Page 128 - a-portrait-of-the-artist-as-a-young-man

AROMATIZANS ODOREM DEDI ET QUASI MYRRHA
ELECTA DEDI SUAVITATEM ODORIS.
His sin, which had covered him from the sight of God,
had led him nearer to the refuge of sinners. Her eyes seemed
to regard him with mild pity; her holiness, a strange light
glowing faintly upon her frail flesh, did not humiliate the
sinner who approached her. If ever he was impelled to cast
sin from him and to repent the impulse that moved him
was the wish to be her knight. If ever his soul, re-entering
her dwelling shyly after the frenzy of his body’s lust had
spent itself, was turned towards her whose emblem is the
morning star, BRIGHT AND MUSICAL, TELLING OF
HEAVEN AND INFUSING PEACE, it was when her names
were murmured softly by lips whereon there still lingered
foul and shameful words, the savour itself of a lewd kiss.
That was strange. He tried to think how it could be. But
the dusk, deepening in the schoolroom, covered over his
thoughts. The bell rang. The master marked the sums and
cuts to be done for the next lesson and went out. Heron, be-
side Stephen, began to hum tunelessly.
MY EXCELLENT FRIEND BOMBADOS.
Ennis, who had gone to the yard, came back, saying:
—The boy from the house is coming up for the rector.
A tall boy behind Stephen rubbed his hands and said:
—That’s game ball. We can scut the whole hour. He won’t
be in till after half two. Then you can ask him questions on
the catechism, Dedalus.
Stephen, leaning back and drawing idly on his scribbler,
listened to the talk about him which Heron checked from

128 A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man