Ulysses page-by-page: Page 15 (1.437-475) "No, thank... month."

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Delaney: [36] [37] Useen: [41] [42] [43] [map] [*]
Delaney: [35]

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— No, thank you, sir, the old woman said, slipping the ring of the milkcan on her forearm and about to go.

Delaney: [36]

Haines said to her:
— Have you your bill? We had better pay her, Mulligan, hadn't we?

Haines imposes stricter (more humorless) ethics

Stephen filled again the three cups.
— Bill, sir? she said, halting. Well, it's seven mornings a pint at twopence is seven twos is a shilling and twopence over and these three mornings a quart at fourpence is three quarts is a shilling. That's a shilling and one and two is two and two, sir.

She keeps it in her head, maybe illiterate but intelligent

June 7-13, one pint ($1.08 now) = 7*2p = 14p = 1s/2p
June 14-16, one quart = 3*4p = 12p = 1s
one or two of them have only been there three days

Buck Mulligan sighed and, having filled his mouth with a crust thickly buttered on both sides, stretched forth his legs and began to search his trouser pockets.
— Pay up and look pleasant, Haines said to him smiling.

smug smile
the saying 'Pay up and look pleasant' goes back to 1874

Stephen filled a third cup, a spoonful of tea colouring faintly the thick rich milk.

(Has SD added the spoon of tea to his milk? After two cups, there shouldn't be anywhere near a residual spoonful)
this anticipates the gulfstream/honey on p16

Buck Mulligan brought up a florin, twisted it round in his fingers and cried:
— A miracle!

copper, larger than our quarter, worth two shillings, $13 now

He passed it along the table towards the old woman, saying:
— Ask nothing more of me, sweet.
All I can give you I give.

Swinburne's Oblation (many musical settings) sheetmusic

There's no hint BM is singing, but this setting by Marzials was probably known to him:

Stephen laid the coin in her uneager hand.

1908 notebook: "Gogarty: His money smells bad." (even to her?!?)

— We'll owe twopence, he said.
— Time enough, sir, she said, taking the coin. Time enough. Good morning, sir.
She curtseyed and went out, followed by Buck Mulligan's tender chant:
— Heart of my heart, were it more,
More would be laid at your feet.
He turned to Stephen and said:
— Seriously, Dedalus. I'm stony. Hurry out to your school kip and bring us back some money. Today the bards must drink and junket. Ireland expects that every man this day will do his duty.

stony broke
[♬ England expects that every man this day will do his duty]

— That reminds me, Haines said, rising, that I have to visit your national library today.

(is it significant that Ireland had a national library before it won independence?)

Delaney: [37]

— Our swim first, Buck Mulligan said.
He turned to Stephen and asked blandly:
— Is this the day for your monthly wash, Kinch?
Then he said to Haines:
— The unclean bard makes a point of washing once a month.

Joyce was notably unwashed in those days. (At Belvedere he'd been an enthusiastic swimmer.)

mysteries:

[DD 01:50-03:47]