Ulysses page-by-page: Page 23 (1.729-744) "His plump... Usurper."

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His plump body plunged.
— We'll see you again, Haines said, turning as Stephen walked up the path, and smiling at wild Irish.
Horn of a bull, hoof of a horse, smile of a Saxon.
— The Ship, Buck Mulligan cried. Half twelve.
— Good, Stephen said.

'wild Irish' is the Saxon's way of repackaging bad behavior into a cliche

Gaelic saying: 'An trí rud is dainséaraí amuigh: éadan tairbh, deireadh staile, gáire an tSasanaigh' = The three [four] most dangerous things there are: the front of a bull, the back of a stallion, [the growl of a dog,] the laugh of an Englishman.

"Irish men would all beware / the dog's loud bark and then take care, / the bull's white horn, the horse's hoof / and the smile of an Englishman under your roof" [Delaney]

Telemachus to Athena: "after thou hast bathed... wend to the ship"
BM is anticipating drinking SD's pay at the pub mentioned on page 6 above
SD's "Good" is unexpected-- doesn't he mean the opposite?

He walked along the upwardcurving path.

Liliata rutilantium.
Turma circumdet.
Iubilantium te virginum.

cf p10 above:
Liliata rutilantium = bright as lilies
turma = company (of confessors)
circumdet: = may they encompass (you)
iubilantium = jubilant
te = (accept) you
virginum = virgins
(is he paring away excess words again? wishing his mother well? wishing BM ill? calming himself?)
"upwardcurving" sounds hopeful, too

The priest's grey nimbus in a niche where he dressed discreetly. I will not sleep here tonight. Home also I cannot go.
A voice, sweettoned and sustained, called to him from the sea. Turning the curve he waved his hand. It called again. A sleek brown head, a seal's, far out on the water, round.
Usurper.

'nimbus' = cloud (so, grey more threatening than white? two pages ago it was a 'garland')
niche in rocky shore (cf niches for statues of saints?)

what has changed that he can't return? is it significant that there's no paragraph break-- was it BM's hypocritical crossing-self that cemented it?

"sweettoned" makes BM sound sympathetic (or seductive?)

the curve: Delaney suggests SD thinks he's moving out of the bathers' sight here, but BM has swum out so far he's still barely visible?

but is this a real seal, or Mulligan?
seal = maybe folklore fallen angel (selkie)
'Roundheads' = British who favored Parliament over king
usurpers: suitors in Homer, Claudius in Hamlet, British in Ireland

Hamlet V.ii "Popp'd in between the election and my hopes"

mysteries: why 'Good'? why the Latin? why the decision? real seal or BM?

[DD 02:32-04:02]