登陆注册
16075200000078

第78章

Mr Bloom turned over idly pages of The Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk, then of Aristotle's Masterpiece. Crooked botched print. Plates: infants cuddled in a ball in bloodred wombs like livers of slaughtered cows. Lots of them like that at this moment all over the world. All butting with their skulls to get out of it. Child born every minute somewhere. Mrs Purefoy.

He laid both books aside and glanced at the third: Tales of the Ghetto by Leopold von Sacher Masoch.

-- That I had, he said, pushing it by.

The shopman let two volumes fall on the counter.

-- Them are two good ones, he said.

Onions of his breath came across the counter out of his ruined mouth. He bent to make a bundle of the other books, hugged them against his unbuttoned waistcoat and bore them off behind the dingy curtain.

On O'Connell bridge many persons observed the grave deportment and gay apparel of Mr Denis J. Maginni, professor of dancing &c.

Mr Bloom, alone, looked at the titles. Fair Tyrants by James Lovebirch. Know the kind that is. Had it? Yes.

He opened it. Thought so.

A woman's voice behind the dingy curtain. Listen: The man.

No: she wouldn't like that much. Got her it once.

He read the other title: Sweets of Sin. More in her line. Let us see.

He read where his finger opened.

-- All the dollarbills her husband gave her were spent in the stores on wondrous gowns and costliest frillies. For him! For Raoul!

Yes. This. Here. Try.

-- Her mouth glued on his in a luscious voluptuous kiss while his hands felt for the opulent curves inside her déshabillé.

Yes. Take this. The end.

-- You are late, he spoke hoarsely, eyeing her with a suspicious glare. The beautiful woman threw off her sabletrimmed wrap, displaying her queenly shoulders and heaving embonpoint. An imperceptible smile played round her perfect lips as she turned to him calmly.

Mr Bloom read again: The beautiful woman.

Warmth showered gently over him, cowing his flesh. Flesh yielded amid rumpled clothes. Whites of eyes swooning up. His nostrils arched themselves for prey. Melting breast ointments (For him! For Raoul!). Armpits' oniony sweat. Fishgluey slime (her heaving embonpoint!). Feel! Press! Crushed! Sulphur dung of lions!

Young! Young!

An elderly female, no more young, left the building of the courts of chancery, king's bench, exchequer and common pleas, having heard in the lord chancellor's court the case in lunacy of Potterton, in the admiralty division the summons, exparte motion, of the owners of the Lady Cairns versus the owners of the barque Mona, in the court of appeal reservation of judgment in the case of Harvey versus the Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation.

Phlegmy coughs shook the air of the bookshop, bulging out the dingy curtains. The shopman's uncombed grey head came out and his unshaven reddened face, coughing. He raked his throat rudely, spat phlegm on the floor. He put his boot on what he had spat, wiping his sole along it and bent, showing a rawskinned crown, scantily haired.

Mr Bloom beheld it.

Mastering his troubled breath, he said:

-- I'll take this one.

The shopman lifted eyes bleared with old rheum.

-- Sweets of Sin, he said, tapping on it. That's a good one.

The lacquey by the door of Dillon's auctionrooms shook his handbell twice again and viewed himself in the chalked mirror of the cabinet.

Dilly Dedalus, listening by the curbstone, heard the beats of the bell, the cries of the auctioneer within. Four and nine. Those lovely curtains. Five shillings. Cosy curtains. Selling new at two guineas. Any advance on five shillings? Going for five shillings.

The lacquey lifted his handbell and shook it:

-- Barang!

Bang of the lastlap bell spurred the halfmile wheelmen to their sprint. J. A. Jackson, W. E. Wylie, A. Munro and H. T. Gahan, their stretched necks wagging, negotiated the curve by the College Library.

Mr Dedalus, tugging a long moustache, came round from Williams's row. He halted near his daughter.

-- It's time for you, she said.

-- Stand up straight for the love of the Lord Jesus, Mr Dedalus said. Are you trying to imitate your uncle John the cornetplayer, head upon shoulders? Melancholy God!

Dilly shrugged her shoulders. Mr Dedalus placed his hands on them and held them back.

-- Stand up straight, girl, he said. You'll get curvature of the spine. Do you know what you look like?

He let his head sink suddenly down and forward, hunching his shoulders and dropping his underjaw.

-- Give it up, father, Dilly said. All the people are looking at you.

Mr Dedalus drew himself upright and tugged again at his moustache.

-- Did you get any money? Dilly asked.

-- Where would I get money? Mr Dedalus said. There is no-one in Dublin would lend me fourpence.

-- You got some, Dilly said, looking in his eyes.

-- How do you know that? Mr Dedalus asked, his tongue in his cheek.

Mr Kernan, pleased with the order he had booked, walked boldly along James's street.

-- I know you did, Dilly answered. Were you in the Scotch house now?

-- I was not then, Mr Dedalus said, smiling. Was it the little nuns taught you to be so saucy? Here.

He handed her a shilling.

-- See if you can do anything with that, he said.

-- I suppose you got five, Dilly said. Give me more than that.

-- Wait awhile, Mr Dedalus said threateningly. You're like the rest of them, are you? An insolent pack of little bitches since your poor mother died. But wait awhile. You'll all get a short shrift and a long day from me. Low blackguardism! I'm going to get rid of you. Wouldn't care if I was stretched out stiff. He's dead. The man upstairs is dead.

He left her and walked on. Dilly followed quickly and pulled his coat.

-- Well, what is it? he said, stopping.

