《道林·格雷的画像》


 The Preface

    the Preface

    tist is tor of beautiful things.

    to reveal art and conceal tist is arts aim.

    tic is ranslate into anoterial iful things.

    t as t form of criticism is a mode of autobiograpiful t  being charming.

    t.

    tiful meanings in beautiful tivated. For there is hope.

    t to y.

    tten, or badly ten.

    t is all.

    teentury dislike of realism is the rage of Caliban seeing his own face in a glass.

    teentury dislike of romanticism is t seeing his own face in a glass.

    t of t-matter of tist, but ty of art consists in t use of an imperfect medium. No artist desires to prove anyt are true can be proved.

    No artist hies.

    An etist is an unpardonable mannerism of style. No artist is ever morbid. tist can express everything.

    t and language are to tist instruments of an art.

    Vice and virtue are to tist materials for an art.

    From t of vieype of all ts is t of the musician.

    From t of vieors craft is type.

    All art is at once surface and symbol.

    t their peril.

    t their peril.

    It is tator, and not life, t art really mirrors.

    Diversity of opinion about a  s tal.

    ics disagree, tist is in accord h himself.

    e can forgive a man for making a useful t admire it. t one admires it intensely.

    All art is quite useless.

    OSCAR ILDE

 Chapter 1

    Cer 1

    tudio  summer irred amidst trees of t of te perfume of thorn.

    From tom, innumerable cigarettes, Lord ton could just catc and remulous branco bear ty so flamelike as tastic s flitted across tussore-silk curtains t retc of tary Japanese effect, and making ers of tokyo  is necessarily immobile, seek to convey tness and motion. tonous insistence round ty gilt raggling o make tillness more oppressive. te of a distant organ.

    In tre of to an uprigood trait of a young man of extraordinary personal beauty, and in front of it, some little distance ating tist  time, sucement and gave rise to so many strange conjectures.

    As ter looked at t, a smile of pleasure passed across  to linger t arted up, and closing  to imprison  awake.

    quot;It is your best  t; said Lord ;You must certainly send it next year to too large and too vulgar.  I  been able to see tures,  I  been able to see t;

    quot;I dont t any used to make   Oxford. quot;No, I  send it anyw;

    Lord ed   t curled up in sucainted cigarette. quot;Not send it anyo gain a reputation. As soon as you o  to t a is silly of you, for talked about, and t is not being talked about. A portrait like t you far above all te jealous, if old men are ever capable of any emotion.quot;

    quot;I kno; ;but I really cant ex it. I  too muco it.quot;

    Lord retc on t;Yes, I kne it is quite true, all t; quot;too muc! Upon my  kno see any resemblance betrong face and your coal-black  of ivory and rose-leaves. ellectual expression and all t. But beauty, real beauty, ends ual expression begins. Intellect is in itself a mode of exaggeration, and destroys t one sits doo t tly , of course, in t t t ty o say ural consequence ely deligerious young friend,  es me, never te sure of t. iful creature , and alo celligence. Dont flatter yourself, Basil: you are not in t like ;

    quot;You dont understand me, ; ansist. quot;Of course I am not like  perfectly rutality about all pellectual distinction, t of fatality t seems to dog tory tering steps of kings. It is better not to be different from ones felloupid  of it in t at t tory, t least spared t. turbed, indifferent, and  disquiet. t from alien ,  may be  terribly.quot;

    quot;Dorian Gray? Is t ; asked Lord udio towards Basil hallward.

    quot;Yes, t is  intend to tell it to you.quot;

    quot;But ;

    quot;O explain. ell to any one. It is like surrendering a part of to love secrecy. It seems to be t can make modern life mysterious or marvellous to us. t tful if one only . oell my people  some seems to bring a great deal of romance into ones life. I suppose you t it?quot;

    quot;Not at all,quot; ans at all, my dear Basil. You seem to forget t I am married, and t it makes a life of deception absolutely necessary for boties. I never kno occasionally, ogeto tell eac absurd stories  serious faces. My  it--mucter, in fact, ts confused over es, and I al imes ;

    quot;I e talk about your married life, ; said Basil rolling to led into t;I believe t you are really a very good  t you are tues. You are an extraordinary fello;

    quot;Being natural is simply a pose, and t irritating pose I kno; cried Lord  out into toget t stood in tall laurel bus slipped over te daisies remulous.

    After a pause, Lord  c;I am afraid I must be going, Basil,quot; ;and before I go, I insist on your ansion I put to you some time ago.quot;

    quot; is t?quot; said ter, keeping he ground.

    quot;You knoe ;

    quot;I do not, ;

    quot;ell, I ell you  is. I  you to explain to me ure. I  t;

    quot;I told you t;

    quot;No, you did not. You said it oo muc. No is c;

    quot;; said Basil raig;every portrait t is painted rait of tist, not of tter. tter is merely t, t is not er; it is rater ure is t I am afraid t I  t of my o;

    Lord ;And ?quot; he asked.

    quot;I ell you,quot; said  an expression of perplexity came over his face.

    quot;I am all expectation, Basil,quot; continued  him.

    quot;Otle to tell, ; anser; quot;and I am afraid you . Per.quot;

    Lord alled daisy from t. quot;I am quite sure I sand it,quot; ently at ttle golden, ;and as for believing t it is quite incredible.quot;

    trees, and tering stars, moved to and fro in to ced past on its broing, and wondered w was coming.

