"he obdurately sniffed the cobwebcrusted corks"

(36.7-38.8)  Today's reading picks up with HCE continuing to defend himself to the Cad.  Standing before the scene of his alleged crime, HCE salutes Wellington Monument (also the site of Willingdone Museyroom, which we toured in chapter one) before addressing the Cad with a stutter.  "Shsh shake, co-comeraid!" he says.  He feels like he's equal to the Cad (as opposed to his accusers, who outnumber him five-to-one).  HCE firmly believes that he's in the right, and he tells the Cad that he's "woo-woo willing to take my stand, sir, upon the monument, that sign of our ruru redemption" and to make an oath on the open Bible before his countrymen, royalty, God, and clergy -- as well as "every living sohole" in every corner of the British Empire -- that "there is not one tittle of truth . . . in that purest of fibfib fabrications."  

With HCE's defense complete, the Cad -- now referred to as "Gaping Gill" takes his leave (rather politely) and goes about his business "saulting corpses, as a metter of corse."  On his way home, the Cad meditates on his encounter with HCE and repeats "in his secondmouth language as many of the bigtimer's verbaten words which he could balbly call to memory."  Once home, the Cad spits (a rather rude gesture, but one done "in careful convertedness") and then enjoys a hearty meal.  The Cad tops off the meal by enjoying some wine, and we're left with the image of him "obdurately" sniffing the bottles' "cobwebcrusted corks."

As I venture further into this second chapter of Finnegans Wake (I'm actually almost halfway through this chapter -- it looks like it's one of the shorter ones), I'm beginning to get a sense how the book will be expanding upon some of the material introduced in the opening chapter.  The first chapter, for example, detailed the Fall of both Finnegan and Wellington.  Each of those falls is situated in Phoenix Park, which is also the site of HCE's crime and the place where he encounters the Cad.  In a sense, HCE's salute to Wellington Monument in today's passage serves as recognition of HCE's link to Finnegan and Wellington, and it further establishes him as another figure in their lineage.