payment page
Lenehan and Corley, two men whose occupations are suspiciously vague, walk through the streets of central Dublin on a warm August evening. The two men are walking down the hill of Rutland Square after spending the day drinking at a local bar. The narrator offers a detailed physical description of the two friends. Lenehan is described as being “squat” and “ruddy” and dressed in a yachting cap, a waterproof (coat), white breeches, and rubber shoes. The narrator goes on to explain that Lenehan’s clothing makes him look young at first glance. However, his round figure, his “scant” and “grey” hair, and his ravaged face make him look older. Lenehan is quiet and observant as he walks down the street and listens to Corley dominate the conversation. Corley is so invested in what he is talking about that Lenehan is routinely forced to take a step into the road because Corley is not paying attention to where he is walking. Lenehan is amused, however, and does not mind because he is entertained by Corley’s narrative. Corley is described as being a self-centered and burly man who is the son of a police officer. He is described as being a large individual with a large, “oily” head who is known to sweat profusely regardless of the season. The narrator states that Corley usually knows the inner workings of other people’s affairs and often gives information over to the police, and it is implied that he is compensated for doing so.
As the men walk down the street, Corley tells his friend about his latest romantic interest, a maid who works at a wealthy home and with whom he has a date that evening. He brags about the cigarettes and cigars the maid pilfers for him from the house. He is also pleased because he has expertly managed to score a date with this young woman without ever giving his name. Lenehan listens patiently, occasionally offering a question or a clichéd response. As the men talk, they reveal a plan that they have hatched without giving the reader any details. Lenehan repeatedly asks Corley if he thinks the maid is right for their business, which launches Corley into a short lecture on the utility of a good maid or “slavey.” Unlike other women who insist on being compensated, Corley explains, slaveys pitch in.
Corley then pauses, wistfully, as he recalls one of his former lovers. He tells Lenehan that he has recently discovered that she now works as a prostitute. He explains that he came to this conclusion when he saw her driving in a car on Earl Street with two men. Lenehan is amused by Corley’s tale and jokes that Corley, who seems to excel at pimping, must have encouraged such a profession. Corley retorts that there were “others at her before [him]” but Lenehan is unconvinced, and says as much.
