Портрет художника в юности
Chapter 5
Itwasthelamphewrotehisphilosophicaldissertationsby.YouknowEpictetus?
—Anoldgentleman,saidStephencoarsely,whosaidthatthesoulisverylikeabucketfulofwater.
—Hetellsusinhishomelyway,thedeanwenton,thatheputanironlampbeforeastatueofoneofthegodsandthatathiefstolethelamp.Whatdidthephilosopherdo?Hereflectedthatitwasinthecharacterofathieftostealanddeterminedtobuyanearthenlampnextdayinsteadoftheironlamp.
Asmellofmoltentallowcameupfromthedean’scandlebuttsandfuseditselfinStephen’sconsciousnesswiththejingleofthewords,bucketandlampandlampandbucket.Thepriest’svoice,too,hadahardjinglingtone.Stephen’smindhaltedbyinstinct,checkedbythestrangetoneandtheimageryandbythepriest’sfacewhichseemedlikeanunlitlamporareflectorhunginafalsefocus.Whatlaybehinditorwithinit?Adulltorporofthesoulorthedullnessofthethundercloud,chargedwithintellectionandcapableofthegloomofGod?
—Imeantadifferentkindoflamp,sir,saidStephen.
—Undoubtedly,saidthedean.
—Onedifficulty,saidStephen,inestheticdiscussionistoknowwhetherwordsarebeingusedaccordingtotheliterarytraditionoraccordingtothetraditionofthemarketplace.IrememberasentenceofNewman’sinwhichhesaysoftheBlessedVirginthatshewasdetainedinthefullcompanyofthesaints.