— I — [ 1 ] Stately , plump came from , bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed .
A yellow dressinggown , ungirdled , was sustained gently behind on the mild morning air .
held the bowl aloft and intoned : — Introibo ad altare Dei .
Halted , peered down and called out coarsely : — Come up , !
Come up , !
Solemnly came forward and mounted .
faced about and blessed gravely thrice , and .
Then , catching sight of , bent towards and made rapid crosses in the air , gurgling in throat and shaking head .
, displeased and sleepy , leaned arms on and looked coldly at the shaking gurgling face that blessed , equine in its length , and at the light untonsured hair , grained and hued like pale oak .
peeped an instant under the mirror and then covered the bowl smartly .
— Back to !
said sternly .
added in ’s tone : — For this , , is : and blood and ouns .
Slow music , please .
Shut eyes , .
One moment .
A little trouble about those white corpuscles .
Silence , all .
peered sideways up and gave a long slow whistle of call , then paused awhile in rapt attention , even white teeth glistening here and there with gold points .
Chrysostomos .
Two strong shrill whistles answered through the calm .
— Thanks , , cried briskly .
That will do nicely .
Switch off the current , will ?
skipped off and looked gravely at , gathering about legs the loose folds of gown .
recalled .
A pleasant smile broke quietly over lips .
— The mockery of it !
said gaily .
absurd name , an ancient Greek !
pointed finger in friendly jest and went over to , laughing to .
stepped up , followed wearily halfway and sat down on the edge of , watching still as propped mirror on , dipped the brush in the bowl and lathered cheeks and neck .
’s gay voice went on .
— name is absurd too : , two dactyls .
But it has a Hellenic ring , has n’t it ?
Tripping and sunny like the buck .
must go to .
Will come if can get to fork out twenty quid ?
laid the brush aside and , laughing with delight , cried : — Will come ?
!
Ceasing , began to shave with care .
— Tell , , said quietly .
— Yes , love ?
— How long is going to stay in ?
showed a shaven cheek over right shoulder .
— , is n’t dreadful ?
said frankly .
.
thinks ’re not .
God , these bloody !
Bursting with money and indigestion .
Because comes from .
know , , have the real manner .
ca n’t make out .
O , name for is the best : , the knife-blade .
shaved warily over chin .
— was raving all night about a black panther , said .
Where is guncase ?
— !
said .
Were in a funk ?
— was , said with energy and growing fear .
Out here in the dark with .
saved from drowning .
’m not , however .
If stays on here am off .
frowned at the lather on razorblade .
hopped down from perch and began to search trouser pockets hastily .
— Scutter !
cried thickly .
came over to and , thrusting a hand into ’s upper pocket , said : — Lend a loan of noserag to wipe razor .
suffered to pull out and hold up on show by its corner a dirty crumpled handkerchief .
wiped the razorblade neatly .
Then , gazing over the handkerchief , said : — ’s noserag !
A new art colour for : snotgreen .
can almost taste it , ca n’t ?
mounted to again and gazed out over , fair oakpale hair stirring slightly .
— !
said quietly .
Is n’t what calls : ?
.
.
Epi oinopa ponton .
Ah , , !
must teach .
must read in the original .
Thalatta !
Thalatta !
is .
Come and look .
stood up and went over to .
Leaning on looked down on and on clearing .
— !
said .
turned abruptly grey searching eyes from to ’s face .
— thinks killed , said .
That ’s why wo n’t let have anything to do with .
— Someone killed , said gloomily .
— could have knelt down , damn it , , when asked , said .
’m hyperborean as much as .
But to think of begging with last breath to kneel down and pray for .
And refused .
There is something sinister in ... .
broke off and lathered again lightly farther cheek .
A tolerant smile curled lips .
— But !
murmured to .
, !
shaved evenly and with care , in silence , seriously .
, an elbow rested on the jagged granite , leaned palm against brow and gazed at the fraying edge of shiny black coat-sleeve .
Pain , that was not yet the pain of love , fretted heart .
Silently , in a dream had come to after death , wasted body within its loose brown graveclothes giving off an odour of wax and rosewood , breath , that had bent upon , mute , reproachful , a faint odour of wetted ashes .
Across the threadbare cuffedge saw by .
held a dull green mass of liquid .
A bowl of white china had stood beside deathbed holding the green sluggish bile which had torn up from rotting liver by fits of loud groaning vomiting .
wiped again razorblade .
— Ah , !
said in a kind voice .
must give a shirt and a few noserags .
How are the secondhand breeks ?
— They fit well enough , answered .
attacked the hollow beneath underlip .
— The mockery of it , said contentedly .
Secondleg they should be .
knows what poxy bowsy left them off .
have a lovely pair with a hair stripe , grey .
’ll look spiffing in them .
’m not joking , .
look damn well when ’re dressed .
— Thanks , said .
ca n’t wear them if they are grey .
— ca n’t wear them , told face in the mirror .
Etiquette is etiquette .
kills but ca n’t wear grey trousers .
folded razor neatly and with stroking palps of fingers felt the smooth skin .
turned gaze from and to .
— , said , says have g. p. i. ’s up in with .
General paralysis of the insane !
swept the mirror a half circle in the air to flash the tidings abroad in sunlight now radiant on .
curling shaven lips laughed and the edges of white glittering teeth .
Laughter seized all strong wellknit trunk .
— Look at , said , !
bent forward and peered at the mirror held out to , cleft by a crooked crack .
Hair on end .
As and others see .
Who chose this face for ?
.
It asks too .
— pinched it out of , said .
It does all right .
always keeps for .
Lead not into temptation .
And name is .
Laughing again , brought the mirror away from ’s peering eyes .
— The rage of at not seeing face in a mirror , said .
If were only alive to see !
Drawing back and pointing , said with bitterness : — It is a symbol of Irish art .
The cracked lookingglass of .
suddenly linked arm in ’s and walked with round , razor and mirror clacking in the pocket where had thrust them .
— It ’s not fair to tease like that , , is it ?
said kindly .
knows have more spirit than any of .
Parried again .
fears the lancet of art as fear that of .
The cold steel pen .
— Cracked lookingglass of !
Tell that to and touch for a guinea .
’s stinking with money and thinks ’re not .
made tin by selling jalap to or some bloody swindle or other .
God , , if and could only work together might do something for .
Hellenise it .
’s arm .
arm .
— And to think of having to beg from .
’m the only one that knows what are .
Why do n’t trust more ?
What have up nose against ?
Is it ?
If makes any noise here ’ll bring down and ’ll give a ragging worse than gave .