Page 408 (15.1-22) "(The Mabbot... great light?"

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1909 map

even though it's after 11pm on a Thursday, there's still a "crowd" hanging out here, including children (1901 census)

(The Mabbot street entrance of nighttown, before which stretches an uncobbled tramsiding set with skeleton tracks, red and green will-o'-the-wisps and danger signals. Rows of grimy houses with gaping doors. Rare lamps with faint rainbow fans.

draft: "(Night town. Rows of grimy houses with gaping doors. Rare smoky lamps."

(all lightsources are muted/imperfect)

Faithful place (around the corner)

"Rare lamps" = few?
"rainbow fans" = trick of eye, or prism-glass?

Round Rabaiotti's halted ice gondola stunted men and women squabble. They grab wafers between which are wedged lumps of coral and copper snow. Sucking, they scatter slowly. Children. The swancomb of the gondola, highreared, forges on through the murk, white and blue under a lighthouse. Whistles call and answer.)

draft: "Little men and women squabble for ices round a halted gondola. They receive wafers between which are wedged lumps of coral and coppery snow. The little men and women scatter slowly, sucking up the melting coloured snow. They are children. The high reared comb of the gondola pushes on through the dark, passing under the lamplight, white and blue. Whistles are heard in the distance, calling and answering: Wait, my lover, and I'll be with you." 

at least 3 kids so far

see also p216

"stunted" = poor diet and pollution stunted children's growth and prematurely aged them

Neapolitan icecream sandwich c1905?

comparing Venetian gondolas to swan's necks goes back to 1730 in English. i don't find any evidence that Rabaiotti's carts were called gondolas, or had any swan-shaped neck. swans don't have combs/crests on their heads, either. (what lighthouse? is this part of Rabaiotti's logo?)

there must be an adult tending the cart, and two unseen adults whistling


THE CALLS
Wait, my love, and I'll be with you.

(song lyric??)

'Wait a moment, my love; don't be frightened-- and I'll be with you, -- as soon as I can find the door.' [1843]


THE ANSWERS
Round behind the stable.

the romantic image deflated as a crude meetup

(A deafmute idiot with goggle eyes, his shapeless mouth dribbling, jerks past, shaken in Saint Vitus' dance. A chain of children's hands imprisons him.)

 this is the first 'visible' adult

30sec video

(at least four kids now, maybe still the icecream ones)


THE CHILDREN
Kithogue! Salute!

left hand, left handed [eg] cf 'deshil'
or just clumsy (would they notice if his right arm is useless?)


THE IDIOT
(Lifts a palsied left arm and gurgles.) Ghahute!

(he knows left from right, then? and reads lips???)

Gabler imposes a nonauthorial style on all these stage directions, dropping caps and fullstops


THE CHILDREN
Where's the great light?

Masonic imagery?

used by Pater, of Bruno [1889]

>

mysteries: design of icecream carts


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