high falutin stuff. bladderbags. ned lambert is taking a day off i see. rather upsets a man's day a funeral does. he has influence they say. old chatterton, the vice-chancellor, is his granduncle or his greatgranduncle. close on ninety they say. subleader for his death written this long time perhaps. living to spite them. might go first himself. johnny, make room for your uncle. the right honourable hedges eyre chatterton. daresay he writes him an odd shaky cheque or two on gale days. windfall when he kicks out. alleluia.
-- just another spasm, ned lambert said.
-- what is it? mr bloom asked.
-- a recently discovered fragment of cicero's, professor machugh answered with pomp of tone. our lovely land.
short but to the point
-- whose land? mr bloom said simply.
-- most pertinent question, the professor said between his chews. with an accent on the whose.
-- dan dawson's land, mr dedalus said.
-- is it his speech last night? mr bloom asked.
ned lambert nodded.
-- but listen to this, he said.
the doorknob hit mr bloom in the small of the back as the door was pushed in.
-- excuse me, j.j. o'molloy said, entering.
mr bloom moved nimbly aside.
-- i beg yours, he said.
-- good day, jack.
-- come in. come in.
-- good day.
-- how are you, dedalus?
-- well. and yourself?
j.j. o'molloy shook his head.
sad
cleverest fellow at the junior bar he used to be. decline poor chap. that hectic flush spells finis for a man. touch and go with him. what's in the wind, i wonder. money worry.
-- or again if we but climb the serried mountain peaks.
-- you're looking extra.
-- is the editor to be seen? j.j. o'molloy asked, looking towards the inner door.
-- very much so, professor machugh said. to be seen and heard. he's in his sanctum with lenehan.
j.j. o'molloy strolled jo the sloping desk and began to turn back the pink pages of the file.
practice dwindling. a mighthavebeen. losing heart. gambling. debts of honour. reaping the whirlwind. used to get good retainers from d. and t. fitzgerald. their wigs to their grey matter. brains on their sleeve like the statue in glasnevin. believe he does some literary work for the express with gabriel conroy. wellread fellow. myles crawford began on the independent. funny the way those newspaper men veer about when they get wind of a new opening. weathercocks. hot and cold in the same breath. wouldn't know which to believe. one story good till you hear the next. go for one another baldheaded in the papers and then all blows over. hailfellow well met the next moment.