Bello:  (Points to his whores) As they are now so will you be, wigged, singed, perfumesprayed, ricepowdered, with smoothshaven armpits.  Tape measurements will be taken next your skin.  You will be laced with cruel force into vicelike corsets of soft dove coutille with whalebone busk to the diamondtrimmed pelvis, the absolute outside edge, while your figure, plumper than when at large, will be restrained in nettight frocks, pretty two ounce petticoats and fringes and things stamped, of course, with my houseflag, creations of lovely lingerie for Alice and nice scent for Alice.  Alice will feel the pullpull.  Martha and Mary will be a little chilly at first in such delicate thighcasing but the frilly flimsiness of lace round your bare knees will remind you ...

Bloom:  (A charming soubrette with dauby cheeks, mustard hair and large male hands and nose, leering mouth) I tried her things on only twice, a small prank, in Holles street.  When we were hard up I washed them to save the laundry bill.  My own shirts I turned.  It was the purest thrift.

Bello:  (Jeers) Little jobs that make mother pleased, eh?  And showed off coquettishly in your domino at the mirror behind closedrawn blinds your unskirted thighs and hegoat’s udders in various poses of surrender, eh?  Ho! ho!  I have to laugh!  That secondhand black operatop shift and short trunkleg naughties all split up the stitches at her last rape that Mrs Miriam Dandrade sold you from the Shelbourne hotel, eh?

Bloom:  Miriam.  Black.  Demimondaine.

Bello:  (Guffaws) Christ Almighty it’s too tickling, this!  You were a nicelooking Miriam when you clipped off your backgate hairs and lay swooning in the thing across the bed as Mrs Dandrade about to be violated by lieutenant Smythe-Smythe, Mr Philip Augustus Blockwell M. P., signor Laci Daremo, the robust tenor, blueeyed Bert, the liftboy, Henri Fleury of Gordon Bennett fame, Sheridan, the quadroon Croesus, the varsity wetbob eight from old Trinity, Ponto, her splendid Newfoundland and Bobs, dowager duchess of Manorhamilton. (He guffaws again) Christ, wouldn’t it make a Siamese cat laugh?

Bloom:  (Her hands and features working) It was Gerald converted me to be a true corsetlover when I was female impersonator in the High School play vice versa.  It was dear Gerald.  He got that kink, fascinated by sister’s stays.  Now dearest Gerald uses pinky greasepaint and gilds his eyelids.  Cult of the beautiful.

Bello:  (With wicked glee) Beautiful!  Give us a breather!  When you took your seat with womanish care, lifting your billowy flounces, on the smoothworn throne.

Bloom:  Science.  To compare the various joys we each enjoy. (Earnestly) And really it’s better the position ... because often I used to wet ...