The unsanitary Dublin gambler Bantam Lyons spends the morning in pubs and creates a controversy after misunderstanding Bloom during a conversation on the street in “Lotus Eaters.” Lyons asks to borrow Bloom’s newspaper to check the odds for the Ascot Gold Cup horserace, and Bloom gives him the paper and comments that he was just “going to throw it away.” Lyons thinks Bloom is hinting that the horse Throwaway will win the race, and he spreads a rumor about Bloom’s bet throughout the day. When Throwaway does win, against all odds, Lenehan, Joe Hynes, and the citizen turn against Bloom because they assume he must have won a bunch of money.