第103章

(Afirmheelclackingisheardonthestairs。)

BLOOM(Takesthechocolate。)Aphrodisiac？ButIthoughtit。Vanillacalmsor？Mnemo。Confusedlightconfusesmemory。Redinfluenceslupus。

Coloursaffectwomen’scharacters，anytheyhave。Thisblackmakesmesad。

Eatandbemerryfortomorrow。(Heeats。)Influencetastetoo，mauve。

ButitissolongsinceI。Seemsnew。Aphro。Thatpriest。Mustcome。Betterlatethannever。TrytrufflesatAndrews。

(Thedooropens。BellaCohen，amassivewhoremistressenters。Sheisdressedinathreequarterivorygown，fringedroundthehemwithtasselledselvedge，andcoolsherselfflirtingablackhornfanlikeMinnieHauckinCarmen。Onherlefthandareweddingandkeeperrings。Hereyesaredeeplycarboned。Shehasasproutingmoustache。Herolivefaceisheavy，slightlysweatedandfullnosed，withorangetaintednostrils。Shehaslacependantberyleardrops。)

BELLAMyword！I’mallofamucksweat。

(Sheglancesaroundheratthecouples。ThenhereyesrestonBloomwithhardinsistence。Herlacefanwinnowswindtowardsherheatedface，neckandembonpoint。Herfalconeyesglitter。)

THEFAN(Flirtingquickly，thenslowly。)Married，Isee。

BLOOMYes……Partly，Ihavemislaid。

THEFAN(Halfopening，thenclosing。)Andthemissusismaster。

Petticoatgovernment。

BLOOM(Looksdownwithasheepishgrin。)Thatisso。

THEFAN(Foldingtogether，restsagainsthereardrop。)Haveyouforgottenme？

BLOOMYes。No。

THEFAN(Foldedakimboagainstherwaist。)Ismeherwasyoudreamedbefore？Wasthenshehimyouussinceknew？Amallthemandthesamenowwe？(Bellaapproaches，gentlytappingwiththefan。)

BLOOM(Wincing。)Powerfulbeing。Inmyeyesreadthatslumberwhichwomenlove。

THEFAN(Tapping。)Wehavemet。Youaremine。Itisfate。

BLOOM(Cowed。)Exuberantfemale。EnormouslyIdesiderateyourdomination。Iamexhausted，abandoned，nomoreyoung。Istand，sotospeak，withanunpostedletterbearingtheextraregulationfeebeforethetoolateboxofthegeneralpostofficeofhumanlife。Thedoorandwindowopenatarightanglecauseadraughtofthirtytwofeetpersecondaccordingtothelawoffallingbodies。Ihavefeltthisinstantatwingeofsciaticainmyleftglutearmuscle。Itrunsinourfamily。Poordearpapa，awidower，wasaregularbarometerfromit。Hebelievedinanimalheat。Askinoftabbylinedhiswinterwaistcoat。Neartheend，rememberingkingDavidandtheSunamite，hesharedhisbedwithAthos，faithfulafterdeath。A

dog’sspittle，asyouprobably……(Hewinces。)Ah！

RICHIEGOULDING(Bagweighted，passesthedoor。)Mockingiscatch。

BestvalueinDub。Fitforaprince’sliverandkidney。

THEFAN(Tapping。)Allthingsend。Bemine。Now。

BLOOM(Undecided。)Allnow？Ishouldnothavepartedwithmytalisman。Rain，exposureatdewfallonthesearocks，apeccadilloatmytimeoflife。Everyphenomenonhasanaturalcause。

THEFAN(Pointsdownwardsslowly。)Youmay。

BLOOM(Looksdownwardsandperceivesherunfastenedbootlace。

)Weareobserved。

THEFAN(Pointsdownwardsquickly。)Youmust。

BLOOM(Withdesire，withreluctance。)Icanmakeatrueblackknot。LearnedwhenIservedmytimeandworkedthemailorderlineforKellet’s。Experiencedhand。Everyknotsaysalot。Letme。Incourtesy。

Ikneltoncebeforetoday。Ah！

(Bellaraiseshergownslightlyand，steadyingherpose，liftstotheedgeofachairaplumpbuskinedhoofandafullpastern，silksocked。

Bloom，stiffleggedageing，bendsoverherhoofandwithgentlefingersdrawsoutandinherlaces。)

BLOOM(Murmurslovingly。)TobeashoefitterinMansfield’swasmylove’syoungdream，thedarlingjoysofsweetbuttonhooking，tolaceupcrisscrossedtokneelengththedressykidfootwearsatinlined，soincrediblysmall，ofClydeRoadladies。EventheirwaxmodelRaymondeIvisiteddailytoadmirehercobwebhoseandstickofrhubarbtoe，asworninParis。

THEHOOFSmellmyhotgoathide。Feelmyroyalweight。

BLOOM(Crosslacing。)Tootight？

THEHOOFIfyoubungle，HandyAndy，I’llkickyourfootballforyou。

BLOOMNottolacethewrongeyeletasIdidthenightofthebazaardance。Badluck。Nookinwrongtache