ch14e

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Nash was waiting for him at the door of the shop and they walked down the main street together towards the Examiner office. In the window a white fox-terrier's head could be seen over a dirty brown blind and his intelligent eyes were the only signs of life in the office. Mr Garvey was sent for and presently sent in word that his two visitors were to come into the Greville Arms. Mr Garvey was found sitting at the bar with his hat pushed far back from a glowing forehead. He was 'chaffing' the barmaid but when his visitors entered he stood up and shook hands with them. Then he insisted on their joining him in a drink. The barmaid was 'chaffed' again by Mr Garvey and by Nash but always within limits. She was a genteel young person of a very tempting figure. While she was polishing glasses she indulged in flirty, gossipy conversation with the young men: she seemed to have the life of the town at her fingers' ends. She reproved Mr Garvey once or twice for levity and asked Stephen wasn't it a shame for a married man. Stephen said it was and began to count the buttons of her blouse. The barmaid said Stephen was a nice sensible young man not a gadabout fellow and smiled very sweetly over her brisk napkin. After a while the young men left the bar, first touching the fingertips of the barmaid and raising their hats.

fox terrier

Greville Arms

touching fingertips goodbye

Mr Garvey whistled the terrier out of the office and they set out for a walk. Mr Garvey wore heavy boots and he plodded along sturdily in them, tapping the road with his stick. The road and the actual sultry day had made him sensible and he gave the younger men some sound advice.

epiphanies used: Examiner editor (realname Michael Tobin)

28yo in 1901

— After all, there's nothing like marriage for making a fellow steady. Before I got this sit on the Examiner here I used knock about with the lads and boose bit... You know, he said to Nash — Nash nodded.


"Mullingar: a Sunday in July: noon
Tobin-- (walking noisily with thick boots and tapping the road with his stick) ...O there's nothing like marriage for making a fellow steady. Before I came here to the Examiner I used to knock about with fellows and boose... Now I've a good house and... I go home in the evening and if I want a drink... well, I can have it... My advice to every young fellow that can afford it is: marry young." [more]


— Now I've a good house, said Mr Garvey, and... I go home in the evening and if I want a drink... well, I can have it. My advice to every young fellow that can afford it is: marry young.



— There's something in that, said Nash, when you've had your fling, that is.



— O, yes, said Mr Garvey. By the bye I hope you'll come and see me some evening and bring your friend. You'll come, Mr Daedalus? The missus'll be glad to see you: she plays a bit, you know.



Stephen mumbled his thanks and decided that he would endure severe bodily pain rather than visit Mr Garvey.



Mr Garvey began then to tell some press stories. When he heard from Nash that Stephen was inclined for writing he said:



— You take my tip: shorthand.



He told many stories illustrating his own smartness at his business and said that he had once got a 'par' into a London morning paper and got paid well for it by return of post.



— These English chaps, you know, they know how to do business. Pay good money too.



The day was very hot and the town seemed dozing in the heat but when the young men came to the canal bridge they noticed a crowd collected some fifty yards off on the canal bank. A butcher's boy was telling a circle of workmen about it.

canal bank

— I seen her first. I noticed something — a long-looking green thing lying among the weeds and I went for Joe CoghIan. Him and me tried to get it up but it was too heavy. So then what did we do but I thought if we could only get the lend of a pole off someone. So Joe and me, then, went down to the back of Slater's yard...


the drowning actually took place on 19Jul00 [j&c229]

A pace or two from the brink of the water a thing was lying on the bank partly covered by a brown sack. It was the body of a woman: the face was to the ground and from the thick black hair a pool of water had oozed out. The body was curved upwards with legs abroad but over [...] someone had drawn down the [...] nightdress. The woman had escaped from the asylum the night before and Stephen heard many criticisms of the nurses.



— It's be better for 'em mind the patients than traipsing about with every Tom, Dick and Harry of a doctor.



— It's them has the style.



Mr Garvey's dog wanted to sniff the body but Mr Garvey kicked him heavily and the dog curled up yelping. Then there was silence for some time, everyone remaining at his post watching the corpse, until a voice said 'Here's the doctor!' A stout well-dressed man came down the path quickly without acknowledging the salutes of the people and after a few moments Stephen heard him saying the woman was dead and telling the people to get a cart and have the body taken away. The three young men then continued their walk but Stephen had to be waited for and called to. He remained behind gazing into the canal near the feet of the body, looking at a fragment of paper on which was printed: The Lamp a magazine for... the rest was torn away and several other pieces of paper were floating about in the water.

"The Lamp" was a Canadian Theosophical monthly (?!) [gBooks]

The afternoon was well advanced before the young men separated. Stephen bade his friends goodbye, promising to renew acquaintance very soon, and took a path through the fields. The ground was very treacherous and he slipped often into bog-water. However he found a broad highway over the bog and here he was as secure as on the road. The sun was declining and against the deep gold of the western sky the figures of some bending turf-cutters were outlined. He reached Mr Fulham's house by a back road and climbing over the fence came up through a little wood. As he walked on the soft grass he made no noise. At the edge of the wood he stood still. Miss Howard was leaning on the high painted gate facing the sunset. The full glow of the sunset had covered her sombre vesture with streaks of rust and scattered spangles of rust upon her sombre hair. Stephen came towards her but when he was a few paces

turf cutters

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