Bella: (Admiringly) You’re such a slyboots, old cocky. I could kiss you.
Zoe: (Points) Him? Deep as a drawwell.
(Lynch bends Kitty back over
the
sofa and kisses her. Bloom
goes with the POUNDNOTE to Stephen.)
Bloom: This is yours.
Stephen: How is that? Les distrait
or absentminded beggar. (He fumbles
again in his pocket and draws
out A handful of coins. An
object fills.)
That fell.
Bloom: (Stooping, picks up and hands A box of matches) This.
Stephen: Lucifer. Thanks.
Bloom: (Quietly) You had better hand over that cash to me to take care of. Why pay more?
Stephen: (Hands him all his coins) Be just before you are generous.
Bloom: I will but is it wise? (He Counts)
One, seven, eleven, and five.
Six. Eleven. I don’t answer for what
you may have lost.
Stephen: Why striking eleven? Proparoxyton.
Moment before the next
Lessing says. Thirsty fox. (He laughs
loudly) Burying his grandmother.
Probably he killed her.
Bloom: That is one pound six and eleven. One pound seven, say.
Stephen: Doesn’t matter a rambling damn.
Bloom: No, but ...
Stephen: (Comes to the table) Cigarette, please. (Lynch tosses A cigarette from the sofa to the table) And so Georgina Johnson is dead and married. (A cigarette appears on the table. Stephen looks at it) Wonder. Parlour magic. Married. Hm. (He strikes A match and proceeds to light the cigarette with enigmatic melancholy)
Lynch: (Watching him) You would have a better chance of lighting it if you held the match nearer.
Stephen: (Brings the match
near his eye) Lynx eye. Must get
glasses.
Broke them yesterday. Sixteen years ago.
Distance. The eye sees all flat.
(He draws the match away.
It goes out.) Brain thinks. Near:
far.
Ineluctable modality of the visible. (He frowns
mysteriously) Hm. Sphinx.
The beast that has twobacks at midnight. Married.
Zoe: It was a commercial traveller married her and took her away with him.


