第120章
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  Sotheypassedontochattingaboutmusic,aformofartforwhichBloom,asapureamateur,possessedthegreatestlove,astheymadetracksarm-in-armacrossBeresfordplace。Wagnerianmusic,thoughconfessedlygrandinitsway,wasabittooheavyforBloomandhardtofollowatthefirstgo-offbutthemusicofMercadante’sHuguenots,Meyerbeer’sSevenLastWordsontheCross,andMozart’sTwelfthMass,hesimplyrevelledin,theGloriainthatbeingtohismindtheacmeoffirstclassmusicassuch,literallyknockingeverythingelseintoacockedhat。HeinfinitelypreferredthesacredmusicofthecatholicchurchtoanythingtheoppositeshopcouldofferinthatlinesuchasthoseMoodyandSankeyhymnsorBidmetoliveandIwilllivethyprotestanttobe。HealsoyieldedtononeinhisadmirationofRossini’sStabatMater,aworksimplyaboundinginimmortalnumbers,inwhichhiswife,MadamMarionTweedy,madeahit,averitablesensation,hemightsafelysaygreatlyaddingtoherotherlaurelsandputtingtheotherstotallyintheshadeinthejesuitfathers’churchinUpperGardinerstreet,thesacrededificebeingthrongedtothedoorstohearherwithvirtuosos,orvirtuosirather。Therewastheunanimousopinionthattherewasnonetocomeuptoherand,sufficeittosayinaplaceofworshipformusicofasacredcharacter,therewasagenerallyvoiceddesireforanencore。Onthewhole,thoughfavouringpreferablylightoperaoftheDonGiovannidescription,andMartha,ageminitsline,hehadapenchant,thoughwithonlyasurfaceknowledge,forthesevereclassicalschoolsuchasMendelssohn。Andtalkingofthat,takingitforgrantedheknewallabouttheoldfavourites,hementionedparexcellenceLionel’sairinMartha,M’appari,which,curiouslyenough,heheard,oroverheard,tobemoreaccurate,onyesterday,aprivilegehekeenlyappreciated,fromthelipsofStephen’srespectedfather,sungtoperfection,astudyofthenumber,infact,whichmadealltheotherstakeabackseat。Stephen,inreplytoapolitelyputquery,saidhedidn’tbutlaunchedoutintopraisesofShakespeare’ssongs,atleastofinoraboutthatperiod,thelutenistDowlandwholivedinFetterLanenearGerardtheherbalist,whoannoludendohausi,Doulandus,aninstrumenthewascontemplatingpurchasingfromMrArnoldDolmetsch,whomBloomdidnotquiterecall,thoughthenamecertainlysoundedfamiliar,forsixtyfiveguineasandFarnabyandsonwiththeirduxandcomesconceitsandByrdWilliam,whoplayedthevirginals,hesaid,intheQueen’sChapeloranywhereelsehefoundthemandoneTomkinswhomadetoysorairsandJohnBull。

  Ontheroadwaywhichtheywereapproachingwhilststillspeakingbeyondtheswingchain,ahorse,draggingasweeper,pacedonthepavenground,brushingalongswatheofmireupsothatwiththenoiseBloomwasnotperfectlycertainwhetherhehadcaughtarighttheallusiontosixtyfiveguineasandJohnBull。HeinquiredifitwasJohnBullthepoliticalcelebrityofthatilk,asitstruckhim,thetwoidenticalnames,asastrikingcoincidence。

  Bythechains,thehorseslowlyswervedtoturn,whichperceivingBloom,whowaskeepingasharplookoutasusualpluckedtheother’ssleevegently,jocoselyremarking:

  Ourlivesareinperiltonight。Bewareofthesteamroller。

  Theythereuponstopped。Bloomlookedattheheadofahorsenotworthanythinglikesixtyfiveguineas,suddenlyinevidenceinthedarkquitenear,sothatitseemednew,adifferentgroupingofbonesandevenflesh,becausepalpablyitwasafourwalker,ahipshaker,ablackbuttocker,ataildangler,aheadhanger,puttinghishindfootforemostthewhilethelordofhiscreationsatontheperch,busywithhisthoughts。Butsuchagoodpoorbrute,hewassorryhehadn’talumpofsugarbut,ashewiselyreflected,youcouldscarcelybepreparedforeveryemergencythatmightcropup。Hewasjustabigfoolishnervousnoodlykindofahorse,withoutasecondcareintheworld。Butevenadog,hereflected,takethatmongrelinBarneyKiernan’s,ofthesamesize,wouldbeaholyhorrortoface。

  Butitwasnoanimal’sfaultinparticularifhewasbuiltthatwaylikethecamel,shipofthedesert,distillinggrapesintopotheeninhishump。