The lacquey rang his bell behind their backs.

-- Barang!

-- Curse your bloody blatant soul, Mr Dedalus cried, turning on him.

The lacquey, aware of comment, shook the lolling clapper of his bell but feebly:

-- Bang!

Mr Dedalus stared at him.

-- Watch him, he said. It's instructive. I wonder will he allow us to talk.

-- You got more than that, father, Dilly said.

同类推荐
  • A New View of Society

    A New View of Society

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 当英语成为时尚:生活全由你创造

    当英语成为时尚:生活全由你创造

    大千世界,人生百态,伟大的作家往往能捕捉到哲理闪光的瞬间,凝聚睿智的理念。本书摘取了耐人寻味、震撼人心的哲理美文和励志故事,希望读者能够细细品读,感受笔墨下的精神力量和人生真理
  • 澳大利亚学生文学读本(第5册)

    澳大利亚学生文学读本(第5册)

    从最简单入门的英语句式、拼写与发音开始,并且附有大量插图,通过趣味而有教育意义的故事,引发孩子们学习语言的兴趣;并向规范、美丽的文学作品过渡,让孩子们掌握语言的艺术,感受本国的人文历史。是中国学生学习英语、全面了解西方社会的很好途径。
  • 英汉·汉英餐饮分类词汇

    英汉·汉英餐饮分类词汇

    本词汇书分为英汉和汉英两大部分。英汉部分选材广泛,词汇内容贯穿餐饮烹饪过程的各个环节,汉英部分按照烹饪原料、烹饪加工、菜名、饮品、点心五部分进行编排,内容全面、实用。本书可供餐饮业从业人员、旅游业人士、食品专业学生及其他餐饮爱好者使用。
  • 每一次相遇都是奇迹

    每一次相遇都是奇迹

    浩如烟海的宇宙中,我们既然相遇了,那这一切就是我们生命中的奇迹。用爱去珍惜这一切,让爱永驻心间,你的人生才会如鲜花般灿烂。
热门推荐
  • 你好,我亲爱的大叔

    你好,我亲爱的大叔

    这世界总有一个人会与你相遇、相知、相爱。她在漂泊五年之后终于意识到自己终究忘不了那个人。分手时的满心愧疚,在重逢之后全都化为须有。“沈大爷,你离我太近了吧?”加一紧贴着墙壁,将脸转向一侧。男人呵出的气息轻轻拍打在她的脸上,“还不够,我想更近一点。”加一红着脸,用力推着他的胸口:“你想做什么?”男人声音魅惑,徐徐说道:“在想你所想的。”加一怒道:“流氓!”
  • 轮回之我为天妖

    轮回之我为天妖

    世间万物皆逃不过轮回,有生有死有轮回,万物死后皆轮回,轮回重生皆万物。
  • 先跟对人,再做对事

    先跟对人,再做对事

    做事是一门深奥的学问,是成就梦想的阶梯。掌握了做对事的技巧,能使你在老板的支持下一展所长,犹如游鱼人海、飞鸟入林,可以实实在在地大展身手。《先跟对人,再做对事》阐述了跟对人、做对事的奥秘,旨在为读者的事业成功打造一个绝佳的平台。跟人是一门高超的技术,是基于美好愿景而采取的积极主动的人生选择。跟对人,你的人生很可能就此改变,你会少走很多弯路,甚至绕开致命的失败。
  • 迷尸之城

    迷尸之城

    飞机失事坠海,叶行从昏迷中醒来发现自己在海滩上,然而大难不死,不一定有后福,因为当叶行从海滩走进滨城后,却惊骇看见城中的街道上,到处都是丧尸……
  • 高能娃子弱智妈

    高能娃子弱智妈

    高能娃子带着妈妈闯天下!“小小海,你给我消停点儿!”“我不我不我就不,我高能我任性!”
  • 萌学园之圣灵公主

    萌学园之圣灵公主

    “如果可以,我希望只牺牲我一个人,因为我生来就是注定牺牲的人。”“十六年,听起来是多么漫长;十六岁,听起来又是多么短暂。但是,能在十六岁这如此短暂而又美好的时光里,为了我守护的地方——宇宙而牺牲,我死而无憾!在此,我发誓,哪怕付出生命,我也要与敌人同归于尽,以此换来宇宙永远的和平。我唯一想对那些爱我、关心我的人说声抱歉;对我的同伴们说一声:‘如果可以,就请只牺牲我一个人。’我以圣灵公主之名,开启星座源泉之力启动圣灵神剑,彻底消灭邪恶种族及心有邪念并作恶多端之人,以此换来宇宙永远的和平!”一束白光将欧阳思琦团团裹住,她的脸上没有一丝失落与沮丧,而是堆满了喜悦。她心想:永别了,大家!……
  • 成功绝非偶然(职场篇)

    成功绝非偶然(职场篇)

    本书讲述了如何顺利进入理想的公司,如何与上司和睦相处,如何提升职场能力。
  • VR界之王

    VR界之王

    一场父母的离奇失踪,将万亿资产交到少年手中;一个阴谋,渐渐浮出水面走进少年;一个虚拟游戏,激活少年进化潜能;现实虚拟,真真假假,虚空变换。未来的世界,科技与“魔法”并存!谁才是进化的尽头?
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 泛红

    泛红

    他这个男人,帅气,多金,但是没谈过恋爱。我这个女人,平凡,没钱,也是没谈过恋爱。喂,苏先生,你不表白吗?嗯,李姑娘,爱我吧!