第128章

Heremovedhiscollar，withcontainedblacknecktieandcollapsiblestud，fromhisnecktoapositionontheleftofthetable。Heunbuttonedsuccessivelyinreverseddirectionwaistcoat，trousers，shirtandvestalongthemediallineofirregularincrispatedblackhairextendingintriangularconvergencefromthepelvicbasinoverthecircumferenceoftheabdomenandumbilicularfossiclealongthemediallineofnodestotheintersectionofthesixthpectoralvertebr&；Aelig；，thenceproducedbothwaysatrightanglesandterminatingincirclesdescribedabouttwoequidistantpoints，rightandleft，onthesummitsofthemammaryprominences。

Heunbracedsuccessivelyeachofsixminusonebracedtrouserbuttons，arrangedinpairs，ofwhichoneincomplete。

Whatinvoluntaryactionsfollowed？

Hecompressedbetween2fingersthefleshcircumjacenttoacicatriceintheleftinfracostalregionbelowthediaphragmresultingfromastinginflicted2weeksand3dayspreviously(23May1904)byabee。Hescratchedimpreciselywithhisrighthand，thoughinsensibleofprurition，variouspointsandsurfacesofhispartlyexposed，whollyablutedskin。Heinsertedhislefthandintotheleftlowerpocketofhiswaistcoatandextractedandreplacedasilvercoin(1shilling)，placedthere(presumably)ontheoccasion(17October1903)oftheintermentofMrsEmilySinico，SydneyParade。

Compilethebudgetfor16June1904。#。s。d。#。s。d。

1Porkkidney0。0。3Cashinhand0。4。9

2CopyFreeman’sJournal0。0。2Commissionrecd。Freeman’sJournal1Bathandgratification0。1。62。7。6

Tramfare0。0。2Loan(StephenDedalus)1。7。0

2InMemoriamPatrickDignam0。5。0

2Banburycakes0。0。1

2Lunch0。0。7

1Rentalfeeforbook0。1。0

2Packetnotepaperandenvelopes0。0。2

2Dinnerandgratification0。2。0

2Postalorderandstamp0。2。8

Tramfare0。0。1

1Pig’sFoot0。0。4

1Sheep’sTrotter0。0。3

2CakeFry’splainchocolate0。0。

1Squaresodabread0。0。4

1Coffeeandbun0。0。4

Loan(StephenDedalus)

refunded2。7。0

BALANCE0。27。5

Didtheprocessofdivestiturecontinue？

Sensibleofabenignantpersistentacheinhisfootsolesheextendedhisfoottoonesideandobservedthecreases，protuberancesandsalientpointscausedbyfootpressureinthecourseofwalkingrepeatedlyinseveraldifferentdirections，then，inclined，hedisnodedthelaceknots，unhookedandloosenedthelaces，tookoffeachofhistwobootsforthesecondtime，detachedthepartiallymoistenedrightsockthroughtheforepartofwhichthenailofhisgreattoehadagaineffracted，raisedhisrightfootand，havingunhookedapurpleelasticsocksuspender，tookoffhisrightsock，placedhisunclothedrightfootonthemarginoftheseatofhischair，pickedatandgentlylaceratedtheprotrudingpartofthegreattoenail，raisedthepartlaceratedtohisnostrilsandinhaledtheodourofthequick，thenwithsatisfactionthrewawaythelaceratedunguinalfragment。

Whywithsatisfaction？

Becausetheodourinhaledcorrespondedtootherodoursinhaledofotherunguinalfragments，pickedandlaceratedbyMasterBloom，pupilofMrsEllis’sjuvenileschool，patientlyeachnightintheactofbriefgenuflectionandnocturnalprayerandambitiousmeditation。

Inwhatultimateambitionhadallconcurrentandconsecutiveambitionsnowcoalesced？

Nottoinheritbyrightofprimogeniture，gavelkindorboroughEnglish，orpossessinperpetuityanextensivedemesneofasufficientnumberofacres，roodsandperches，statutelandmeasure(valuation#42)，ofgrazingturbarysurroundingabaronialhallwithgatelodgeandcarriagedrivenor，ontheotherhand，aterracehouseorsemidetachedvilla，describedasRusinUrbeorQuisiSana，buttopurchasebyprivatetreatyinfeesimpleathatchedbungalowshaped2storeydwellinghouseofsoutherlyaspect，surmountedbyvaneandlightningconductor，connectedwiththeearth，withporchcoveredbyparasiticplants(ivyorVirginiacreeper)，halldoor，olivegreen，withsmartcarriagefinishandneatdoorbrasses，stuccofrontwithgilttraceryateavesandgable，rising，ifpossible，uponagentleeminencewithagreeableprospectfrombalconywithstonepillarparapetoverunoccupiedandunoccupyableinterjacentpasturesandstandingin5or6acresofitsownground，atsuchadistancefromthenearestpublicthoroughfareastorenderitshouselightsvisibleatnightaboveandthroughaquicksethornbeamhedgeoftopiarycutting，situateatagivenpointnotlessthan1statutemilefromtheperipheryofthemetropolis，withinatimelimitofnotmorethan5minutesfromtramortrainline(e。g。，Dundrum，south，orSutton，north，bothlocalitiesequallyreportedbytrialtorese