Ulysses

  He stood beside them beaming on them first and on his roomy clothes from points of which Mr Dedalus flicked fluff, saying:

  —They were made for a man in his health, Ben, anyhow.

  —Bad luck to the jewman that made them, Ben Dollard said. Thanks be to God he’s not paid yet.

  —And how is that basso profondo, Benjamin? Father Cowley asked.

  Cashel Boyle O’Connor Fitzmaurice Tisdall Farrell, murmuring, glasseyed, strode past the Kildare street club.

  Ben Dollard frowned and, making suddenly a chanter’s mouth, gave forth a deep note.

  —Aw! he said.

  —That’s the style, Mr Dedalus said, nodding to its drone.

  —What about that? Ben Dollard said. Not too dusty? What?

  He turned to both.

  —That’ll do, Father Cowley said, nodding also.

  The reverend Hugh C. Love walked from the old Chapterhouse of saint Mary’s abbey past James and Charles Kennedy’s, rectifiers, attended by Geraldines tall and personable, towards the Tholsel beyond the Ford of Hurdles.

  Ben Dollard with a heavy list towards the shop-fronts led them forward, his joyful fingers in the air.

  —Come along with me to the subsheriff’s office, he said. I want to show you the new beauty Rock has for a bailiff. He’s a cross between Lobengula and Lynchehaun. He’s well worth seeing, mind you. Come along. I saw John Henry Menton casually in the Bodega just now and it will cost me a fall if I don’t …wait awhile …We’re on the right lay, Bob, believe you me.

  —For a few days tell him, Father Cowley said anxiously.

  Ben Dollard halted and stared, his loud orifice open, a dangling button of his coat wagging brightbacked from its thread as he wiped away the heavy shraums that clogged his eyes to hear aright.

  —What few days? he boomed. Hasn’t your landlord distrained for rent?

  —He has, Father Cowley said.

  —Then our friend’s writ is not worth the paper it’s printed on, Ben Dollard said. The landlord has the prior claim. I gave him all the particulars. 29 Windsor avenue. Love is the name?

  —That’s right, Father Cowley said. The reverend Mr Love. He’s a minister in the country somewhere. But are you sure of that?

  —You can tell Barabbas from me, Ben Dollard said, that he can put that writ where Jacko put the nuts.

  He led Father Cowley boldly forward linked to his bulk.

  —Filberts I believe they were, Mr Dedalus said, as he dropped his glasses on his coatfront, following them.

  —The youngster will be all right, Martin Cunningham said, as they passed out of the Castleyard gate.

  The policeman touched his forehead.

  —God bless you, Martin Cunningham said, cheerily.

  He signed to the waiting jarvey who chucked at the reins and set on towards Lord Edward street.

  Bronze by gold, Miss Kennedy’s head by Miss Douce’s head, appeared above the crossblind of the Ormond hotel.

  —Yes, Martin Cunningham said, fingering his beard. I wrote to Father Conmee and laid the whole case before him.

  —You could try our friend, Mr Power suggested backward.

  —Boyd? Martin Cunningham said shortly. Touch me not.

  John Wyse Nolan, lagging behind, reading the list, came after them quickly down Cork hill.

  On the steps of the City hall Councillor Nannetti, descending, hailed Alderman Cowley and Councillor Abraham Lyon ascending.

  The castle car wheeled empty into upper Exchange street.

  —Look here Martin, John Wyse Nolan said, over-taking them at the Mail office. I see Bloom put his name down for five shillings.

  —Quite right, Martin Cunningham said, taking the list. And put down the five shillings too.

  —Without a second word either, Mr Power said.

  —Strange but true, Martin Cunningham added.

  John Wyse Nolan opened wide eyes.

  —I’ll say there is much kindness in the jew, he quoted elegantly.

  They went down Parliament street.

  —There’s Jimmy Henry, Mr Power said, just heading for Kavanagh’s.

  —Righto, Martin Cunningham said. Here goes.

  Outside la Maison Claire Blazes Boylan waylaid Jack Mooney’s brother-in-law, humpy, tight, making for the liberties.

  John Wyse Nolan fell back with Mr Power, while Martin Cunningham took the elbow of a dapper little man in a shower of hail suit who walked uncertainly with hasty steps past Micky Anderson’s watches.

  —The assistant town clerk’s corns are giving him some trouble, John Wyse Nolan told Mr Power.

  They followed round the corner towards James Kavanagh’s winerooms. The empty castle car fronted them at rest in Essex gate. Martin Cunningham, speaking always, showed often the list at which Jimmy Henry did not glance.

  —And Long John Fanning is here too, John Wyse Nolan said, as large as life.

  The tall form of Long John Fanning filled the doorway where he stood.

