第63章

Didn’tlookbackwhenshewasgoingdownthestrand。Wouldn’tgivethatsatisfaction。Thosegirls，thosegirls，thoselovelyseasidegirls。Fineeyesshehad，clear。It’sthewhiteoftheeyebringsthatoutnotsomuchthepupil。DidsheknowwhatI？Course。Likeacatsittingbeyondadog’sjump。WomennevermeetonelikethatWilkinsinthehighschooldrawingapictureofVenuswithallhisbelongingsonshow。Callthatinnocence？

Pooridiot！Hiswifehasherworkcutoutforher。NeverseethemsitonabenchmarkedWetPaint。Eyesalloverthem。Lookunderthebedforwhat’snotthere。Longingtogetthefrightoftheirlives。Sharpasneedlestheyare。WhenIsaidtoMollythemanatthecornerofCuffestreetwasgoodlooking，thoughtshemightlike，twiggedatoncehehadafalsearm。Hadtoo。Wheredotheygetthat？TypistgoingupRogerGreene’sstairstwoatatimetoshowherunderstandings。Handeddownfromfathertomothertodaughter，Imean。Bredinthebone。Millyforexampledryingherhandkerchiefonthemirrortosavetheironing。Bestplaceforanadtocatchawoman’seyeonamirror。AndwhenIsentherforMolly’sPaisleyshawltoPresscott’s，bythewaythatadImust，carryinghomethechangeinherstocking。Cleverlittleminx！Inevertoldher。Neatwayshecarriedparcelstoo。Attractmen，smallthinglikethat。Holdingupherhand，shakingit，toletthebloodflowbackwhenitwasred。Whodidyoulearnthatfrom？Nobody。Somethingthenursetaughtme。O，don’ttheyknow？ThreeyearsoldshewasinfrontofMolly’sdressingtablejustbeforeweleftLombardstreetwest。Mehaveaniceface。Mullingar。Whoknows？Waysoftheworld。Youngstudent。Straightonherpinsanywaynotliketheother。Stillshewasgame。Lord，Iamwet。

Devilyouare。Swellofhercalf。Transparentstockings，stretchedtobreakingpoint。Notlikethatfrumptoday。A。E。Rumpledstockings。OrtheoneinGraftonstreet。White。Wow！Beeftotheheel。

Amonkeypuzzlerocketburst，splutteringindartingcrackles。Zradsandzrads，zrads，zrads。AndCissyandTommyranouttoseeandEdyafterwiththepushcarandthenGertybeyondthecurveoftherocks。Willshe？

Watch！Watch！See！Lookedround。Shesmeltanonion。Darling，Isawyour。

Isawall。

Lord！

Didmegoodallthesame。OffcolourafterKiernan’s，Dignam’s。Forthisreliefmuchthanks。InHamlet，thatis。Lord！Itwasallthingscombined。Excitement。Whensheleanedbackfeltanacheatthebuttofmytongue。Yourheaditsimplyswirls。He’sright。Mighthavemadeaworsefoolofmyselfhowever。Insteadoftalkingaboutnothing。ThenIwilltellyouall。Stillitwasakindoflanguagebetweenus。Itcouldn’tbe？No，Gertytheycalledher。MightbefalsenamehoweverlikemyandtheaddressDolphin’sbarnablind。HermaidennamewasJeminaBrownAndshelivedwithhermotherinIrishtown。PlacemademethinkofthatIsuppose。Alltarredwiththesamebrush。

Wipingpensintheirstockings。Buttheballrolleddowntoherasifitunderstood。Everybullethasitsbillet。CourseInevercouldthrowanythingstraightatschool。Crookedasaram’shorn。Sadhoweverbecauseitlastsonlyafewyearstilltheysettledowntopotwallopingandpapa’spantswillsoonfitWillyandfullers’earthforthebabywhentheyholdhimouttodoah。Nosoftjob。Savesthem。Keepsthemoutofharm’sway。Nature。

Washingchild，washingcorpse。Dignam。Children’shandsalwaysroundthem。

Cocoa-nutskulls，monkeys，notevenclosedatfirst，sourmilkintheirswaddlesandtaintedcurds。Oughtn’ttohavegiventhatchildanemptyteattosuck。Fillitupwithwind。MrsBeaufoy，Purefoy。Mustcalltothehospital。WonderisnurseCallantherestill。SheusedtolookoversomenightswhenMollywasintheCoffeePalace。ThatyoungdoctorO’HareInoticedherbrushinghiscoat。And，MrsBreenandMrsDignamoncelikethattoo，marriageable。WorstofallatnightMrsDuggantoldmeintheCityArms。Husbandrollingindrunk，stinkofpuboffhimlikeapolecat。

Havethatinyournoseinthedark，whiffofstaleboose。Thenaskinthemorning：wasIdrunklastnight？Badpolicyhowevertofaultthehusband。

Chickenscomehometoroost。Theystickbyoneanotherlikeglue。Maybethewomen’sfaultalso。That’swhereMollycanknockspotsoffthem。Itisthebloodofthesouth。Moorish。Alsotheform，thefigure。Handsfeltfortheopulent。Justcompareforinstancethoseothers。Wifelockedupathome，skeletoninthecupboard。Allowmetointroducemy。Thentheytrotyououtsomekindofanondescript，wouldn’tknowwhattocallher。

Alwayss