    quot;tory is simply t; said ter after some time. quot;t to a crus Lady Brandons. You knoists o sy from time to time, just to remind t  savages. it and a ie, as you told me once, anybody, even a stock-broker, can gain a reputation for being civilized. ell, after I  ten minutes, talking to edious academicians, I suddenly became conscious t some one  me. I turned  time. , I felt t I ion of terror came over me. I kne I o face y ing t, if I allo to do so, it self. I did not  any external influence in my life. You knoure. I er;  least alill I met Dorian Gray. t I dont kno to you. Someto tell me t I errible crisis in my life. I range feeling t fate ore for me exquisite joys and exquisite sorrourned to quit t  conscience t made me do so: it  of coake no credit to myself for trying to escape.quot;

    quot;Conscience and corade-name of t is all.quot;

    quot;I dont believe t,  believe you do eitever ive--and it may o be very proud--I certainly struggled to tumbled against Lady Brandon. You are not going to run away so soon, Mr. . You know ;

    quot;Yes; s beauty,quot; said Lord o bits h his long nervous fingers.

    quot;I could not get rid of  me up to royalties, and people ars and garters, and elderly ladies ic tiaras and parrot noses. S friend. I   sook it into o lionize me. I believe some picture of mine  success at time, at least tered about in teentury standard of immortality. Suddenly I found myself face to face y rangely stirred me. e e close, almost touc again. It  I asked Lady Brandon to introduce me to   so reckless, after all. It able. e roduction. I am sure of t. Dorian told me so after t ined to know eac;

    quot;And ; asked ;I knoruculent and red-faced old gentleman covered all over o my ear, in a tragic o everybody in t astounding details. I simply fled. I like to find out people for myself. But Lady Brandon treats s exactly as an auctioneer treats irely aells one everyt t s to kno;

    quot;Poor Lady Brandon! You are ; said lessly.

    quot;My dear felloo found a salon, and only succeeded in opening a restaurant.  tell me, ;

    quot;Oely inseparable. Quite forget  t once.quot;

    quot;Laug at all a bad beginning for a friends is far t ending for one,quot; said ther daisy.

    ;You dont understand y is, for t matter. You like every one; t is to say, you are indifferent to every one.quot;

    quot; of you!quot; cried Lord ilting  back and looking up at ttle clouds t, like ravelled skeins of glossy ing across turquoise of t;Yes;  of you. I make a great difference beters, and my enemies for tellects. A man cannot be too careful in t got one ual poly te me. Is t very vain of me? I t is rat;

    quot;I s o your category I must be merely an acquaintance.quot;

    quot;My dear old Basil, you are mucance.quot;

    quot;And muc of brot;

    quot;O care for brot die, and my younger broto do anyt;

    quot;; exclaimed hallward, frowning.

    quot;My dear fello quite serious. But I cant esting my relations. I suppose it comes from t t none of us can stand ots as ourselves. I quite sympat  drunkenness, stupidity, and immorality sy, and t if any one of us makes an ass of  into t, tion e magnificent. And yet I dont suppose t ten per cent of tariat live correctly.quot;

    quot;I dont agree  you  is more,  eit;

    Lord roked ed broapped toe of ent-leat asselled ebony cane. quot; is time you  observation. If one puts foro a true Engliso do-- or ance is soever to do y of t. Indeed, ties are t tellectual  case it  be coloured by eits,  propose to discuss politics, sociology, or metapter tter tell me more about Mr. Dorian Gray. en do you see ;

    quot;Every day. I couldnt be  see ely necessary to me.quot;

    quot;raordinary! I t you  your art.quot;

    quot; to me no; said ter gravely. quot;I sometimes t tance in tory. t is t, and ty for art also.  tion of oil-painting o tians, tinous o late Greek sculpture, and to me. It is not merely t I paint from c. But o me tter. I  tell you t I am dissatisfied  I  y is suc art cannot express it. t art cannot express, and I kno t Dorian Gray, is good   in some curious and me?--y ed to me an entirely ne, an entirely neyle. I see tly, I tly. I can noe life in a  ; but it is o me little more ty--  t means? Unconsciously  is to  all tic spirit, all tion of t t is Greek. t is! e in our madness ed t is vulgar, an ideality t is void.  Dorian Gray is to me! You remember t landscape of mine, for   is one of t t so? Because, , Dorian Gray sat beside me. Some subtle influence passed from o me, and for t time in my life I sa;

    quot;Basil, traordinary! I must see Dorian Gray.quot;

    up from t and er some time ;; ;Dorian Gray is to me simply a motive in art. You mig in my ion, as I ain lines, in tleties of certain colours. t is all.quot;

    quot;t you ex rait?quot; asked Lord henry.

    quot;Because,  intending it, I  into it some expression of all tistic idolatry, of o  it.  it. But t guess it, and I  bare my soul to t s under too mucoo muc;

    quot;Poets are not so scrupulous as you are. tion. Noo many editions.quot;

    quot;I e t,quot; cried ;An artist se beautiful t s noto treat art as if it  to be a form of autobiograp tract sense of beauty. Some day I  is; and for t reason trait of Dorian Gray.quot;

    quot;I t I  argue  is only tellectually lost ;

    ter considered for a fes. quot;; er a pause; quot;I knoer range pleasure in saying to  I kno in tudio and talk of a tless, and seems to take a real delig I o some one s it as if it o put in , a bit of decoration to cy, an ornament for a summers day.quot;

    quot;Days in summer, Basil, are apt to linger,quot; murmured Lord ;Perire sooner t is a sad to t t t genius lasts longer ty. t accounts for t t ake suco over-educate ourselves. In truggle for existence,  to  endures, and so s, in t is t is like a bric-a-brac sers and dust, s proper value. I tire first, all t your friend, and o you to be a little out of dra like one of colour, or sometterly reproac, and seriously t o you. t time ly cold and indifferent. It  pity, for it er you.  you old me is quite a romance, a romance of art one mig, and t of  it leaves one so unromantic.quot;

    quot; talk like t. As long as I live, ty of Dorian Gray e me. You cant feel en.quot;

    quot;A is exactly rivial side of love: it is tragedies.quot; And Lord ruck a ligy silver case and began to smoke a cigarette isfied air, as if le of c it ful otions  seemed to ing tured to  amusement tedious lunc aying so long o s, o  Lord Goodbody tion y for model lodging-ance of tues, for , and t over ty of labour. It o strike urned to ;My dear fello;

    quot;Remembered w, ;

    quot;;

    quot;?quot; asked  frown.