  —Good day, Mr Subsheriff, Martin Cunningham said, as all halted and greeted.

  Long John Fanning made no way for them. He removed his large Henry Clay decisively and his large fierce eyes scowled intelligently over all their faces.

  —Are the conscript fathers pursuing their peaceful deliberations? he said, with rich acrid utterance to the assistant town clerk.

  Hell open to christians they were having, Jimmy Henry said pettishly, about their damned Irish language. Where was the marshal, he wanted to know, to keep order in the council chamber. And old Barlow the macebearer laid up with asthma, no mace on the table, nothing in order, no quorum even and Hutchinson, the lord mayor, in Llandudno and little Lorcan Sherlock doing locum tenens for him. Damned Irish language, of our forefathers.

  Long John Fanning blew a plume of smoke from his

  Martin Cunningham spoke by turns, twirling the peak of his beard, to the assistant town clerk and the subsheriff, while John Wyse Nolan held his peace.

  —What Dignam was that? Long John Fanning asked.

  Jimmy Henry made a grimace and lifted his left foot.

  —O, my corns! he said plaintively. Come upstairs for goodness’ sake till I sit down somewhere. Uff! Ooo! Mind!

  Testily he made room for himself beside Long John Farming’s flank and passed in and up the stairs.

  —Come on up, Martin Cunningham said to the subsheriff. I don’t think you knew him or perhaps you did, though.

  With John Wyse Nolan Mr Power followed them in.

  —Decent little soul he was, Mr Power said to the stalwart back of Long John Fanning ascending towards Long John Fanning in the mirror.

  —Rather lowsized, Dignam of Menton’s office that was, Martin Cunningham said.

  Long John Fanning could not remember him.

  Clatter of horsehoofs sounded from the air.

  —What’s that? Martin Cunningham said.

  All turned where they stood; John Wyse Nolan came down again. From the cool shadow of the doorway he saw the horses pass Parliament street, harness and glossy pasterns in sunlight shimmering. Gaily they went past before his cool unfriendly eyes, not quickly. In saddles of the leaders, leaping leaders, rode outriders.

  —What was it? Martin Cunningham asked, as they went on up the staircase.

  —The lord lieutenant general and general governor of Ireland. John Wyse Nolan answered from the stairfoot.

  As they trod across the thick carpet Buck Mulligan whispered behind his panama to Haines.

  —Parnell’s brother. There in the corner.

  They chose a small table near the window opposite a longfaced man whose beard and gaze hung intently down on a chessboard.

  —Is that he? Haines asked, twisting round in his seat.

  —Yes, Mulligan said. That’s John Howard, his brother, our city marshal.

  John Howard Parnell translated a white bishop quietly and his grey claw went up again to his forehead whereat it rested.

  An instant after, under its screen, his eyes looked q
uickly, ghostbright, at his foe and fell once more upon a working corner.

  —I’ll take a mélange, Haines said to the waitress.

  —Two mélanges, Buck Mulligan said. And bring us some scones and butter and some cakes as well.

  When she had gone he said, laughing:

  —We call it D. B. C. because they have damn bad cakes. O, but you missed Dedalus on Hamlet.

  Haines opened his newbought book.

  —I’m sorry, he said. Shakespeare is the happy huntingground. of all minds that have lost their balance.

  The onelegged sailor growled at the area of 14 Nelson street:

  —England expects …

  Buck Mulligan’s primrose waistcoat shook gaily to his laughter.

  —You should see him, he said, when his body loses its balance. Wandering Ængus I call him.

  —I am sure he has an idée fixe, Haines said, pinching his chin thoughtfully with thumb and forefinger. Now I am speculating what it would be likely to be. Such persons always have.

  Buck Mulligan bent across the table gravely.

  —They drove his wits astray, he said, by visions of hell. He will never capture the Attic note. The note of Swinburne, of all poets, the white death and the ruddy birth. That is his tragedy. He can never be a poet. The joy of creation …

  —Eternal punishment, Haines said, nodding curtly. I see. I tackled him this morning on belief. There was something on his mind, I saw. It’s rather interesting because Professor Pokorny of Vienna makes an interesting point out of that.

  Buck Mulligan’s watchful eyes saw the waitress come. He helped her to unload her tray.

  —He can find no trace of hell in ancient Irish myth, Haines said, amid the cheerful cups. The moral idea seems lacking, the sense of destiny, of retribution. Rather strange he should have just that fixed idea. Does he write anything for your movement?

  He sank two lumps of sugar deftly longwise through the whipped cream. Buck Mulligan slit a steaming scone in two and plastered butter over its smoking pith. He bit off a soft piece hungrily.

  —Ten years, he said, chewing and laughing. He is going to write something in ten years.

  —Seems a long way off, Haines said, thoughtfully lifting his spoon. Still, I shouldn’t wonder if he did after all.

