Page:Ulysses, 1922.djvu/198

Rh
 * Mocker:
 * And therefore he left out her name
 * From the first draft but he did not leave out
 * The presents for his granddaughter, for his daughters,
 * For his sister, for his old cronies in Stratford
 * And in London. And therefore when he was urged,
 * As I believe, to name her
 * He left her his
 * Secondbest
 * Bed.


 * Leftherhis
 * Secondbest
 * Leftherhis
 * Bestabed
 * Secabest
 * Leftabed.

Woa!

—Pretty countryfolk had few chattels then, John Eglinton observed, as they have still if our peasant plays are true to type.

—He was a rich countrygentleman, Stephen said, with a coat of arms and landed estate at Stratford and a house in Ireland yard, a capitalist shareholder, a bill promoter, a tithefarmer. Why did he not leave her his best bed if he wished her to snore away the rest of her nights in peace?

—It is clear that there were two beds, a best and a secondbest, Mr Secondbest Best said finely.

—Separatio a mensa et a thalamo, bettered Buck Mulligan and was smiled on.

—Antiquity mentions famous beds, Second Eglinton puckered, bedsmiling,bedsmiling. [sic] Let me think.

—Antiquity mentions that Stagyrite schoolurchin and bald heathen sage, Stephen said, who when dying in exile frees and endows his slaves, pays tribute to his elders, wills to be laid in earth near the bones of his dead wife and bids his friends be kind to an old mistress (don’t forget Nell Gwynn Herpyllis) and let her live in his villa.