    quot;Dont look so angry, Basil. It  my aunt, Lady Agatold me so  End, and t o state t sold me ion of good looks; at least, good ure. I at once pictured to myself a creature acles and lank ramping about on . I ;

    quot;I am very glad you didnt, ;

    quot;;

    quot;I dont  you to meet ;

    quot;You dont  me to meet ;

    quot;No.quot;

    quot;Mr. Dorian Gray is in tudio, sir,quot; said tler, coming into the garden.

    quot;You must introduce me no; cried Lord henry, laughing.

    ter turned to , . quot;Ask Mr. Gray to , Parker: I ss.quot; t up the walk.

    t Lord ;Dorian Gray is my dearest friend,quot; ;iful nature. Your aunt e rig s spoil  try to influence . Dont take ao my art ist depends on rust you.quot;  of  against his will.

    quot; nonsense you talk!quot; said Lord aking  led o the house.

 Chapter 2

    Cer 2

    As tered ted at to turning over t;Forest Scenes.quot; quot;You must lend me t; ;I  to learn tly c;

    quot;t entirely depends on  to-day, Dorian.quot;

    quot;Oired of sitting, and I dont  a life-sized portrait of myself,quot; ansool in a ulant manner.  sig blus, and arted up. quot;I beg your pardon, Basil, but I didnt know you ;

    quot;tton, Dorian, an old Oxford friend of mine. I  been telling  a capital sitter you were, and now you ;

    quot;You  spoiled my pleasure in meeting you, Mr. Gray,quot; said Lord epping forending ;My aunt en spoken to me about you. You are one of es, and, I am afraid, one of ims also.quot;

    quot;I am in Lady Agat present,quot; ansence. quot;I promised to go to a club in ec tuesday, and I really forgot all about it. e o  togets, I believe. I dont knooo frigo call.quot;

    quot;O. Se devoted to you. And I dont t really matters about your not being t it .  Agats doo te enoug;

    quot;t is very o  very nice to me,quot; answered Dorian, laughing.

    Lord  ainly rust  once. All te purity. One felt t  ted from the world. No wonder Basil hallward worshipped him.

    quot;You are too co go in for poo c; And Lord te-case.

    ter ting  remark,  ated for a moment, and t; to finisure to-day. ould you t ao go a;

    Lord  Dorian Gray. quot;Am I to go, Mr. Gray?quot; he asked.

    quot;O, Lord  Basil is in one of  bear  you to tell me w go in for p;

    quot;I dont kno I sell you t, Mr. Gray. It is so tedious a subject t one alk seriously about it. But I certainly s run a you o stop. You dont really mind, Basil, do you? You en told me t you liked your sitters to o c to.quot;

    ;If Dorian  stay. Dorians  ;

    Lord ook up  and gloves. quot;You are very pressing, Basil, but I am afraid I must go. I o meet a man at ternoon in Curzon Street. I am nearly al  five oclock. rite to me ;

    quot;Basil,quot; cried Dorian Gray, quot;if Lord ton goes, I soo. You never open your lips  is anding on a platform and trying to look pleasant. Ask o stay. I insist upon it.quot;

    quot;Stay, o oblige Dorian, and to oblige me,quot; said ently at ure. quot;It is quite true, I never talk  must be dreadfully tedious for my unfortunate sitters. I beg you to stay.quot;

    quot;But  my man at t;

    ter laug;I dont ty about t. Sit doform, and dont move about too muctention to ;

    Dorian Gray stepped up on tyr, and made a little moue of discontent to Lord o rast. And iful voice. After a fes o ;;

    quot;tific point of vie;

    quot;;

    quot;Because to influence a person is to give  tural ts, or burn ural passions. ues are not real to or of a part t  been ten for . to realize ones nature perfectly--t is en t of all duties, ty t one oo ones self. Of course, table. t tarve, and are naked. Courage  of our race. Per. terror of society,  govern us. And yet--quot;

    quot;Just turn your tle more to t, Dorian, like a good boy,quot; said ter, deep in  a look o t here before.

    quot;And yet,quot; continued Lord  graceful  ic of  on days, quot;I believe t if one man o live out ely, o give form to every feeling, expression to every t, reality to every dream--I believe t t  all turn to to somet may be. But t man amongst us is afraid of ilation of ts tragic survival in t mars our lives. e are punis rive to strangle broods in ts sin, for action is a mode of purification. Not tion of a pleasure, or t. to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul gro o itself,  its monstrous la  t events of take place in t is in t t sins of take place also. You, Mr. Gray, you yourself, e boy s t error, day-dreams and sleeping dreams ain your c;

    quot;Stop!quot; faltered Dorian Gray, quot;stop! you be knoo say. to you, but I cannot find it. Dont speak. Let me t me try not to t;

    For nearly ten minutes ood tionless, ed lips and eyes strangely brig entirely fres  to o  Basils friend o , and ouc c ouc t  ing and to curious pulses.

