Asitshouldbe，MrKernansaid。
What？Eh？CornyKellehersaid。
MrKernanassuredhim。
WhoisthatchapbehindwithTomKernan？JohnHenryMentonasked。
Iknowhisface。
NedLambertglancedback。
Bloom，hesaid，MadamMarionTweedythatwas，is，Imean，thesoprano。
She’shiswife。
O，tobesure，JohnHenryMentonsaid。Ihaven’tseenherforsometime。Shewasafinelookingwoman。Idancedwithher，wait，fifteenseventeengoldenyearsago，atMatDillon’s，inRoundtown。Andagoodarmfulshewas。
Helookedbehindthroughtheothers。
Whatishe？heasked。Whatdoeshedo？Wasn’theinthestationeryline？Ifellfoulofhimoneevening，Iremember，atbowls。
NedLambertsmiled。
Yes，hewas，hesaid，inWisdomHely’s。Atravellerforblottingpaper。
InGod’sname，JohnHenryMentonsaid，whatdidshemarryacoonlikethatfor？Shehadplentyofgameinherthen。
Hasstill，NedLambertsaid。Hedoessomecanvassingforads。
JohnHenryMenton’slargeeyesstaredahead。
Thebarrowturnedintoasidelane。Aportlyman，ambushedamongthegrasses，raisedhishatinhomage。Thegravediggerstouchedtheircaps。
JohnO’Connell，MrPowersaid，pleased。Heneverforgetsafriend。
MrO’Connellshookalltheirhandsinsilence。MrDedalussaid：
Iamcometopayyouanothervisit。
MydearSimon，thecaretakeransweredinalowvoice。Idon’twantyourcustomatall。
SalutingNedLambertandJohnHenryMentonhewalkedonatMartinCunningham’sside，puzzlingtwokeysathisback。
Didyouhearthatone，heaskedthem，aboutMulcahyfromtheCoombe？
Ididnot，MartinCunninghamsaid。
TheybenttheirsilkhatsinconcertandHynesinclinedhisear。Thecaretakerhunghisthumbsintheloopsofhisgoldwatchchainandspokeinadiscreettonetotheirvacantsmiles。
Theytellthestory，hesaid，thattwodrunkscameouthereonefoggyeveningtolookforthegraveofafriendoftheirs。TheyaskedforMulcahyfromtheCoombeandweretoldwherehewasburied。Aftertraipsingaboutinthefogtheyfoundthegrave，sureenough。Oneofthedrunksspeltoutthename：TerenceMulcahy。TheotherdrunkwasblinkingupatastatueofourSaviourthewidowhadgotputup。
Thecaretakerblinkedupatoneofthesepulchrestheypassed。Heresumed：
And，afterblinkingupatthesacredfigure，Notabloodybitliketheman，sayshe。That’snotMulcahy，sayshe，whoeverdoneit。
RewardedbysmileshefellbackandspokewithCornyKelleher，acceptingthedocketsgivenhim，turningthemoverandscanningthemashewalked。
That’salldonewithapurpose，MartinCunninghamexplainedtoHynes。
Iknow，Hynessaid，Iknowthat。
Tocheerafellowup，MartinCunninghamsaid。It’spuregoodheartedness：
damnthethingelse。
MrBloomadmiredthecaretaker’sprosperousbulk。Allwanttobeongoodtermswithhim。Decentfellow，JohnO’Connell，realgoodsort。Keys：
likeKeyes’sad：nofearofanyonegettingout，nopassoutchecks。Habeatcorpus。Imustseeaboutthatadafterthefuneral。DidIwriteBallsbridgeontheenvelopeItooktocoverwhenshedisturbedmewritingtoMartha？
Hopeit’snotchuckedinthedeadletteroffice。Bethebetterofashave。
Greysproutingbeard。That’sthefirstsignwhenthehairscomeoutgreyandtempergettingcross。Silverthreadsamongthegrey。Fancybeinghiswife。Wonderhowhehadthegumptiontoproposetoanygirl。Comeoutandliveinthegraveyard。Danglethatbeforeher。Itmightthrillherfirst。
Courtingdeath……Shadesofnighthoveringherewithallthedeadstretchedabout。TheshadowsofthetombswhenchurchyardsyawnandDanielO’ConnellmustbeadescendantIsupposewhoisthisusedtosayhewasaqueerbreedymangreatcatholicallthesamelikeabiggiantinthedark。Willo’thewisp。Gasofgraves。Wanttokeephermindoffittoconceiveatall。Womenespeciallyaresotouchy。Tellheraghoststoryinbedtomakehersleep。
Haveyoueverseenaghost？Well，Ihave。Itwasapitchdarknight。Theclockwasonthestrokeoftwelve。Stillthey’dkissallrightifproperlykeyedup。WhoresinTurkishgraveyards。Learnanythingiftakenyoung。