  He tasted a spoonful from the creamy cone of his cup.

  —This is real Irish cream I take it, he said with forbearance. I don’t want to be imposed on.

  Elijah, skiff, light crumpled throwaway, sailed eastward by flanks of ships and trawlers, amid an archipelago of corks, beyond new Wapping street past Benson’s ferry, and by the threemasted schooner Rosevean from Bridgwater with bricks.

  Almidano Artifoni walked past Holles street, past Sewell’s yard. Behind him Cashel Boyle O’Connor Fitzmaurice Tisdall Farrell with stickumbrelladustcoat dangling, shunned the lamp before Mr Law Smith’s house and, crossing, walked along Merrion square. Distantly behind him a bund strippling tapped his way by the wall of College Park.

  Cashel Boyle O’Connor Fitzmaurice Tisdall Farrell walked as far as Mr Lewis Werner’s cheerful windows, then turned and strode back along Merrion square, his stickumbrelladustcoat dangling.

  At the corner of Wilde’s he halted, frowned at Elijah’s name announced on the Metropolitan Hall, frowned at

  the distant pleasance of duke’s lawn. His eyeglass flashed frowning in the sun. With ratsteeth bared he muttered:

  —Coactus volui.

  He strode on for Clare street, grinding his fierce word.

  As he strode past Mr Bloom’s dental windows the sway of his dustcoat brushed rudely from its angle a slender tapping cane and swept onwards, having buffeted a thewless body. The blind stripling turned his sickly face after the striding form.

  —God’s curse on you, he said sourly, whoever you are! You’re blinder nor I am, you bitch’s bastard!

  Opposite Ruggy O’Donohoe’s Master Patrick Aloysius Dignam, pawing the pound and half of Mangan’s, late Fehrenbach’s, porksteaks he had been sent for, went along warm Wicklow street dawdling. It was too blooming dull sitting in the parlour with Mrs Stoer and Mrs Quigley and Mrs MacDowell and the blind down and they all at their sniffles and sipping sups of the superior tawny sherry uncle Barney brought from Tunney’s. And they eating crumbs of the cottage fruit cake jawing the whole blooming time and sighing.

  After Wicklow lane the window of Madame Doyle, court dress milliner, stopped him. He stood looking in at the two puckers stripped to their pelts and putting up their props. From the sidemirrors two mourning Masters Dignam gaped silently. Myler Keogh, Dublin’s pet lamb, will meet sergeantmajor Bennett, the Portobello bruiser, for a purse of fifty sovereigns, God, that’d be a good pucking match to see. Myler Keogh, that’s the chap sparring out to him with the green sash. Two bar entrance, soldiers half price. I could easy do a bunk on ma. Master Dignam on his left turned as he turned. That’s me in mourning. When is it? May the twenty-second. Sure, the blooming thing is all over. He turned to the right and on his right Master Dignam turned, his cap awry, his collar sticking up. Buttoning it down, his chin lifted, he saw the image of Marie Kendall, charming soubrette, beside the two puckers. One of them mots that do be in the packets of fags Stoer smokes that his old fellow welted hell out of him for one time he found out.

  Master Dignam got his collar down and dawdled on. The best pucker going for strength was Fitzsimons. One puck in the wind from that fellow would knock you into the middle of next week, man. But the best pucker for science was Jem Corbet before Fitzsimons knocked the stuffings out of him, dodging and all.

  In Grafton street Master Dignam saw a red flower in a toff’s mouth and a swell pair of kicks on him and he listening to what the drunk was telling him and grinning all the time.

  No Sandymount tram.

  Master Dignam walked along Nassau street, shifted the porksteaks to his other hand. His collar sprang up again and he tugged it down. The blooming stud was too small for the buttonhole of the shirt, blooming end to it. He met schoolboys with satchels. I’m not going tomorrow either, stay away till Monday. He met other schoolboys. Do they notice I’m in mourning? Uncle Barney said he’d get it into the paper tonight. Then they’ll all see it in the paper and read my name printed and pa’s name.

  His face got all grey instead of being red like it was and there was a fly walking over it up to his eye. The scrunch that was when they were screwing the screws into the coffin: and the bumps when they were bringing it downstairs.

  Pa was inside it and ma crying in the parlour and uncle Barney telling the men how to get it round the bend. A big coffin it was, and high and heavylooking. How was that? The last night pa was boosed he was standing on the landing there bawling out for his boots to go out to Tunney’s for to boose more and he looked butty and short in his shirt. Never see him again. Death, that is. Pa is dead. My father is dead. He told me to be a good son to ma. I couldn’t hear the other things he said but I saw his tongue and his teeth trying to say it better. Poor pa. That was Mr Dignam, my father. I hope he is in purgatory now because he went to confession to father Conroy on Saturday night.