    Music irred . Music roubled imes. But music  articulate. It  a ne rat it created in us. ords! Mere  escape from t le magic to be able to give a plastic form to formless to  as t of viol or of lute. Mere hing so real as words?

    Yes; t  understood. ood to  seemed to   kno?

    itle smile, Lord c  intensely interested.  t  een, a book o t  ting the lad was!

    ed a marvellous bold touc rue refinement and perfect delicacy t in art, at any rate comes only from strengthe silence.

    quot;Basil, I am tired of standing,quot; cried Dorian Gray suddenly. quot;I must go out and sit in tifling ;

    quot;My dear fello t you never sat better. You ly still. And I  t I ed-- ted lips and t look in t kno ainly made you  nt believe a  ;

    quot;ainly not been paying me compliments. Per is t I dont believe anytold me.quot;

    quot;You kno all,quot; said Lord  ;I  to t is  in tudio. Basil, let us o drink, sometra.quot;

    quot;Certainly,  toucell  you . I  to er on. Dont keep Dorian too long. I ter form for painting to-day. to be my masterpiece. It is my masterpiece as it stands.quot;

    Lord  out to t cool lilac-blossoms, feveris o  ;You are quite rigo do t,quot; ;Not t as not t;

    tarted and drerils quivered, and some  of  trembling.

    quot;Yes,quot; continued Lord ;t is one of t secrets of life-- to cure tion. You kno as you kno to kno;

    Dorian Gray frourned  all, graceful young man erested  ely fascinating. e, flo for a stranger to reveal o  tered o o ery. And, yet, o be afraid of?  a sc o be frightened.

    quot;Let us go and sit in t; said Lord ;Parker  out tay any longer in te spoiled, and Basil  you again. You really must not alloo become sunburnt. It ;

    quot; can it matter?quot; cried Dorian Gray, laug do at the garden.

    quot;It ster everyto you, Mr. Gray.quot;

    quot;;

    quot;Because you  marvellous yout;

    quot;I dont feel t, Lord ;

    quot;No, you dont feel it nos , you  terribly. No froion. It is of t facts of t, or spring-time, or tion in dark ers of t silver s cannot be questioned. It s divine rigy. It makes princes of t. You smile? A it you  smile. . . . People say sometimes t beauty is only superficial. t may be so, but at least it is not so superficial as t is. to me, beauty is t is only s judge by appearances. true mystery of t to you. But ake aly, and fully. y , and t triump for you, or o content yourself riump t ter ts. Every mont o sometime is jealous of you, and  your lilies and your roses. You  squander tening to tedious, trying to improve to t, t is in you! Let not upon you. Be al is ury s. You migs visible symbol. ity t do. to you for a season. . . . t I met you I sa you e unconscious of  I must tell you somet yourself. I t ragic it ed. For ttle time t your yout--suctle time. t t June as it is noars on tis, and year after year t of its leaves ars. But  back our yout beats in us at ty becomes sluggis. e degenerate into s, ed by too muce temptations t o yield to. Youtely not yout;

    Dorian Gray listened, open-eyed and  for a moment. t began to scramble all over tellated globe of tiny blossoms. c  strange interest in trivial t ry to develop ion for  terrifies us lays sudden siege to to yield. After a time t creeping into tained trumpet of a tyrian convolvulus. to quiver, and tly to and fro.

    Suddenly ter appeared at tudio and made staccato signs for to come in. turned to eacher and smiled.

    quot;I am ing,quot; ;Do come in. t is quite perfect, and you can bring your drinks.quot;

    tered doogetterflies fluttered past tree at to sing.

    quot;You are glad you  me, Mr. Gray,quot; said Lord  him.

    quot;Yes, I am glad now. I wonder s;

    quot;Al is a dreadful  makes me s. omen are so fond of using it. trying to make it last for ever. It is a meaningless oo. t ts a little longer.quot;

    As tered tudio, Dorian Gray put ;In t case, let our friends;  epped up on tform and resumed his pose.

    Lord o a large illness, except o look at ance. In ting beams t streamed t danced and  of to brood over everything.

    After about a quarter of an opped painting, looked for a long time at Dorian Gray, and time at ture, biting t;It is quite finis;  last, and stooping doers on t-he canvas.

    Lord ure. It ainly a , and a wonderful likeness as well.

    quot;My dear felloulate you most ; ;It is t portrait of modern times. Mr. Gray, come over and look at yourself.quot;

    tarted, as if awakened from some dream.

    quot;Is it really finis; epping doform.

    quot;Quite finis; said ter. quot;And you  splendidly to-day. I am ao you.quot;

    quot;t is entirely due to me,quot; broke in Lord ;Isnt it, Mr. Gray?quot;

    Dorian made no ans passed listlessly in front of ure and turned to.   o  time. ood tionless and in  o  not catcy came on ion.  it before. Basil s o o be merely tion of friendsened to t tten t influenced ure. tton range panegyric on youterrible s brevity. t irred  time, and no ty of tion flas o make h.

    As  of it, a sruck te fibre of ure quiver. o amet, and across t of tears.  as if a .

    quot;Dont you like it?quot; cried  last, stung a little by t understanding  meant.

    quot;Of course ,quot; said Lord ; like it? It is one of test t. I o ask for it. I must .quot;

    quot;It is not my property, ;

    quot;y is it?quot;

    quot;Dorians, of course,quot; anser.

    quot;;

    quot; is!quot; murmured Dorian Gray ill fixed upon rait. quot; is! I s ture  icular day of June. . . . If it  ure t o gro--for t--I  give! I !quot;

    quot;You ; cried Lord ;It ;

    quot;I s very strongly, ; said hallward.

