第5章

No，sir。

Uglyandfutile：leanneckandtangledhairandastainofink，asnail’sbed。Yetsomeonehadlovedhim，bornehiminherarmsandinherheart。

Butforhertheraceoftheworldwouldhavetrampledhimunderfoot，asquashedbonelesssnail。Shehadlovedhisweakwateryblooddrainedfromherown。Wasthatthenreal？Theonlytruethinginlife？Hismother’sprostratebodythefieryColumbanusinholyzealbestrode。Shewasnomore：

thetremblingskeletonofatwigburntinthefire，anodourofrosewoodandwettedashes。Shehadsavedhimfrombeingtrampledunderfootandhadgone，scarcelyhavingbeen。Apoorsoulgonetoheaven：andonaheathbeneathwinkingstarsafox，redreekofrapineinhisfur，withmercilessbrighteyesscrapedintheearth，listened，scrapeduptheearth，listened，scrapedandscraped。

SittingathissideStephensolvedouttheproblem。HeprovesbyalgebrathatShakespeare’sghostisHamlet’sgrandfather。Sargentpeeredaskancethroughhisslantedglasses。Hockeysticksrattledinthelumberroom：thehollowknockofaballandcallsfromthefield。

Acrossthepagethesymbolsmovedingravemorrice，inthemummeryoftheirletters，wearingquaintcapsofsquaresandcubes。Givehands，traverse，bowtopartner：so：impsoffancyoftheMoors。Gonetoofromtheworld，AverroesandMosesMaimonides，darkmeninmienandmovement，flashingintheirmockingmirrorstheobscuresouloftheworld，adarknessshininginbrightnesswhichbrightnesscouldnotcomprehend。

Doyouunderstandnow？Canyouworkthesecondforyourself？

Yes，sir。

InlongshadystrokesSargentcopiedthedata。Waitingalwaysforawordofhelphishandmovedfaithfullytheunsteadysymbols，afainthueofshameflickeringbehindhisdullskin。Amormatris：subjectiveandobjectivegenitive。Withherweakbloodandwheysourmilkshehadfedhimandhidfromsightofothershisswaddlingbands。

LikehimwasI，theseslopingshoulders，thisgracelessness。Mychildhoodbendsbesideme。Toofarformetolayahandthereonceorlightly。Mineisfarandhissecretasoureyes。Secrets，silent，stonysitinthedarkpalacesofbothourhearts：secretswearyoftheirtyranny：tyrantswillingtobedethroned。

Thesumwasdone。

Itisverysimple，Stephensaidashestoodup。

Yes，sir。Thanks，Sargentanswered。

Hedriedthepagewithasheetofthinblottingpaperandcarriedhiscopybookbacktohisdesk。

Youhadbettergetyourstickandgoouttotheothers，Stephensaidashefollowedtowardsthedoortheboy’sgracelessform。

Yes，sir。

Inthecorridorhisnamewasheard，calledfromtheplayfield。

Sargent！

Runon，Stephensaid。MrDeasyiscallingyou。

Hestoodintheporchandwatchedthelaggardhurrytowardsthescrappyfieldwheresharpvoiceswereinstrife。TheyweresortedinteamsandMrDeasycamesteppingoverwispsofgrasswithgaiteredfeet。Whenhehadreachedtheschoolhousevoicesagaincontendingcalledtohim。Heturnedhisangrywhitemoustache。

Whatisitnow？hecriedcontinuallywithoutlistening。

CochraneandHallidayareonthesameside，sir，Stephencried。

Willyouwaitinmystudyforamoment，MrDeasysaid，tillIrestoreorderhere。

Andashesteppedfussilybackacrossthefieldhisoldman’svoicecriedsternly：

Whatisthematter？Whatisitnow？

Theirsharpvoicescriedabouthimonallsides：theirmanyformsclosedroundhim，thegarishsunshinebleachingthehoneyofhisilldyedhead。

Stalesmokyairhunginthestudywiththesmellofdrababradedleatherofitschairs。Asonthefirstdayhebargainedwithmehere。Asitwasinthebeginning，isnow。OnthesideboardthetrayofStuartcoins，basetreasureofabog：andevershallbe。Andsnugintheirspooncaseofpurpleplush，faded，thetwelveapostleshavingpreachedtoallthegentiles：

worldwithoutend。

Ahastystepoverthestoneporchandinthecorridor。BlowingouthisraremoustacheMrDeasyhaltedatthetable。