Youmightpickupayoungwidowhere。Menlikethat。Loveamongthetombstones。
Romeo。Spiceofpleasure。Inthemidstofdeathweareinlife。Bothendsmeet。Tantalisingforthepoordead。Smelloffrilledbeefsteakstothestarvinggnawingtheirvitals。Desiretogrigpeople。Mollywantingtodoitatthewindow。Eightchildrenhehasanyway。
Hehasseenafairsharegounderinhistime，lyingaroundhimfieldafterfield。Holyfields。Moreroomiftheyburiedthemstanding。Sittingorkneelingyoucouldn’t。Standing？Hisheadmightcomeupsomedayabovegroundinalandslipwithhishandpointing。Allhoneycombedthegroundmustbe：oblongcells。Andveryneathekeepsittoo，trimgrassandedgings。
HisgardenMajorGamblecallsMountJerome。Wellsoitis。Oughttobeflowersofsleep。ChinesecemeterieswithgiantpoppiesgrowingproducethebestopiumMastianskytoldme。TheBotanicGardensarejustoverthere。
It’sthebloodsinkingintheearthgivesnewlife。Sameideathosejewstheysaidkilledthechristianboy。Everymanhisprice。Wellpreservedfatcorpsegentleman，epicure，invaluableforfruitgarden。Abargain。
BycarcassofWilliamWilkinson，auditorandaccountant，latelydeceased，threepoundsthirteenandsix。Withthanks。
Idaresaythesoilwouldbequitefatwithcorpsemanure，bones，flesh，nails，charnelhouses。Dreadful。Turninggreenandpink，decomposing。Rotquickindampearth。Theleanoldonestougher。Thenakindofatallowykindofacheesy。Thenbegintogetblack，treacleoozingoutofthem。
Thendriedup。Deathmoths。Ofcoursethecellsorwhatevertheyaregoonliving。Changingabout。Liveforeverpractically。Nothingtofeedonfeedonthemselves。
Buttheymustbreedadevilofalotofmaggots。Soilmustbesimplyswirlingwiththem。Yourheaditsimplyswurls。Thoseprettylittleseasidegurls。Helookscheerfulenoughoverit。Giveshimasenseofpowerseeingalltheothersgounderfirst。Wonderhowhelooksatlife。Crackinghisjokestoo：warmsthecocklesofhisheart。Theoneaboutthebulletin。
Spurgeonwenttoheaven4A。M。thismorning。11P。M。closingtime。Notarrivedyet。Peter。Thedeadthemselvesthemenanyhowwouldliketohearanoddjokeorthewomentoknowwhat’sinfashion。Ajuicypearorladies’
punch，hot，strongandsweet。Keepoutthedamp。Youmustlaughsometimessobetterdoitthatway。GravediggersinHamlet。Showstheprofoundknowledgeofthehumanheart。Daren’tjokeaboutthedeadfortwoyearsatleast。Demortuisnilnisiprius。Gooutofmourningfirst。Hardtoimaginehisfuneral。Seemsasortofajoke。Readyourownobituarynoticetheysayyoulivelonger。Givesyousecondwind。Newleaseoflife。
Howmanyhaveyoufortomorrow？thecaretakerasked。
Two，CornyKellehersaid。Halftenandeleven。
Thecaretakerputthepapersinhispocket。Thebarrowhadceasedtotrundle。Themournerssplitandmovedtoeachsideofthehole，steppingwithcareroundthegraves。Thegravediggersborethecoffinandsetitsnoseonthebrink，loopingthebandsroundit。
Buryinghim。WecometoburyCaesar。HisidesofMarchorJune。Hedoesn’tknowwhoisherenorcare。
Nowwhoisthatlankylookinggalootoverthereinthemacintosh？NowwhoisheI’dliketoknow？Now，I’dgiveatrifletoknowwhoheis。Alwayssomeoneturnsupyouneverdreamtof。Afellowcouldliveonhislonesomeallhislife。Yes，hecould。Stillhe’dhavetogetsomeonetosodhimafterhediedthoughhecoulddighisowngrave。Wealldo。Onlymanburies。
Noantstoo。Firstthingstrikesanybody。Burythedead。SayRobinsonCrusoewastruetolife。WellthenFridayburiedhim。EveryFridayburiesaThursdayifyoucometolookatit。O，poorRobinsonCrusoe，Howcouldyoupossiblydoso？PoorDignam！Hislastlieontheearthinhisbox。Whenyouthinkofthemallitdoesseemawasteofwood。Allgnawedthrough。Theycouldinventahandsomebierwithakindofpanelslidingletitdownthatway。Aybuttheymightobjecttobeburiedoutofanotherfellow’s。They’resoparticular。
