zoe (points.) hum? 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? le distrait or absentminded beggar. (he fumbles again in his pocket and draws out a handful of coins. an object falls.) 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 nearer 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 two backs at midnight. married.
zoe it was a commercial traveller married her and took her away with him.
florry (nods.) mr lambe from london.
stephen lamb of london, who takest away the sins of our world.
lynch (embracing kitty on the sofa, chants deeply.) dona nobis pacem. (the cigarette slips from stephens fingers. bloom picks it up and throws it into the grate.)bloom don't smoke. you ought to eat. cursed dog i met. (to zoe.) you have nothing?