Портрет художника в юності

           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.