First，ourlittlefinancialsettlement，hesaid。

Hebroughtoutofhiscoatapocketbookboundbyaleatherthong。Itslappedopenandhetookfromittwonotes，oneofjoinedhalves，andlaidthemcarefullyonthetable。

Two，hesaid，strappingandstowinghispocketbookaway。

Andnowhisstrongroomforthegold。Stephen’sembarrassedhandmovedovertheshellsheapedinthecoldstonemortar：whelksandmoney，cowriesandleopardshells：andthis，whorledasanemir’sturban，andthis，thescallopofSaintJames。Anoldpilgrim’shoard，deadtreasure，hollowshells。

Asovereignfell，brightandnew，onthesoftpileofthetablecloth。

Three，MrDeasysaid，turninghislittlesavingsboxaboutinhishand。Thesearehandythingstohave。See。Thisisforsovereigns。Thisisforshillings，sixpences，halfcrowns。Andherecrowns。See。

Heshotfromittwocrownsandtwoshillings。

Threetwelve，hesaid。Ithinkyou’llfindthat’sright。

Thankyou，sir，Stephensaid，gatheringthemoneytogetherwithshyhasteandputtingitallinapocketofhistrousers。

Nothanksatall，MrDeasysaid。Youhaveearnedit。

Stephen’shand，freeagain，wentbacktothehollowshells。Symbolstooofbeautyandofpower。Alumpinmypocket。Symbolssoiledbygreedandmisery。

Don’tcarryitlikethat，MrDeasysaid。You’llpullitoutsomewhereandloseit。Youjustbuyoneofthesemachines。You’llfindthemveryhandy。

Answersomething。

Minewouldbeoftenempty，Stephensaid。

Thesameroomandhour，thesamewisdom：andIthesame。Threetimesnow。Threenoosesroundmehere。Well。IcanbreaktheminthisinstantifIwill。

Becauseyoudon’tsave，MrDeasysaid，pointinghisfinger。Youdon’tknowyetwhatmoneyis。Moneyispower，whenyouhavelivedaslongasIhave。Iknow，Iknow。Ifyouthbutknew。ButwhatdoesShakespearesay？Putbutmoneyinthypurse。

Iago，Stephenmurmured。

Heliftedhisgazefromtheidleshellstotheoldman’sstare。

Heknewwhatmoneywas，MrDeasysaid。Hemademoney。ApoetbutanEnglishmantoo。DoyouknowwhatistheprideoftheEnglish？DoyouknowwhatistheproudestwordyouwilleverhearfromanEnglishman’smouth？

Theseas’ruler。Hisseacoldeyeslookedontheemptybay：historyistoblame：onmeandonmywords，unhating。

Thatonhisempire，Stephensaid，thesunneversets。

Ba！MrDeasycried。That’snotEnglish。AFrenchCeltsaidthat。

Hetappedhissavingsboxagainsthisthumbnail。

Iwilltellyou，hesaidsolemnly，whatishisproudestboast。I

paidmyway。

Goodman，goodman。

Ipaidmyway。Ineverborrowedashillinginmylife。Canyoufeelthat？Iowenothing。Canyou？

Mulligan，ninepounds，threepairsofsocks，onepairbrogues，ties。

Curran，tenguineas。McCann，oneguinea。FredRyan，twoshillings。Temple，twolunches。Russell，oneguinea，Cousins，tenshillings，BobReynolds，halfaguinea，Kohler，threeguineas，MrsMcKernan，fiveweeks’board。

ThelumpIhaveisuseless。

Forthemoment，no，Stephenanswered。

MrDeasylaughedwithrichdelight，puttingbackhissavingsbox。

Iknewyoucouldn’t，hesaidjoyously。Butonedayyoumustfeelit。Weareagenerouspeoplebutwemustalsobejust。

Ifearthosebigwords，Stephensaid，whichmakeussounhappy。

MrDeasystaredsternlyforsomemomentsoverthemantelpieceattheshapelybulkofamanintartanfillibegs：AlbertEdward，PrinceofWales。

Youthinkmeanoldfogeyandanoldtory，histhoughtfulvoicesaid。

IsawthreegenerationssinceO’Connell’stime。Irememberthefamine。

DoyouknowthattheorangelodgesagitatedforrepealoftheuniontwentyyearsbeforeO’Connelldidorbeforetheprelatesofyourcommuniondenouncedhimasademagogue？Youfeniansforgetsomethings。

