-Here. It’s about the Creator and the soul. Rrm... rrm... rrm... Ah! without a possibility of ever approaching nearer. That’s heresy.

Stephen murmured:

-I meant without a possibility of ever reaching.

It was a submission and Mr Tate, appeased, folded up the essay and passed it across to him, saying:

-O... Ah! ever reaching. That’s another story.

But the class was not so soon appeased. Though nobody spoke to him of the affair after class he could feel about him a vague general malignant joy.

A few nights after this public chiding he was walking with a letter along the Drumcondra Road when he heard a voice cry:

-Halt!

He turned and saw three boys of his own class coming towards him in the dusk. It was Heron who had called out and, as he marched forward between his two attendants, he cleft the air before him with a thin cane, in time to their steps. Boland, his friend, marched beside him, a large grin on his face, while Nash came on a few steps behind, blowing from the pace and wagging his great red head.

As soon as the boys had turned into Clonliffe Road together they began to speak about books and writers, saying what books they were reading and how many books there were in their fathers’ bookcases at home. Stephen listened to them in some wonderment for Boland was the dunce and Nash the idler of the class. In fact after some talk about their favourite writers Nash declared for Captain Marryat who, he said, was the greatest writer.

-Fudge! said Heron. Ask Dedalus. Who is the greatest writer, Dedalus?

Stephen noted the mockery in the question and said:

-Of prose do you mean?

-Yes.

-Newman, I think.

-Is it Cardinal Newman? asked Boland.

-Yes, answered Stephen.

The grin broadened on Nash’s freckled face as he turned to Stephen and said:

-And do you like Cardinal Newman, Dedalus?

-O, many say that Newman has the best prose style, Heron said to the other two in explanation. Of course he’s not a poet.

-And who is the best poet, Heron? asked Boland.

-Lord Tennyson, of course, answered Heron.

-O, yes, Lord Tennyson, said Nash. We have all his poetry at home in a book.

At this Stephen forgot the silent vows he had been making and