Stopped at "... do him all the good in the world...". Gabler (18.963), Penguin (908.15)
Molly is reminiscing about Mulvey from whom she learnt what kissing meant, and to whom she had told - for fun - that she was engaged (to be married in 3 years) to the son of a Spanish nobleman named Don Miguel de La Flora. (Well, if she did not marry La Flora, she did end up marrying Bloom: Flora, Bloom, Flower... there is a flower that bloometh...). Molly had taught Mulvey (who said that he was from Cappoquin, a small town on the River Black water in Ireland) how to count the pesetas and the perragordas, and all about the old Barbary apes. She thinks of the time they spent one day in May, on the day before he left, laying over the firtree cove, when she was wearing a white blouse that she had opened in the front to encourage him. Encouraged he certainly was, because she remembers that he wanted to touch mine with his for a moment which she wouldnt let him do. Ines, the old servant, had warned her that one drop even if it got into you at all, it would get you with a child embrazada. There follows in her thoughts quite a detailed description of their adventure together though lying in her bed now, Molly, who is not even sure of his name - Jack? Joe? Harry? - wonders about his age (about 40 perhaps), whether hes married some girl on the black water (his town in Ireland). She knows that she was a bit wild, and did things that the old Bishop preaching about womans higher functions would not approve. Not that she would mind as she thinks, God send him sense and me me more money!
Molly's thoughts turn to being Mrs. Bloom. She used to write it in print to see how it looked on a visiting card. In any case having Bloom as the last name is better than having Breen (Bloom had told her about meeting Mrs. Breen before he fell asleep) or Brigs or even Ramsbottom. Even Mulvey as a last name is not something she would be happy about. All these names turn her thoughts to her mother, who had such a lovely name: Lunita Laredo ("Little moon" of Laredo; 18.282, Gifford), and with whom she had fun running along Williss road to Europa Point (the southern tip of Gibraltar).
Mulvey's memories return. Molly would have wanted to give him a memento. He had given her a Claddagh ring for luck. She had given this pure 18 carrot gold ring to Gardner, who had a mustache (Mulvey was cleanshaven), and who later died of enteric fever in South Africa.
The sound of the train interrupts the flow of thoughts again. That weeping tone leads Molly to think of Love's Old Sweet Song, one of the songs she had rehearsed the previous afternoon with Boylan. Singing, music, concerts, remind Molly of her competitors, a lot of squealers. Molly obviously has little 'respect' regarding these Irish homemade beauties, because she knew more about men and life when she was 15 than theyll all know at 50.
Molly's feeling some wind inside - just as Bloom did at the end of Sirens, chapter 11 - makes her wish for even a bath, her own room, or at least own bed, so that she would not feel his cold feet on her. Her thoughts alternate for a while between songs, singing techniques, whatever caused the wind - (if that pork chop I took with my cup of tea after was quite good), and winter in Gibraltar, where that fellow opposite used to be there the whole time watching (Molly hopping around in her room in her skin) with the lights out.
All these memories, jumbling inside her brain, lead her away from any hope of sleep. Her thoughts return to Bloom, and his giving orders for eggs and tea and Findon hardy and hot buttered toast. Actually we did not read at the end of the previous chapter that Bloom told Molly to bring breakfast in the morning, though this chapter started with Molly thinking he never did a thing like that before. She in fact loves to hear him falling up the stairs of a morning with the cups rattling on the tray. We have come a full circle almost. The previous morning Bloom had brought her breakfast in bed, had played with the cat in the kitchen. Like Bloom (Calypso, chapter 4) Molly wonders do they (cats) see anything that we cant.
Molly is reminiscing about Mulvey from whom she learnt what kissing meant, and to whom she had told - for fun - that she was engaged (to be married in 3 years) to the son of a Spanish nobleman named Don Miguel de La Flora. (Well, if she did not marry La Flora, she did end up marrying Bloom: Flora, Bloom, Flower... there is a flower that bloometh...). Molly had taught Mulvey (who said that he was from Cappoquin, a small town on the River Black water in Ireland) how to count the pesetas and the perragordas, and all about the old Barbary apes. She thinks of the time they spent one day in May, on the day before he left, laying over the firtree cove, when she was wearing a white blouse that she had opened in the front to encourage him. Encouraged he certainly was, because she remembers that he wanted to touch mine with his for a moment which she wouldnt let him do. Ines, the old servant, had warned her that one drop even if it got into you at all, it would get you with a child embrazada. There follows in her thoughts quite a detailed description of their adventure together though lying in her bed now, Molly, who is not even sure of his name - Jack? Joe? Harry? - wonders about his age (about 40 perhaps), whether hes married some girl on the black water (his town in Ireland). She knows that she was a bit wild, and did things that the old Bishop preaching about womans higher functions would not approve. Not that she would mind as she thinks, God send him sense and me me more money!
Molly's thoughts turn to being Mrs. Bloom. She used to write it in print to see how it looked on a visiting card. In any case having Bloom as the last name is better than having Breen (Bloom had told her about meeting Mrs. Breen before he fell asleep) or Brigs or even Ramsbottom. Even Mulvey as a last name is not something she would be happy about. All these names turn her thoughts to her mother, who had such a lovely name: Lunita Laredo ("Little moon" of Laredo; 18.282, Gifford), and with whom she had fun running along Williss road to Europa Point (the southern tip of Gibraltar).
Mulvey's memories return. Molly would have wanted to give him a memento. He had given her a Claddagh ring for luck. She had given this pure 18 carrot gold ring to Gardner, who had a mustache (Mulvey was cleanshaven), and who later died of enteric fever in South Africa.
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| Image source: http://galwaycity.galway-ireland.ie/claddagh-ring.htm |
Molly's feeling some wind inside - just as Bloom did at the end of Sirens, chapter 11 - makes her wish for even a bath, her own room, or at least own bed, so that she would not feel his cold feet on her. Her thoughts alternate for a while between songs, singing techniques, whatever caused the wind - (if that pork chop I took with my cup of tea after was quite good), and winter in Gibraltar, where that fellow opposite used to be there the whole time watching (Molly hopping around in her room in her skin) with the lights out.
All these memories, jumbling inside her brain, lead her away from any hope of sleep. Her thoughts return to Bloom, and his giving orders for eggs and tea and Findon hardy and hot buttered toast. Actually we did not read at the end of the previous chapter that Bloom told Molly to bring breakfast in the morning, though this chapter started with Molly thinking he never did a thing like that before. She in fact loves to hear him falling up the stairs of a morning with the cups rattling on the tray. We have come a full circle almost. The previous morning Bloom had brought her breakfast in bed, had played with the cat in the kitchen. Like Bloom (Calypso, chapter 4) Molly wonders do they (cats) see anything that we cant.
