(Mrs Dignam, widow woman, her
SNUBNOSE and cheeks flushed with
DEATHTALK,
tears and Tunney’s tawny
sherry, hurries by in her
weeds, her bonnet
awry, rouging and powdering her
cheeks, lips and nose, A pen
chivvying
her brood of cygnets. Beneath
her skirt appear her late
husband’s
everyday trousers and turnedup
boots, large eights. She holds
A Scottish
widows’ insurance policy and
A large marquee umbrella under
which her
brood run with her, Patsy
hopping on one shod foot,
his collar loose, A
Hank of porksteaks dangling, Freddy
whimpering, Susy with A crying
cod’s
mouth, Alice struggling with the
baby. She cuffs them on,
her streamers
flaunting aloft.)
Freddy: Ah, ma, you’re dragging me
along!
Susy: Mamma, the beeftea is fizzing over!
Shakespeare: (With paralytic rage)
Weda seca whokilla farst.
(The face of Martin Cunningham,
bearded, REFEATURES Shakespeare’s
beardless face. The marquee
umbrella sways drunkenly, the children
run
aside. Under the umbrella
appears Mrs Cunningham in merry
widow hat and
kimono gown. She glides sidling
and bowing, twirling JAPANESILY.)
And they call me the jewel
of Asia!
Martin Cunningham: (Gazes on her, impassive)
Immense! Most bloody awful demirep!
Stephen: Et EXALTABUNTUR CORNUA IUSTI.
Queens lay with prize bulls. Remember Pasiphae
for whose lust my grandoldgrossfather made the first
confessionbox. Forget not Madam Grissel Steevens
nor the suine scions of the house of Lambert.
And Noah was drunk with wine. And his ark was
open.
Bella: None of that here. Come to the
wrong shop.
Lynch: Let him alone. He’s back
from Paris.
Zoe: (Runs to Stephen and
links him) O go on! Give us some parleyvoo.
