Rubbing smartly in turn each welt against her stockinged calf. Morning after the bazaar dance when May’s band played Ponchielli’s dance of the hours. Explain that: morning hours, noon, then evening coming on, then night hours. Washing her teeth. That was the first night. Her head dancing. Her fansticks clicking. Is that Boylan well off? He has money. Why? I noticed he had a good rich smell off his breath dancing. No use humming then. Allude to it. Strange kind of music that last night. The mirror was in shadow. She rubbed her handglass briskly on her woollen vest against her full wagging bub. Peering into it. Lines in her eyes. It wouldn’t pan out somehow.
Evening hours, girls in grey gauze. Night hours then: black with daggers and eyemasks. Poetical idea: pink, then golden, then grey, then black. Still, true to life also. Day: then the night.
He tore away half the prize story sharply and wiped himself with it. Then he girded up his trousers, braced and buttoned himself. He pulled back the jerky shaky door of the jakes and came forth from the gloom into the air.
In the bright light, lightened and cooled in limb, he eyed carefully his black trousers: the ends, the knees, the houghs of the knees. What time is the funeral? Better find out in the paper.
A creak and a dark whirr in the air high up. The bells of George’s church. They tolled the hour: loud dark iron.
Heigho! Heigho!
Heigho! Heigho!
Heigho! Heigho!
Quarter to. There again: the overtone following through the air, third.
Poor Dignam!
annotation:
I read through a few times just to make sure I understood the text. I found a video of Ponchielli’s Dance Of The Hours just to refamiliarize myself with it and help me understand a little more what the actual experience might have been like.
I found it interesting that Bloom says Molly was “washing her teeth” instead of brushing. He also seems to be returning to consider Boylan often, which is understandable. Since I already drew Molly getting dressed and Bloom in the Jakes I am excited to be able to draw what the bazaar dance might have looked like. Sometimes I wish I was drawing in color. The costumes would be interesting in their different shades.
I also found a few interesting paragraphs on May’s band to which Bloom refers. Go read if you’re interested.