"heaven help his hindmost"

(290.5-292.4)  Resuming with the portion of the long parenthetical that focuses on Isabel, we learn that the "niche of time" she's in is 4.32 M.P., which in part recalls the year St. Patrick landed in Ireland, 432 A.D.  Much of today's passage focuses on the legend of Tristan and Isolde.  For instance, we see the Isabel figure giving the Dolph figure a "cuddlebath," much like Isolde bathed Tristan to help him recover from his wounds.  Isabel "could never have forefelt, as she yet will fearfeel" what is to come "when the lovenext breaks out" and Dolph has completed his conquest.

As the passage moves along, that conquest is detailed.  Dolph returns, "doubling back, in nowtime," to "mount miss (the wooeds of Fogloot!) under that chemise de fer and a vanrtyproof name, Mulatusi."  In one sense, this emphasizes the St. Patrick parallel (as McHugh notes), for St. Patrick worked as a boy on Mt. Mish, was called back to Ireland by voices from the Wood of Foclut, and landed at the River Vantry.  In another sense, this is Joyce engaging in erotic wordplay, with Dolph having a sexual affair with Isabel.  With the conquest complete, Isabel is made into "a lonely peggy," and isolated from the outside world.  She does draw sympathetic attention from men who "console with her at her mirrorable gracewindow'd hut."

The narrator proceeds to express some disgust with the way Dolph treats Isabel:  "but to think of him foundling a nelliza the second."  And at the conclusion of today's reading, the narrator takes things a step further:  "if that is what lamoor that of gentle breast rathe is intaken seems circling toward out yondest . . . heaven help his hindmost."  This phrase "circling toward out yondest" reminds us of the geometry theme we're in the midst of, and it points toward tomorrow's reading, in which we finish going through this parenthetical and return to the problem facing Kevin.