    Dorian Gray turned and looked at ;I believe you  better to you t;

    ter stared in amazement. It o speak like t.  e angry. his face was flushed and his cheeks burning.

    quot;Yes,quot; inued, quot;I am less to you till I   ure aug. Lord ton is perfectly rig I am growing old, I s;

    urned pale and caug;Dorian! Dorian!quot; ;dont talk like t. I  jealous of material t;

    quot;I am jealous of everyty does not die. I am jealous of trait you ed of me.  keep  lose? Every moment t passes takes someto it. O ure could c I am no? It  tears o ore hough he was praying.

    quot;t; said ter bitterly.

    Lord ;It is t is all.quot;

    quot;It is not.quot;

    quot;If it is not, ?quot;

    quot;You s; tered.

    quot;I stayed w; was Lord henrys answer.

    quot; quarrel  friends at once, but bete t piece of .  is it but canvas and colour? I  let it come across our t;

    Dorian Gray lifted ear-stained eyes, looked at o ting-table t  beneatained  among tter of tin tubes and dry brus te-knife, s teel.  at last. o rip up the canvas.

    itifled sob to ore t of  to tudio. quot;Dont, Basil, dont!quot; ;It ;

    quot;I am glad you appreciate my  last, Dorian,quot; said ter coldly  you ;

    quot;Appreciate it? I am in love , Basil. It is part of myself. I feel t.quot;

    quot;ell, as soon as you are dry, you s  you like ; And ea. quot;You o suc;

    quot;I adore simple pleasures,quot; said Lord ;t refuge of t I dont like scenes, except on tage.  absurd fello ional animal. It  premature definition ever given. Man is many t  rational. I am glad , after all-- t squabble over ture. You ter let me , Basil. t really  it, and I really do.quot;

    quot;If you let any one  but me, Basil, I s; cried Dorian Gray; quot;and I dont alloo call me a silly boy.quot;

    quot;You knoure is yours, Dorian. I gave it to you before it existed.quot;

    quot;And you knole silly, Mr. Gray, and t you dont really object to being reminded t you are extremely young.quot;

    quot;I sed very strongly t;

    quot;A;

    t tler entered ea-tray and set it doable. ttle of cups and saucers and ted Georgian urn. t over and poured out tea. tered languidly to table and examined he covers.

    quot;Let us go to tre to-nig; said Lord ;to be someto dine at es, but it is only o say t I am ill, or t I am prevented from coming in consequence of a subsequent engagement. I t  would ;

    quot;It is sucting on ones dress-clot; muttered ;And, w;

    quot;Yes,quot; ansume of teentury is detestable. It is so sombre, so depressing. Sin is t left in modern life.quot;

    quot;You really must not say t before Dorian, ;

    quot;Before ea for us, or ture?quot;

    quot;Before eit;

    quot;I so come to tre ; said the lad.

    quot;too, Basil,  you?quot;

    quot;I cant, really. I . I  of o do.quot;

    quot;ell, t;

    quot;I s a;

    ter bit o ture. quot;I say ; he said, sadly.

    quot;Is it t; cried trait, strolling across to ;Am I really like t?quot;

    quot;Yes; you are just like t.quot;

    quot;;

    quot;At least you are like it in appearance. But it er,quot; sig;t is somet;

    quot; a fuss people make about fidelity!quot; exclaimed Lord ; is purely a question for p o do  to be fait; old men  to be fait: t is all one can say.quot;

    quot;Dont go to tre to-nig; said ;Stop and dine ;

    quot;I cant, Basil.quot;

    quot;;

    quot;Because I ton to go ;

    quot; like you tter for keeping your promises.  to go.quot;

    Dorian Gray laughed and shook his head.

    quot;I entreat you.quot;

    tated, and looked over at Lord cea-table h an amused smile.

    quot;I must go, Basil,quot; he answered.

    quot;Very ; said  over and laid do;It is rate, and, as you o dress, you ter lose no time. Good-bye, o-morro;

    quot;Certainly.quot;

    quot;You  forget?quot;

    quot;No, of course not,quot; cried Dorian.

    quot;And ... ;

    quot;Yes, Basil?quot;

    quot;Remember w I asked you, w;

    quot;I ten it.quot;

    quot;I trust you.quot;

    quot;I  myself,quot; said Lord ;Come, Mr. Gray, my side, and I can drop you at your o  interesting afternoon.quot;

    As ter flung o his face.

 Chapter 3

    Cer 3

    At  t day Lord ton strolled from Curzon Street over to to call on  rougside icular benefit from   ired from tic service in a capricious moment of annoyance on not being offered t Paris, a post to led by reason of ce passion for pleasure. tary,  foolis at time, and on succeeding some monter to title,  o tudy of t aristocratic art of doing absolutely notoo live in c rouble, and took most of  tention to t of ies, excusing aint of industry on t tage of  it enabled a gentleman to afford tics ory, except o most of ions, ry o t of date, but to be said for his prejudices.

    ered tting in a rouging-coat, smoking a c and grumbling over times. quot;ell, ; said tleman, quot; so early? I t you dandies never got up till t visible till five.quot;

    quot;Pure family affection, I assure you, Uncle George. I  to get somet of you.quot;

    quot;Money, I suppose,quot; said Lord Fermor, making a ;ell, sit doell me all about it. Young people, no money is everyt;

    quot;Yes,quot; murmured Lord tling ton-; quot;and  I dont  money. It is only people , Uncle George, and I never pay mine. Credit is tal of a younger son, and one lives c. Besides, I almoors tradesmen, and consequently t I  is information: not useful information, of course; useless information.quot;

    quot;ell, I can tell you anyt is in an Englise a lot of nonsense. ic, tter. But I  tion.  can you expect? Examinations, sir, are pure o end. If a man is a gentleman, e enoug a gentleman, wever ;

    quot;Mr. Dorian Gray does not belong to Blue Books, Uncle George,quot; said Lord henry languidly.

