第106章

BLOOM(Gently。)Givemebackthatpotato，willyou？ZoeForfeits，afinethingandasuperfinething。

BLOOM(Withfeeling。)Itisnothing，butstillarelicofpoormamma。

ZOEGiveathingandtakeitbackGod’llaskyouwhereisthatYou’llsayyoudon’tknowGod’llsendyoudownbelow。BLOOMThereisamemoryattachedtoit。Ishouldliketohaveit。

STEPHENTohaveornottohave，thatisthequestion。

ZOEHere。(Shehaulsupareefofherslip，revealingherbarethighandunrollsthepotatofromthetopofherstocking。)Thosethathidesknowswheretofind。

BELLA(Frowns。)Here。Thisisn’tamusicalpeepshow。Anddon’tyousmashthatpiano。Who’spayinghere？

(Shegoestothepianola。Stephenfumblesinhispocketand，takingoutabanknotebyitscorner，handsittoher。)

STEPHEN(Withexaggeratedpoliteness。)ThissilkenpurseImadeoutofthesow’searofthepublic。Madam，excuseme。Ifyouallowme。

(HeindicatesvaguelyLynchandBloom。)Weareallinthesamesweepstake，KinchandLynch。Danscebordeloù；tenonsnostreé；tat。

LYNCH(Callsfromthehearth。)Dedalus！Giveheryourblessingforme。

STEPHEN(HandsBellaacoin。)Gold。Shehasit。

BELLA(Looksatthemoney，thenatZoe，FlorryandKitty。)Doyouwantthreegirls？It’stenshillingshere。

STEPHEN(Delightedly。)Ahundredthousandapologies。(Hefumblesagainandtakesoutandhandshertwocrowns。)Permit，brevimanu，mysightissomewhattroubled。

(BellagoestothetabletocountthemoneywhileStephentalkstohimselfinmonosyllables。Zoeboundsovertothetable。KittyleansoverZoe’sneck。Lynchgetsup，rightshiscapand，claspingKitty’swaist，addshisheadtothegroup。)

FLORRY(Strivesheavilytorise。)Ow！Myfoot’sasleep。(Shelimpsovertothetable。Bloomapproaches。)

BELLA，ZOE。KITTY，LYNCH，BLOOM(Chatteringandsquabbling。)

Thegentleman……tenshillings……payingforthethreeallowmeamoment……

thisgentlemanpaysseparatewho’stouchingit？……ow……mindwhoyou’repinching……areyoustayingthenightorashorttime？whodid？……you’realiar，excuseme……thegentlemanpaiddownlikeagentleman……drink……

it’slongaftereleven。

STEPHEN(Atthepianola，makingagestureofabhorrence。)Nobottles！What，eleven？Ariddle。

ZOE(Liftingupherpettigownandfoldingahalfsovereignintothetopofherstocking。)Hardearnedontheflatofmyback。

LYNCH(LiftingKittyfromthetable。)Come！

KITTYWait。(Sheclutchesthetwocrowns。)

FLORRYAndme？

LYNCHHoopla！(Heliftshercarriesherandbumpsherdownonthesofa。)

STEPHENThefoxcrew，thecocksflew，ThebellsinheavenWerestrikingeleven。’TistimeforherpoorsoulTogetoutofheaven。

BLOOM(QuietlylaysahalfsovereignonthetablebetweenBellaandFlorry。)So。Allowme。(Hetakesupthepoundnote。)Threetimesten。We’resquare。

BELLA(Admiringly。)You’resuchaslyboots，oldcocky。Icouldkissyou。

ZOE(Points。)Hum？Deepasadrawwell。(LynchbendsKittybackoverthesofaandkissesher。BloomgoeswiththepoundnotetoStephen。)

BLOOMThisisyours。

STEPHENHowisthat？Ledistraitorabsentmindedbeggar。(Hefumblesagaininhispocketanddrawsoutahandfulofcoins。Anobjectfalls。)Thatfell。

BLOOM(Stooping，picksupandhandsaboxofmatches。)This。

STEPHENLucifer。Thanks。

BLOOM(Quietly。)Youhadbetterhandoverthatcashtometotakecareof。Whypaymore？

STEPHEN(Handshimallhiscoins。)Bejustbeforeyouaregenerous。

BLOOMIwillbutisitwise？(Hecounts。)One，seven，eleven，andfive。Six。Eleven。Idon’tanswerforwhatyoumayhavelost。

STEPHENWhystrikingeleven？Proparo