―Could a swim duck? says I.

―Same again, Terry, says Joe. Are you sure you won’t have anything in the way of liquid refreshment? says he.

―Thank you, no, says Bloom. As a matter of fact I just wanted to meet Martin Cunningham, don’t you see, about this insurance of poor Dignam’s. Martin asked me to go to the house. You see, he, Dignam, I mean, didn’t serve any notice of the assignment on the company at the time and nominally under the act the mortgagee can’t recover on the policy.

―Holy Wars, says Joe laughing, that’s a good one if old Shylock is landed. So the wife comes out top dog, what?

―Well, that’s a point, says Bloom, for the wife’s admirers.

―Whose admirers? says Joe.

―The wife’s advisers, I mean, says Bloom.