"Stay where you're dummy!"

(333.19-335.14)  Today's reading resumes with Kate as the central focus of the scene.  She has come from upstairs with a message for HCE from ALP, who is in the bedroom in her "sari chemise."  Condensed and paraphrased, the message is essentially that the children are sleeping in bed, so HCE should feel free to come upstairs and join ALP in bed.  In keeping with the rest of the Wake, the message's tone could be interpreted in a variety of ways at once, from a sense of concern for HCE (come upstairs before you get too drunk and fall again) to a sense of erotic encouragement (come upstairs and take care of this "hot and tot lass").

With the message delivered, three men make comments that echo Kate's previous tour of the Wellington Museum at the beginning of the book.  These three -- Gladstone Browne, Bonaparte Nolan, and an unnamed third -- recall Wellington and Napoleon as well as Browne and Nolan, figures who have featured prominently throughout the book.  They could be the three soldiers commenting on themselves or HCE, or they could be various parts of HCE's personality commenting on himself or the patrons in the pub.  After their brief commentary, the assembled patrons raise a toast to the queen ("her midgetsy the lady of the comeallyous"), ALP.

HCE and Kate perform some chores around the pub, and the patrons' attention turns toward a photo on the wall.  The photo is also two things at once:  a depiction of a hunt (with its men on horseback and dogs leading the way) and a depiction of the Charge of the Light Brigade.  Kate leaves, and a momentary silence falls over the pub (denoted by "(Silents)").  The patrons comment about how they've studied the print on the wall, and their talk is interrupted by a radio commercial for "Carlowman's Cup" in Chapelizod.

At the conclusion of today's reading, the stage is set for a new tale (a "grimm grimm tale of the four of hyacinths"):  the story of how "Bullyclubber burgherly shut the rush in general."  This is none other than the often-hinted at saga of how Buckley shot the Russian General.  My secondary sources indicate that there will be a number of additional interruptions before this tale officially commences, so tomorrow will tell which direction we'll go in next.