7 Eccles Street - Ithaca

Bloom and Stephen walk along Gardiner Street towards Bloom’s house in Eccles St. Bloom has invited Stephen home for a cup of cocoa. The form of the narrative is a catechism. Both questions and answers become more and more obscure forcing the reader to decipher what is happening by inference. Bloom remembers that he has forgotten his latch key. They are the “keyless couple”. He devises a stratagem and hops over the railings letting himself down to the back door and enters the house. He returns, lets Stephen in, brings him to the kitchen, makes a fire, washes his hands and then make them both cocoa. They talk into the night. They go outside to urinate. They shake hands and Stephen leaves. Bloom returns to the front room and bangs his head because Molly has rearranged the furniture. He imagines owning a cottage in Dundrum. He goes to bed and sleeps.