k off his cap
and, after about ten seconds, Corley returned a salute to the air. This
he did by raising his hand vaguely and pensively changing the angle of
position of his hat.

Lenehan walked as far as the Shelbourne Hotel where he halted and
waited. After waiting for a little time he saw them coming towards him
and, when they turned to the right, he followed them, stepping lightly
in his white shoes, down one side of Merrion Square. As he walked on
slowly, timing his pace to theirs, he watched Corley's head which turned
at every moment towards the young woman's face like a big ball revolving
on a pivot. He kept the pair in view until he had seen them climbing the
stairs of the Donnybrook tram; then he turned about and went back the
way he had come.

Now that he was alone his face looked older. His gaiety seemed to
forsake him and, as he came by the railings of the Duke's Lawn, he
allowed his hand to run along them. The air which the harpist had played
began to control his movements His softly padded feet played the melody
while his fingers swept a scale of variations idly along the railings
after each group of notes.

He walked listlessly round Stephen's Green and then down Grafton Street.
Though his eyes took note of many elements of the crowd through which
he passed they did so morosely. He found trivial all that was meant to
charm him and did not answer the glances which invited him to be bold.
He knew that he would have to speak a great deal, to invent and to amuse
and his brain and throat were too dry for such a task. The problem of
how he could pass the hours till he met Corley again troubled him a
little. He could think of no way of passing them but to keep on walking.
He turned to the left when he came to the corner of Rutland Square and
felt more at ease in the dark quiet street, the sombre look of which
suited his mood. He paused at last before the window of a poor-looking
shop over which the words Refreshment Bar were printed in white letters.
On the glass of the window were two flying inscriptions: Ginger Beer and
Ginger Ale. A cut ham was exposed on a great blue dish while near it
on a plate lay a segment of very light plum-pudding. He eyed this food
earnestly for some time and then, after glancing warily up and down the
street, went into the shop quickly.

He was hungry for, except some biscuits which he had asked two grudging
curates to bring him, he had eaten nothing since breakfast-time. He
sat