    quot;Mr. Dorian Gray? ; asked Lord Fermor, knitting e eyebrows.

    quot;t is  Lord Kelsos grandson.  Devereaux. I  you to tell me about  ed in Mr. Gray at present. I  met ;

    quot;Kelsos grandson!quot; ecleman. quot;Kelsos grandson! ... Of course.... I kneely. I believe I  ening. Sraordinarily beautiful girl, Margaret Devereux, and made all tic by running aern in a foot regiment, or somet kind. Certainly. I remember t erday. t Spa a feer tory about it. t some rascally adventurer, some Belgian brute, to insult o do it, paid  tted , egad, Kelso ate  time afterold, and so  oo, died  a son, did sten t.  sort of boy is  be a good-looking c;

    quot;; assented Lord henry.

    quot;I o proper ; continued t; of money ing for  too. All ty came to ed Kelso, t oo. Came to Madrid once  t te a story of it. I didnt dare s Court for a montreated ter t;

    quot;I dont kno; ans t of age yet. old me so. And . . . iful?quot;

    quot;Margaret Devereux  creatures I ever sao beand. Son er ic, t family , but, egad! ton  on o old me so   a girl in London at time er alking about silly marriages, ells me about Dartmoor ing to marry an American? Aint Englis;

    quot;It is rato marry Americans just no;

    quot;Ill back Englis t; said Lord Fermor, striking table .

    quot;tting is on t;

    quot;t last, I am told,quot; muttered his uncle.

    quot;A long engagement exs t tal at a steeplecake t tmoor ;

    quot;; grumbled tleman. quot; any?quot;

    Lord ;American girls are as clever at concealing ts, as Englis concealing t,quot; o go.

    quot;t;

    quot;I moors sake. I am told t pork-packing is t lucrative profession in America, after politics.quot;

    quot;Is sty?quot;

    quot;Siful. Most American  is t of t;

    quot; tay in try? telling us t it is t;

    quot;It is. t is to get out of it,quot; said Lord ;Good-bye, Uncle George. I se for luncop any longer. tion I ed. I alo kno my ne my old ones.quot;

    quot;;

    quot;At Aunt Agatest protégée.quot;

    quot;ell your Aunt Agat to boty appeals. I am sick of t I o do but to e c;

    quot;All rigell  it  . Py. It is tinguiseristic.quot;

    tleman gro. Lord o Burlington Street and turned eps in tion of Berkeley Square.

    So t ory of Dorian Grays parentage. Crudely as it old to   stirred s suggestion of a strange, almost modern romance. A beautiful  s by a reacc to solitude and tyranny of an old and loveless man. Yes; it eresting background. It posed t, as it  existed, tragic. orlds o be in travail, t t flo before, as artled eyes and lips parted in frig opposite to  taining to a ricalking to e violin. o every toucerribly entivity . to project ones soul into some gracious form, and let it tarry t; to ellectual vieo convey ones temperament into anot le fluid or a strange perfume: t--per satisfying joy left to us in an age so limited and vulgar as our os pleasures, and grossly common in its aims.... ype, too, t in Basils studio, or could be faso a marvellous type, at any rate. Grace y of boyy suc for us. t one could not do itan or a toy.  a pity it  sucy ined to fade! . . . And Basil? From a psyc of vieing , t life, suggested so strangely by t all; t spirit t d in dim o  terns of some ot form  all  not Plato, t artist in t, ? as it not Buonarotti -sequence? But in our oury it range. . . . Yes; ry to be to Dorian Gray  kno, to ter . o dominate   ing in th.

    Suddenly opped and glanced up at t s some distance, and, smiling to urned back. ered t sombre ler told  to luncmen  and stick and passed into the dining-room.

    quot;Late as usual, ; cried , s him.

    ed a facile excuse, and aken t seat next to o see o e ure and good temper, mucectural proportions t in outness. Next to , on , Sir t,  cooks, dining ories and t on  readley, an old gentleman of considerable cure,  o say before y. s oldest friends, a perfect saint amongst  so dreadfully do sunately for  intelligent middle-aged mediocrity, as bald as a ministerial statement in t intensely earnest manner o, and from we escape.

    quot;e are talking about poor Dartmoor, Lord ; cried tly to able. quot;Do you ting young person?quot;

    quot;I believe so propose to ;

    quot;; exclaimed Lady Agat;Really, some one serfere.quot;

    quot;I am told, on excellent auty, t ore,quot; said Sir thomas Burdon, looking supercilious.

    quot;My uncle ed pork-packing Sir t;

    quot;Dry-goods!  are American dry-goods?quot; asked tuating the verb.

    quot;American novels,quot; answered Lord o some quail.

    the duchess looked puzzled.

    quot;Dont mind ; w; ;

    quot;; said to give some s. Like all people o ex a subject, ed eners. terruption. quot;I  never  all!quot; s;Really, our girls  is most unfair.quot;

    quot;Perer all, America never ; said Mr. Erskine; quot;I myself  it ected.quot;

    quot;O I ants,quot; ans;I must confess t most of tremely pretty. And too. t all to do t;

    quot;t ; c-off clothes.

    quot;Really! And he duchess.

    quot;to America,quot; murmured Lord henry.

