Page 1038 - ULYSSES

Ulysses

—Spaniards, for instance, he continued, passionate
temperaments like that, impetuous as Old Nick, are given
to taking the law into their own hands and give you your
quietus doublequick with those poignards they carry in the

abdomen. It comes from the great heat, climate generally.
My wife is, so to speak, Spanish, half that is. Point of fact
she could actually claim Spanish nationality if she wanted,
having been born in (technically) Spain, i.e. Gibraltar. She
has the Spanish type. Quite dark, regular brunette, black. I
for one certainly believe climate accounts for character.
That’s why I asked you if you wrote your poetry in
Italian.
—The temperaments at the door, Stephen interposed
with, were very passionate about ten shillings. Roberto ruba
roba sua.
—Quite so, Mr Bloom dittoed.
—Then, Stephen said staring and rambling on to
himself or some unknown listener somewhere, we have
the impetuosity of Dante and the isosceles triangle miss
Portinari he fell in love with and Leonardo and san
Tommaso Mastino.
—It’s in the blood, Mr Bloom acceded at once. All are
washed in the blood of the sun. Coincidence I just
happened to be in the Kildare street museum 890 today,

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