ULYSSES

第116章

Hemadetracksheavily,slowly,withadumpysortofagaittothedoor,steppedheavilydowntheonesteptherewasoutoftheshelterandboredueleft。Whilehewasintheactofgettinghisbearings,MrBloom,whonoticedwhenhestoodupthathehadtwoflasksofpresumablyship’srumstickingoneoutofeachpocketfortheprivateconsumptionofhisburninginterior,sawhimproduceabottleanduncorkit,orunscrew,and,applyingitsnozzletohislips,takeagoodolddelectableswigoutofitwithagurglingnoise。TheirrepressibleBloom,whoalsohadashrewdsuspicionthattheoldstagerwentoutonamanoeuvreafterthecounterattractionintheshapeofafemale,who,however,haddisappearedtoallintentsandpurposes,could,bystraining,justperceivehim,whendulyrefreshedbyhisrumpuncheonexploit,gazingupatthepiersandgirdersoftheLoopLine,ratheroutofhisdepth,asofcourseitwasallradicallyalteredsincehislastvisitandgreatlyimproved。Somepersonorpersonsinvisibledirectedhimtothemaleurinalerectedbythecleansingcommitteeallovertheplaceforthepurposebut,afterabriefspaceoftimeduringwhichsilencereignedsupreme,thesailor,evidentlygivingitawideberth,easedhimselfcloseathand,thenoiseofhisbilge-watersomelittletimesubsequentlysplashingonthegroundwhereitapparentlywokeahorseofthecabrank。

Ahoofscoopedanywayfornewfootholdaftersleepandharnessjingled。

Slightlydisturbedinhissentryboxbythebrasieroflivecoke,thewatcherofthecorporation,who,thoughnowbrokendownandfastbreakingup,wasnoneotherinsternrealitythantheGumleyaforesaid,nowpracticallyontheparishrates,giventhetemporaryjobbyPatTobininallhumanprobability,fromdictatesofhumanity,knowinghimbefore-shiftedaboutandshuffledinhisboxbeforecomposinghislimbsagaininthearmsofMorpheus。Atrulyamazingpieceofhardtimesinitsmostvirulentformonafellowmostrespectablyconnectedandfamiliarisedwithdecenthomecomfortsallhislifewhocameinforacool#100ayearatonetimewhichofcoursethedouble-barrelledassproceededtomakegeneralducksanddrakesof。Andtherehewasattheendofhistetherafterhavingoftenpaintedthetowntolerablypink,withoutabeggarlystiver。Hedrank,needlesstobetold,anditpointedonlyoncemoreamoralwhenhemightquiteeasilybeinalargewayofbusinessif-abigif,however-hehadcontrivedtocurehimselfofhisparticularpartiality。

All,meantime,wereloudlylamentingthefallingoffinIrishshipping,coastwiseandforeignaswell,whichwasallpartandparcelofthesamething。APalgraveMurphyboatwasputoffthewaysatAlexandraBasin,theonlylaunchthatyear。Rightenoughtheharbourswerethereonlynoshipsevercalled。

Therewerewrecksandwrecks,thekeepersaid,whowasevidentlyaufait。

WhathewantedtoascertainwaswhythatshipranbangagainsttheonlyrockinGalwayBaywhentheGalwayHarbourschemewasmootedbyaMrWorthingtonorsomenamelikethat,eh?Askhercaptain,headvisedthem,howmuchpalmoiltheBritishGovernmentgavehimforthatday’swork。CaptainJohnLeveroftheLeverline。

AmIright,skipper?hequeriedofthesailornowreturningafterhisprivatepotationandtherestofhisexertions。

Thatworthy,pickingupthescentofthefagendofthesongorwords,growledinwouldbemusic,butwithgreatvim,someKindofchantyorotherinsecondsorthirds。MrBloom’ssharpearsheardhimthenexpectoratetheplugprobably(whichitwas),sothathemusthavelodgeditforthetimebeinginhisfistwhilehedidthedrinkingandmakingwaterjobsandfounditabitsouraftertheliquidfireinquestion。Anyhowinherolledafterhissuccessfullibation-cum-potation,introducinganatmosphereofdrinkintothesoiré;e,boisterouslytrolling,likeaveritablesonofaseacook:Thebiscuitswasashardasbrass,AndthebeefassaltasLot’swife’sarse。

OJohnnyLever!

JohnnyLever,O!Afterwhicheffusiontheredoubtablespecimendulyarrivedonthesceneand,regaininghisseat,hesankratherthansatheavilyontheformprovided。

Skin-the-Goat,assuminghewashe,evidentlywithanaxetogrind,wasairinghisgrievancesinaforcible-feeblephilippicanentthenaturalresourcesofIreland,orsomethingofthatsort,whichhedescribedinhislengthydissertationastherichestcountrybarnoneonthefaceofGod’searth,farandawaysuperiortoEngland,withcoalinlargequantities,sixmillionpounds’worthofporkexportedeveryyear,tenmillionsbetweenbutterandeggs,andalltheriche

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