Life might be so. It did not move or touch him but it was
something quick and neat. Print anything now. Silly season. He read on,
seated calm above his own rising smell. Neat certainly. Matcham often thinks
of the masterstroke by which he won the laughing witch who now. Beins and
ends morally. Hand in hand. Smart. He glanced back through what he had read
and, while feeling his water flow quietly, he envied kindly Mr Beaufoy who
had written it and received payment of three pounds, thirteen and six.
Might manage a sketch. By Mr and Mrs L. M. Bloom. Invent a story for some
proverb. Which? Time I used to try jotting down on my cuff what she said
dressing. Dislike dressing together. Nicked myself shaving. Biting her net-
her lip, hooking the placket of her skirt. Timing her. 9.l5. Did Roberts
pay you yet? 9.20. What had Gretta Conroy148 on? 9.23. What possessed me to
buy this comb? 9.24. I'm swelled after that cabbage. A speck of dust on
the patent leather of her boot. Rubbing smartly in turn each welt against
her stockinged calf. Morning after the bazaar dance when May's band149 played
Ponchielli's dance of the hours.150 Explain that: morning hours, noon, then
evening coming on, then night hours. Washing her teeth. That was the first
night. Her head dancing. Her fansticks clicking. Is that Boylan well off?
He has money. Why? I noticed he had a good rich smell off his breath danc-
ing. No use humming then. Allude to it. Strange kind of music that last
night. The mirror was in shadow. She rubbed her handglass briskly on her
woollen vest against her full wagging bub. Peering into it. Lines in her
eyes. It wouldn't pan out somehow.
Evening hours, girls in grey gauze. Night hours then: black with daggers
and eyemasks. Poetical idea: pink, then golden, then grey, then black.
Still, true to life also. Day: then the night.
He tore away half the prize story sharply and wiped himself with it. Then
he girded up his trousers, braced and buttoned himself. He pulled back the
jerky shaky door of the jakes and came forth from the gloom into the
air.
In the bright light, lightened and cooled in limb, he eyed carefully his
black trousers: the ends, the knees, the houghs of the knees.151 What time
is the funeral? Better find out in the paper.
A creak and a dark whirr in the air high up. The bells of George's church.152
They tolled the hour: loud dark iron.
Heigho! Heigho!
Heigho! Heigho!
Heigho! Heigho!153
Quarter to. There again: the overtone following through the air, a
third.
Poor Dignam!