ONLY ONCE MORE THAT SOAP
He went down the house staircase. Who the deuce scrawled all over those walls with matches? Looks as if they did it for a bet. Heavy greasy smell there always is in those works. Lukewarm glue in Thom’s next door when I was there.
He took out his handkerchief to dab his nose. Citronlemon? Ah, the soap I put there. Lose it out of that pocket. Putting back his handkerchief he took out the soap and stowed it away, buttoned, into the hip pocket of his trousers.
What perfume does your wife use? I could go home still: tram: something I forgot. Just to see: before: dressing. No. Here. No.
A sudden screech of laughter came from the Evening Telegraph office. Know who that is. What’s up? Pop in a minute to phone. Ned Lambert it is.
He entered softly.
annotation:
When I first read it I thought in the passage “something I forgot. Just to see: before: dressing” I assumed Bloom was planning on catching Molly in the act with Blazes, but in the book Joyce’s Modernist Allegory: Ulysses and the History of the Novel the author points out that he’s planning on catching her dressing for her liaison. He also points out that Blooms knowledge of Molly’s affair has moved passed the point of acceptance and into perversion. He seems to be drawing pleasure from watching her dress for another man. ( source )