Улисс
Chapter 1
Inanycasethatwasveryancienthistorybynowandasforourfriend,thepseudoSkin-the-etcetera,hehadtransparentlyoutlivedhiswelcome.Heoughttohaveeitherdiednaturallyoronthescaffoldhigh.Likeactresses,alwaysfarewellpositivelylastperformancethencomeupsmilingagain.Generoustoafaultofcourse,temperamental,noeconomisingoranyideaofthesort,alwayssnappingatthebonefortheshadow.SosimilarlyhehadaveryshrewdsuspicionthatMrJohnnyLevergotridofsome£.s.d.inthecourseofhisperambulationsroundthedocksinthecongenialatmosphereoftheOldIrelandtavern,comebacktoErinandsoon.ThenasfortheotherhehadheardnotsolongbeforethesameidenticallingoashetoldStephenhowhesimplybuteffectuallysilencedtheoffender.
—Hetookumbrageatsomethingorother,thatmuchinjuredbutonthewholeeventemperedpersondeclared,Iletslip.Hecalledmeajewandinaheatedfashionoffensively.SoIwithoutdeviatingfromplainfactsintheleasttoldhimhisGod,ImeanChrist,wasajewtooandallhisfamilylikemethoughinrealityI’mnot.Thatwasoneforhim.Asoftanswerturnsawaywrath.Hehadn’tawordtosayforhimselfaseveryonesaw.AmInotright?
HeturnedalongyouarewronggazeonStephenoftimorousdarkprideatthesoftimpeachmentwithaglancealsoofentreatyforheseemedtogleaninakindofawaythatitwasn’tallexactly.
—Exquibus,Stephenmumbledinanoncommittalaccent,theirtwoorfoureyesconversing,ChristusorBloomhisnameisorafterallanyother,secundumcarnem.
—Ofcourse,MrB.
