Swish and soft flop her stays made on the bed. Always warm from her. Always liked to let herself out. Sitting there after till near two, taking out her hairpins. Milly tucked up in beddyhouse. Happy. Happy. That was the night …
―O, Mr Bloom, how do you do?
―O, how do you do, Mrs Breen?
―No use complaining. How is Molly those times? Haven’t seen her for ages.
―In the pink, Mr Bloom said gaily, Milly has a position down in Mullingar, you know.
―Go away! Isn’t that grand for her?
―Yes, in a photographer’s there. Getting on like a house on fire. How are all your charges?
―All on the baker’s list, Mrs Breen said.
How many has she? No other in sight.
―You’re in black I see. You have no …
―No, Mr Bloom said. I have just come from a funeral.
Going to crop up all day, I foresee. Who’s dead, when and what did he die of? Turn up like a bad penny.
―O dear me, Mrs Breen said, I hope it wasn’t any near relation.
May as well get her sympathy.
―Dignam, Mr Bloom said. An old friend of mine. He died quite suddenly, poor fellow. Heart trouble, I believe. Funeral was this morning.