Портрет художника в юності
Chapter 5
Theplatinoidwireisinsulatedandthecoveringofsilkthatinsulatesitiswoundontheebonitebobbinsjustwheremyfingeris.Ifitwerewoundsingleanextracurrentwouldbeinducedinthecoils.Thebobbinsaresaturatedinhotparaffinwax
AsharpUlstervoicesaidfromthebenchbelowStephen:
—Arewelikelytobeaskedquestionsonappliedscience?
Theprofessorbegantojugglegravelywiththetermspurescienceandappliedscience.Aheavy-builtstudent,wearinggoldspectacles,staredwithsomewonderatthequestioner.Moynihanmurmuredfrombehindinhisnaturalvoice:
—Isn’tMacAlisteradevilforhispoundofflesh?
StephenlookedcoldlyontheoblongSkullbeneathhimovergrownwithtangledtwine-colouredhair.Thevoice,theaccent,themindofthequestioneroffendedhimandheallowedtheoffencetocarryhimtowardswilfulunkindness,biddinghismindthinkthatthestudent’sfatherwouldhavedonebetterhadhesenthissontoBelfasttostudyandhavesavedsomethingonthetrainfarebysodoing.
Theoblongskullbeneathdidnotturntomeetthisshaftofthoughtandyettheshaftcamebacktoitsbowstring;forhesawinamomentthestudent’swhey-paleface.
—Thatthoughtisnotmine,hesaidtohimselfquickly.ItcamefromthecomicIrishmaninthebenchbehind.Patience.