Glorious，piousandimmortalmemory。ThelodgeofDiamondinArmaghthesplendidbehungwithcorpsesofpapishes。Hoarse，maskedandarmed，theplanters’covenant。Theblacknorthandtruebluebible。Croppiesliedown。

Stephensketchedabriefgesture。

Ihaverebelbloodinmetoo，MrDeasysaid。Onthespindleside。

ButIamdescendedfromsirJohnBlackwoodwhovotedfortheunion。WeareallIrish，allkings’sons。

Alas，Stephensaid。

Perviasrectas，MrDeasysaidfirmly，washismotto。HevotedforitandputonhistopbootstoridetoDublinfromtheArdsofDowntodoso。LaltheraltheraTherockyroadtoDublin。Agruffsquireonhorsebackwithshinytopboots。Softday，sirJohn。Softday，yourhonour……Day……Day……TwotopbootsjogdanglingontoDublin。

Laltheralthera，laltheraltheraddy。

Thatremindsme，MrDeasysaid。Youcandomeafavour，MrDedalus，withsomeofyourliteraryfriends：Ihavealetterhereforthepress。

Sitdownamoment。Ihavejusttocopytheend。

Hewenttothedesknearthewindow，pulledinhischairtwiceandreadoffsomewordsfromthesheetonthedrumofhistypewriter。

Sitdown。Excuseme，hesaidoverhisshoulder，thedictatesofcommonsense。Justamoment。

Hepeeredfromunderhisshaggybrowsatthemanuscriptbyhiselbowand，muttering，begantoprodthestiffbuttonsofthekeyboardslowly，sometimesblowingashescrewedupthedrumtoeraseanerror。

Stephenseatedhimselfnoiselesslybeforetheprincelypresence。Framedaroundthewallsimagesofvanishedhorsesstoodinhomage，theirmeekheadspoisedinair：lordHastings’Repulse，thedukeofWestminster’sShotover，thedukeofBeaufort’sCeylon，prixdeParis，1866。Elfinriderssatthem，watchfulofasign。Hesawtheirspeeds，backingKing’scolours，andshoutedwiththeshoutsofvanishedcrowds。

Fullstop，MrDeasybadehiskeys。Butpromptventilationofthisimportantquestion……

WhereCranlyledmetogetrichquick，huntinghiswinnersamongthemudsplashedbrakes，amidthebawlsofbookiesontheirpitchesandreekofthecanteen，overthemotleyslush。EvenmoneyFairRebel：tentoonethefield。Dicersandthimbleriggerswehurriedbyafterthehoofs，thevyingcapsandjacketsandpastthemeatfacedwoman，abutcher’sdame，nuzzlingthirstilyhercloveoforange。

Shoutsrangshrillfromtheboys’playfieldandawhirringwhistle。

Again：agoal。Iamamongthem，amongtheirbattlingbodiesinamedley，thejoustoflife。Youmeanthatknockkneedmother’sdarlingwhoseemstobeslightlycrawsick？Jousts。Timeshockedrebounds，shockbyshock。

Jousts，slushanduproarofbattles，thefrozendeathspewoftheslain，ashoutofspearspikesbaitedwithmen’sbloodiedguts。

Nowthen，MrDeasysaid，rising。

Hecametothetable，pinningtogetherhissheets。Stephenstoodup。

Ihaveputthematterintoanutshell，MrDeasysaid。It’saboutthefootandmouthdisease。Justlookthroughit。Therecanbenotwoopinionsonthematter。

MayItrespassonyourvaluablespace。Thatdoctrineoflaissezfairewhichsoofteninourhistory。Ourcattletrade。Thewayofallouroldindustries。LiverpoolringwhichjockeyedtheGalwayharbourscheme。Europeanconflagration。Grainsuppliesthroughthenarrowwatersofthechannel。

Thepluterperfectimperturbabilityofthedepartmentofagriculture。Pardonedaclassicalallusion。Cassandra。Byawomanwhowasnobetterthansheshouldbe。Tocometothepointatissue。

Idon’tmincewords，doI？MrDeasyaskedasStephenreadon。

Footandmouthdisease。KnownasKoch’spreparation。Serumandvirus。

Percentageofsaltedhorses。Rinderpest。Emperor’shorsesatMü；rzsteg，lowerAustria。Veterinarysurgeons。MrHenryBlackwoodPrice。Courteousofferafairtrial，Dictatesofcommonsense。Allimportantquestion。Ineverysenseofthewordtakethebullbythehorns。Thankingyouforthehospitalityofyourcolumns。