  Ninetenthsofthemallcouldbecagedortrained,nothingbeyondtheartofmanbarringthebees;whalewithaharpoonhairpin,alligator,ticklethesmallofhisbackandheseesthejoke;chalkacircleforarooster;

  tiger,myeagleeye。Thesetimelyreflectionsanentthebrutesofthefieldoccupiedhismind,somewhatdistractedfromStephen’swords,whiletheshipofthestreetwasmanoeuvringandStephenwentonaboutthehighlyinterestingold……

  What’sthisIwassaying?Ah,yes!Mywife,heintimated,plunginginmediasres,wouldhavethegreatestofpleasureinmakingyouracquaintanceassheispassionatelyattachedtomusicofanykind。

  HelookedsidewaysinafriendlyfashionatthesidefaceofStephen,imageofhismother,whichwasnotquitethesameastheusualblackguardtypetheyunquestionablyhadanindubitablehankeringafterashewasperhapsnotthatwaybuilt。

  Still,supposinghehadhisfather’sgift,ashemorethansuspected,itopenedupnewvistasinhismind,suchasLadyFingall’sIrishindustriesconcertontheprecedingMonday,andaristocracyingeneral。

  ExquisitevariationshewasnowdescribingonanairYouthherehasEndbyJansPieterSweelinck,aDutchmanofAmsterdamwherethefrowscomefrom。EvenmorehelikedanoldGermansongofJohannesJeepabouttheclearseaandthevoicesofsirens,sweetmurderersofmen,whichboggledBloomabit:VonderSirenenListigkeitTundiePoetendichten。Theseopeningbarshesangandtranslatedextempore。Bloom,nodding,saidheperfectlyunderstoodandbeggedhimtogoonbyallmeans,whichhedid。

  Aphenomenallybeautifultenorvoicelikethat,therarestofboons,whichBloomappreciatedattheveryfirstnotehegotout,couldeasily,ifproperlyhandledbysomerecognisedauthorityonvoiceproductionsuchasBarracloughandbeingabletoreadmusicintothebargain,commanditsownpricewherebaritonesweretenapennyandprocureforitsfortunatepossessorinthenearfutureanentréeintofashionablehousesinthebestresidentialquarters,offinancialmagnatesinalargewayofbusinessandtitledpeoplewhere,withhisuniversitydegreeofB。A。

  ahugeadinitswayandgentlemanlybearingtoallthemoreinfluencethegoodimpressionhewouldinfalliblyscoreadistinctsuccess,beingblessedwithbrainswhichalsocouldbeutilisedforthepurposeandotherrequisites,ifhisclotheswereproperlyattendedto,soastothebetterwormhiswayintotheirgoodgracesashe,ayouthfultyroinsociety’ssartorialniceties,hardlyunderstoodhowalittlethinglikethatcouldmilitateagainstyou。ItwasinfactonlyamatterofmonthsandhecouldeasilyforeseehimparticipatingintheirmusicalandartisticconversazionesduringthefestivitiesoftheChristmasseason,forchoice,causingaslightflutterinthedovecotesofthefairsexandbeingmadealotofbyladiesoutforsensation,casesofwhich,ashehappenedtoknow,wereonrecord,infact,withoutgivingtheshowaway,hehimselfonceuponatime,ifhecaredto,couldeasilyhave……Addedtowhichofcourse,wouldbethepecuniaryemolumentbynomeanstobesneezedat,goinghandinhandwithhistuitionfees。Not,heparenthesised,thatforthesakeoffilthylucreheneednecessarilyembracethelyricplatformasawalkinlifeforanylengthyspaceoftimebutastepintherequireddirectionitwas,beyondyeaornay,andbothmonetarilyandmentallyitcontainednoreflectiononhisdignityinthesmallestanditoftenturnedinuncommonlyhandytobehandedachequeatamuchneededmomentwheneverylittlehelped。

  Besides,thoughtastelatterlyhaddeterioratedtoadegree,originalmusiclikethat,differentfromtheconventionalrut,wouldrapidlyhaveagreatvogue,asitwouldbeadecidednoveltyforDublin’smusicalworldaftertheusualhackneyedrunofcatchytenorsolosfoistedonaconfidingpublicbyIvanStAustellandHiltonStJustandtheirgenusomne。Yes,beyondashadowofadoubt,hecould,withallthecardsinhishandandhehadacapitalopeningtomakeanameforhimselfandwinahighplaceinthecity’sesteemwherehecouldcommandastifffigureand,bookingahead,giveagrandconcertforthepatronsoftheKingstreethouse,givenabackerup,ifonewereforthcomingtokickhimupstairs,sotospeak-

  abigif,however-withsomeimpetusofthegoaheadsorttoobviatetheinevitableprocrastinationwhichoftentrippedupatoomuchfetedprinceofgoodfellowsanditneednotdetractfromtheotherbyoneiotaas,beinghisownmaster,hewouldhaveheapsoftimetopractiseliteratureinhissparemomentswhendesirousofsodoingwithoutitsclashingwithhisvocalcareerorcontaininganythingderogatorywhatsoeverasitwasamatterforhimselfalone。Infact,hehadtheballathisfeetandthatwastheveryreasonwhytheother,possessedofaremarkablysharpnoseforsmellingaratofanysort,hungontohimatall。