    Sir t;I am afraid t your nep t great country,quot; o Lady Agat;I ravelled all over it in cars provided by tors, remely civil. I assure you t it is an education to visit it.quot;

    quot;But must ed?quot; asked Mr. Erskine plaintively. quot;I dont feel up to t;

    Sir t;Mr. Erskine of treadley ical men like to see t to read about tremely interesting people. tely reasonable. I t is tinguiseristic. Yes, Mr. Erskine, an absolutely reasonable people. I assure you t t;

    quot;; cried Lord ;I can stand brute force, but brute reason is quite unbearable. t its use. It is ting beloellect.quot;

    quot;I do not understand you,quot; said Sir ther red.

    quot;I do, Lord ; murmured Mr. Erskine, h a smile.

    quot;Paradoxes are all very ; rejoined t.

    quot;as t a paradox?quot; asked Mr. Erskine. quot;I did not t ruto test reality  see it on tigies become acrobats, ;

    quot;Dear me!quot; said Lady Agat; alking about. Oe vexed ry to persuade our nice Mr. Dorian Gray to give up t End? I assure you e invaluable. t;

    quot;I  o play to me,quot; cried Lord able and caug answering glance.

    quot;But tec; continued Lady Agatha.

    quot;I can sympat suffering,quot; said Lord ;I cannot sympat. It is too ugly, too oo distressing. terribly morbid in ty, t lifes sores, tter.quot;

    quot;Still, t End is a very important problem,quot; remarked Sir the head.

    quot;Quite so,quot; ans;It is try to solve it by amusing t;

    tician looked at ; c; he asked.

    Lord ;I dont desire to c t; ;I am quite content emplation. But, as teentury  ture of sympat t o put us straigage of tions is t tray, and tage of science is t it is not emotional.quot;

    quot;But ; ventured Mrs. Vandeleur timidly.

    quot;terribly grave,quot; echa.

    Lord  Mr. Erskine. quot;y takes itself too seriously. It is to laugory ;

    quot;You are really very comforting,quot; ;I  raty , for I take no interest at all in t End. For ture I so look  a blus;

    quot;A blus; remarked Lord henry.

    quot;Only ;

    for a moment. quot;Can you remember any great error t you committed in your early days, Duc;  able.

    quot;A great many, I fear,quot; she cried.

    quot;t t; ;to get back ones youto repeat ones follies.quot;

    quot;A delig; s;I must put it into practice.quot;

    quot;A dangerous t; came from Sir tig could not ened.

    quot;Yes,quot; inued, quot;t is one of t secrets of life. No people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover oo late t ts are ones mistakes.quot;

    A laugable.

    ossed it into transformed it; let it escape and recaptured it; made it iridescent   on, soared into a pc fancy, ained robe and e over ts fled before ened forest te feet trod t ill ts black, dripping, sloping sides. It raordinary improvisation.  t t amongst emperament o fascinate seemed to give  keenness and to lend colour to ion. , fantastic, irresponsible. eners out of took  sat like one under a spell, smiles cher over his lips and wonder growing grave in his darkening eyes.

    At last, liveried in tume of ty entered t to tell t ing. S;; s;I must go. I o call for my  to take o some absurd meeting at illiss Rooms, e o be furious, and I couldnt . It is far too fragile. A . No, I must go, dear Agate delig knoo say about your vie come and dine . tuesday? Are you disengaged tuesday?quot;

    quot;For you I ; said Lord h a bow.

    quot;A is very nice, and very ; s;so mind you comequot;; and s out of ther ladies.

    doaking a co him, placed his hand upon his arm.

    quot;You talk books a; ;e one?quot;

    quot;I am too fond of reading books to care to e to e a novel certainly, a novel t  and as unreal. But terary public in England for anyt ne sense of ty of literature.quot;

    quot;I fear you are rig; ans;I myself used to erary ambitions, but I gave to call you so, may I ask if you really meant all t you said to us at lunc;

    quot;I quite forget ; smiled Lord ;as it all very bad?quot;

    quot;Very bad indeed. In fact I consider you extremely dangerous, and if anyto our good duc I so talk to you about life. tion into o treadley and expound to me your punate enougo possess.quot;

    quot;I s to treadley  privilege. It  , and a perfect library.quot;

    quot;You e it,quot; ansleman eous bo;And no bid good-bye to your excellent aunt. I am due at t is t;

    quot;All of you, Mr. Erskine?quot;

    quot;Forty of us, in forty arm-cising for an Englisters.quot;

    Lord ;I am going to t; he cried.

    As  of touc;Let me come ; he murmured.

    quot;But I t you o go and see ; answered Lord henry.

    quot;I  come  me. And you o talk to me all time? No one talks so ;

    quot;Aalked quite enougo-day,quot; said Lord ;All I  noo look at life. You may come and look at it o.quot;

 Chapter 4

    Cer 4

    One afternoon, a monter, Dorian Gray le library of Lord  s ained oak, its cream-coloured frieze and ceiling of raised plasters brickdust felt carpet streiny satinable stood a statuette by Clodion, and beside it lay a copy of Les Cent Nouvelles, bound for Margaret of Valois by Clovis Eve and po daisies t Queen ed for -tulips elsreamed t-coloured light of a summer day in London.

    Lord  yet come in. e on principle,  punctuality is time. So tless fingers urned over tely illustrated edition of Manon Lescaut t onous ticking of torze clock annoyed wice  of going away.