Laymeinmynativeearth。Bitofclayfromtheholyland。Onlyamotheranddeadbornchildeverburiedintheonecoffin。Iseewhatitmeans。
Isee。Toprotecthimaslongaspossibleevenintheearth。TheIrishman’shouseishiscoffin。Enbalmingincatacombs，mummies，thesameidea。
MrBloomstoodfarback，hishatinhishand，countingthebaredheads。
Twelve。I’mthirteen。No。Thechapinthemacintoshisthirteen。Death’snumber。Wherethedeucedidhepopoutof？Hewasn’tinthechapel，thatI’llswear。Sillysuperstitionthataboutthirteen。
NicesofttweedNedLamberthasinthatsuit。Tingeofpurple。IhadonelikethatwhenwelivedinLombardstreetwest。Dressyfellowhewasonce。Usedtochangethreesuitsintheday。MustgetthatgreysuitofmineturnedbyMesias。Hello。It’sdyed。HiswifeIforgothe’snotmarriedorhislandladyoughttohavepickedoutthosethreadsforhim。
Thecoffindivedoutofsight，easeddownbythemenstraddledonthegravetrestles。Theystruggledupandout：andalluncovered。Twenty。
Pause。
Ifwewereallsuddenlysomebodyelse。
Farawayadonkeybrayed。Rain。Nosuchass。Neverseeadeadone，theysay。Shameofdeath。Theyhide。Alsopoorpapawentaway。
Gentlesweetairblewroundthebaredheadsinawhisper。Whisper。Theboybythegraveheadheldhiswreathwithbothhandsstaringquietlyintheblackopenspace。MrBloommovedbehindtheportlykindlycaretaker。
Wellcutfrockcoat。Weighingthemupperhapstoseewhichwillgonext。
Wellitisalongrest。Feelnomore。It’sthemomentyoufeel。Mustbedamnedunpleasant。Can’tbelieveitatfirst。Mistakemustbe：someoneelse。Trythehouseopposite。Wait，Iwantedto。Ihaven’tyet。Thendarkeneddeathchamber。Lighttheywant。Whisperingaroundyou。Wouldyouliketoseeapriest？Thenramblingandwandering。Deliriumallyouhidallyourlife。Thedeathstruggle。Hissleepisnotnatural。Presshislowereyelid。
Watchingishisnosepointedishisjawsinkingarethesolesofhisfeetyellow。Pullthepillowawayandfinishitoffonthefloorsincehe’sdoomed。Devilinthatpictureofsinner’sdeathshowinghimawoman。Dyingtoembraceherinhisshirt。LastactofLucia。ShallInevermorebeholdthee？Bam！expires。Goneatlast。Peopletalkaboutyouabit：forgetyou。Don’tforgettoprayforhim。Rememberhiminyourprayers。EvenParnell。
Ivydaydyingout。Thentheyfollow：droppingintoaholeoneaftertheother。
Weareprayingnowforthereposeofhissoul。Hopingyou’rewellandnotinhell。Nicechangeofair。Outofthefryingpanoflifeintothefireofpurgatory。
Doesheeverthinkoftheholewaitingforhimself？Theysayyoudowhenyoushiverinthesun。Someonewalkingoverit。Callboy’swarning。
Nearyou。MineovertheretowardsFinglas，theplotIbought。Mammapoormamma，andlittleRudy。
Thegravediggerstookuptheirspadesandflungheavyclodsofclayinonthecoffin。MrBloomturnedhisface。Andifhewasaliveallthetime？Whew！ByJingo，thatwouldbeawful！No，no：heisdead，ofcourse。
Ofcourseheisdead。Mondayhedied。Theyoughttohavesomelawtopiercetheheartandmakesureoranelectricclockoratelephoneinthecoffinandsomekindofacanvasairhole。Flagofdistress。Threedays。Ratherlongtokeeptheminsummer。Justaswelltogetshutofthemassoonasyouaresurethere’sno。
Theclayfellsofter。Begintobeforgotten。Outofsight，outofmind。
Thecaretakermovedawayafewpacesandputonhishat。Hadenoughofit。Themournerstookheartofgrace，onebyone，coveringthemselveswithoutshow。MrBloomputonhishatandsawtheportlyfiguremakeitswaydeftlythroughthemazeofgraves。Quietly，sureofhisground，hetraversedthedismalfields。
Hynesjottingdownsomethinginhisnotebook。Ah，thenames。Butheknowsthemall。No：comingtome。
Iamjusttakingthenames，Hynessaidbelowhisbreath。Whatisyourchristianname？I’mnotsure。
L，MrBloomsaid。Leopold。AndyoumightputdownM’Coy’snametoo。
Heaskedmeto。