  William Humble, earl of Dudley, and Lady Dudley, accompanied by lieutenantcolonel Hesseltine, drove out after luncheon from the viceregal lodge. In the following carriage were the honourable Mrs Paget, Miss de Courcy and the honourable Gerald Ward, A. D. C. in attendance.

  The cavalcade passed out by the lower gate of Phœnix Park saluted by obsequious policemen and proceeded past Kingsbridge along the northern quays. The viceroy was most cordially greeted on his way through the metropolis. At Bloody bridge Mr Thomas Kernan beyond the river greeted him vainly from afar. Between Queen’s and Whitworth bridges Lord Dudley’s viceregal carriages passed and were unsaluted by Mr Dudley White, B. L., M. A., who stood on Arran Quay outside Mrs M. E. White’s, the pawnbroker’s, at the corner of Arran street west stroking his nose with his forefinger, undecided whether he should arrive at Phibsborough more quickly by a triple change of tram or by hailing
a car or on foot through Smithfield, Constitutionhill and Broad-stone terminus. In the porch of Four Courts Richie Goulding with the costsbag of Goulding, Collis and Ward saw him with surprise. Past Richmond bridge at the doorstep of the office of Reuben J. Dodd, solicitor, agent for the Patriotic Insurance Company, an elderly female about to enter changed her plan and retracing her steps by King’s windows smiled credulously on the representative of His Majesty. From its sluice in Wood quay wall under Tom Devan’s office Poddle river hung out in fealty a tongue of liquid sewage. Above the crossblind of the Ormond Hotel, gold by bronze, Miss Kennedy’s head by Miss Douce’s head watched and admired. On Ormond quay Mr Simon Dedalus, steering his way from the greenhouse for the sub-sheriff’s office, stood still in midstreet and brought his hat low. His Excellency graciously returned Mr Dedalus’ greeting. From Cahill’s corner the reverend Hugh C. Love, M. A., made obeisance unperceived, mindful of lords deputies whose hands benignant had held of yore rich advowsons. On Grattan bridge Lenehan and M’Coy, taking leave of each other, watched the carriages go by. Passing by Roger Greene’s office and Dollard’s big red printing house Gerty MacDowell, carrying the Catesby’s cork lino letters for her father who was laid up, knew by the style it was the lord and lady lieutenant but she couldn’t see what Her Excellency had on because the tram and Spring’s big yellow furniture van had to stop in front of her on account of its being the lord lieutenant.

  Beyond Lundy Foot’s from the shaded door of Kavanagh’s winerooms John Wyse Nolan smiled with unseen coldness towards the lord lieutenantgeneral and general governor of Ireland. The Right Honourable William Humble, earl of Dudley, G. C. V. O., passed Micky Anderson’s all times ticking watches and Henry and James’s wax smartsuited freshcheeked models, the gentleman Henry, dernier cri James. Over against Dame gate Tom Rochford and Nosey Flynn watched the approach of the cavalcade. Tom Rochford, seeing the eyes of lady Dudley on him, took his thumbs quickly out of the pockets of his claret waistcoat and doffed his cap to her. A charming soubrette, great Marie Kendall, with dauby cheeks and lifted skirt, smiled daubily from her poster upon William Humble, earl of Dudley, and upon lieutenantcolonel H. G. Hesseltine and also upon the honourable Gerald Ward A. D. C., From the window of the D. B. C. Buck Mulligan gaily, and Haines gravely, gazed down on the viceregal equipage over the shoulders of eager guests, whose mass of forms darkened the chessboard whereon John Howard Farnell looked intently. In Fownes’s street, Dilly Dedalus, straining her sight upward from Chardenal’s first French primer, saw sunshades spanned and wheelspokes spinning in the glare. John Henry Menton, filling the doorway of Commercial Buildings, stared from winebig oyster eyes, holding a fat gold hunter watch not looked at in his fat left hand not feeling it. Where the foreleg of King Billy’s horse pawed the air Mrs Breen plucked her hastening husband back from under the hoofs of the outriders. She shouted in his ear the tidings. Understanding, he shifted his tomes to his left breast and saluted the second carriage. The honourable Gerald Ward A. D. C, agreeably surprised, made haste to reply. At Ponsonby’s corner a jaded white flagon H. halted and four tallhatted white flagons halted behind him, E. L. Y.’S., while outriders pranced past and carriages. Opposite Pigott’s music warerooms Mr Denis J. Maginni professor of dancing &c, gaily apparelled, gravely walked, outpassed by a viceroy and unobserved. By the provost’s wall came jauntily Blazes Boylan, stepping in tan shoes and socks with skyblue clocks to the refrain of My girl’s a Yorkshire girl.