  Thehorsewasjustthen……andlateron,atapropitiousopportunityhepurposedBloomdid,withoutanywaypryingIntohisprivateaffairsonthefoolsstepinwhereangelsprincipleadvisinghimtoseverhisconnectionwithacertainbuddingpractitioner,who,henoticed,waspronetodisparage,andeven,toaslightextent,withsomehilariouspretext,whennotpresent,deprecatehim,orwhateveryouliketocallit,which,inBloom’shumbleopinion,threwanastysidelightonthatsideofaperson’scharacter-nopunintended。

  Thehorse,havingreachedtheendofhistether,sotospeak,halted,and,rearinghighaproudfeatheringtail,addedhisquotabylettingfallonthefloor,whichthebrushwouldsoonbrushupandpolish,threesmokingglobesofturds。Slowly,threetimes,oneafteranother,fromafullcrupper,hemired。Andhumanelyhisdriverwaitedtillheorshehadended,patientinhisscythedcar。

  SidebysideBloom,profitingbythecontretemps,withStephenpassedthroughthegapofthechains,dividedbytheupright,and,steppingoverastrandofmire,wentacrosstowardsGardinerstreetlower,Stephensingingmoreboldly,butnotloudly,theendoftheballad:UndalleSchiffebrückenThedriverneversaidaword,good,badorindifferent。Hemerelywatchedthetwofigures,ashesatonhislowbackedcar,bothblack-onefull,onelean-walktowardstherailwaybridge,tobemarriedbyFatherMaher。Astheywalked,theyattimesstoppedandwalkedagain,continuingtheirtête-à-têtewhichofcoursehewasutterlyoutof,aboutsirens,enemiesofman’sreason,mingledwithanumberofothertopicsofthesamecategory,usurpers,historicalcasesofthekindwhilethemaninthesweepercaroryoumightaswellcallitinthesleepercarwhoinanycasecouldn’tpossiblyhearbecausetheyweretoofarsimplysatinhisseatneartheendoflowerGardinerstreetandlookedaftertheirlowbackedcar。

  JOYCE:Ulysses,IthacaIthacaWHATPARALLELCOURSESDIDBLOOMANDSTEPHENFOLLOWREturning?

  StartingunitedbothatnormalwalkingpacefromBeresfordplacetheyfollowedintheordernamedLowerandMiddleGardinerstreetsandMountjoysquare,west:then,atreducedpace,eachbearingleft,Gardiner’splacebyaninadvertanceasfarasthefarthercornerofTemplestreet,north:

  thenatreducedpacewithinterruptionsofhalt,bearingright,Templestreet,north,asfarasHardwickeplace。Approaching,disparate,atrelaxedwalkingpacetheycrossedboththecircusbeforeGeorge’schurchdiametrically,thechordinanycirclebeinglessthanthearcwhichitsubtends。

  Ofwhatdidtheduumviratedeliberateduringtheiritinerary?

  Music,literature,Ireland,Dublin,Paris,friendship,woman,prostitution,diet,theinfluenceofgaslightorthelightofarcandglow-lampsonthegrowthofadjoiningparaheliotropictrees,exposedcorporationemergencydustbuckets,theRomancatholicchurch,ecclesiasticalcelibacy,theIrishnation,jesuiteducation,careers,thestudyofmedicine,thepastday,themale-centinfluenceofthepresabbath,Stephen’scollapse。

  DidBloomdiscovercommonfactorsofsimilaritybetweentheirrespectivelikeandunlikereactionstoexperience?

  Bothweresensitivetoartisticimpressionsmusicalinpreferencetoplasticorpictorial。Bothpreferredacontinentaltoaninsularmanneroflife,acisatlantictoatransatlanticplaceofresidence。Bothinduratedbyearlydomestictrainingandaninheritedtenacityofheterodoxresistanceprofessedtheirdisbeliefinmanyorthodoxreligious,national,socialandethicaldoctrines。Bothadmittedthealternatelystimulatingandobtundinginfluenceofheterosexualmagnetism。

  Weretheirviewsonsomepointsdivergent?

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