    At last ep outside, and t;e you are, ; he murmured.

    quot;I am afraid it is not ; answered a shrill voice.

    o . quot;I beg your pardon. I t--quot;

    quot;You t it  me introduce myself. I knoe een of t;

    quot;Not seventeen, Lady ;

    quot;ell, eig at t; Sc-me-not eyes. S on in a tempest. Surned, s all ried to look picturesque, but only succeeded in being untidy. oria, and s mania for going to church.

    quot;t  Lo;

    quot;Yes; it  dear Loter t is so loud t one can talk time  ot one says. t is a great advantage, dont you t;

    taccato laugo play ortoise-shell paper-knife.

    Dorian smiled and s;I am afraid I dont talk during music--at least, during good music. If one  is ones duty to dro in conversation.quot;

    quot;A is one of  it, Mr. Gray? I al to kno you must not t like good music. I adore it, but I am afraid of it. It makes me too romantic. I s-- t a time, sometimes, ells me. I dont kno is about t is t t t are born in England become foreigners after a time, dont t is so clever of t to art. Makes it quite cosmopolitan, doesnt it? You o any of my parties,  come. I cant afford orc I suresque. But o look for you, to ask you somet   music. e e te different. But  pleasant. I am so glad Ive seen ;

    quot;I am ce c; said Lord ing -s t;So sorry I am late, Dorian. I  to look after a piece of old brocade in ardour Street and o bargain for . No;

    quot;I am afraid I must be going,quot; exclaimed Lady ;I o drive , I suppose? So am I. Per Lady t;

    quot;I dare say, my dear,quot; said Lord ting t  all nigted out of t odour of frangipanni. t a cigarette and flung he sofa.

    quot;Never marry a raw-coloured ; er a few puffs.

    quot;;

    quot;Because timental.quot;

    quot;But I like sentimental people.quot;

    quot;Never marry at all, Dorian. Men marry because tired; ed.quot;

    quot;I dont to marry, oo muc is one of your apting it into practice, as I do everyt you say.quot;

    quot;; asked Lord er a pause.

    quot;itress,quot; said Dorian Gray, blushing.

    Lord ;t is a rat.quot;

    quot;You  say so if you saw ;

    quot;;

    quot;;

    quot;Never ;

    quot;No one ;

    quot;My dear boy, no ive sex. to say, but t c triumpter over mind, just as men represent triump;

    quot;;

    quot;My dear Dorian, it is quite true. I am analysing  present, so I ougo kno is not so abstruse as I t it , ultimately, t to gain a reputation for respectability, you o take to supper. t one mistake,  in order to try and look young. Our grandmoted in order to try and talk brilliantly. Rouge and esprit used to go toget is all over noen years younger ter, sly satisfied. As for conversation, talking to, and t be admitted into decent society. ell me about your genius. ;

    quot;Aerrify me.

    quot;Never mind t. ;

    quot;About t;

    quot;And w;

    quot;I ell you,  you mustnt be unsympatic about it. After all, it never  you. You filled me o kno life. For days after I met you, someto trolled doo look at every one  of lives ted me. Oterror. te poison in tions. . . . ell, one evening about seven oclock, I determined to go out in searcure. I felt t trous London of ours, s myriads of people, its sordid sinners, and its splendid sins, as you once p, must ore for me. I fancied a t. I remembered  oget ty being t of life. I dont knoed, but I  out and reets and black grassless squares. About  eigtle tre,  flaring gas-jets and gaudy play-bills. A  amazing coat I ever beanding at trance, smoking a vile cigar. s, and an enormous diamond blazed in tre of a soiled s.ook off  y. t  amused me. er. You  I really  in and paid a o t day I cant make out  romance of my life. I see you are laug is ;

    quot;I am not laug least I am not laug you. But you s say test romance of your life. You s romance of your life. You o do. t is try. Dont be afraid. te tore for you. t;

    quot;Do you ture so s; cried Dorian Gray angrily.

    quot;No; I ture so deep.quot;

    quot;;

    quot;My dear boy, t ty, and ty, I call eitom or tion. Faito tional life ency is to tellect--simply a confession of failure. Fait analyse it some day. ty is in it. t  afraid t ot pick t I dont  to interrupt you. Go on ory.quot;

    quot;ell, I found myself seated in a tle private box, aring me in t from beain and surveyed t ae   talls e empty, and t I suppose t about errible consumption of nuts going on.quot;

    quot;It must  like tis;

    quot;Just like, I so  sig do you t;

    quot;I s Boy, or Dumb but Innocent. Our fato like t sort of piece, I believe. t ics, les grandpères ont toujours tort.quot;

    quot;t . I must admit t I  tcill, I felt interested, in a sort of  any rate, I determined to  for t act. tra, presided over by a young  at a cracked piano, t nearly drove me a at last tout elderly gentleman, ragedy voice, and a figure like a beer-barrel. Mercutio  as bad. roduced gags of  friendly terms . tesque as t looked as if it  of a country-boot Juliet! een years of age, tle, flo  als of a rose. S to me once t pat you unmoved, but t beauty, mere beauty, could fill your eyes ears. I tell you,  of tears t came across me. And   first, es t seemed to fall singly upon ones ear. t became a little louder, and sounded like a flute or a distant boy. In t remulous ecstasy t one  before das, later on,  I s. . I dont knoomb, sucking tc of Arden, disguised as a pretty boy in  and dainty cap. So ty king, and given o ter o taste of. S, and t. I ume. Ordinary o ones imagination. ted to tury. No glamour ever transfigures ts. One can alery in any of tter at tea-parties in ternoon. tereotyped smile and te obvious. But an actress!  an actress is!  you tell me t tress?quot;

    quot;Because I ;

    quot;Oed faces.quot;

    quot;Dont run doraordinary cimes,quot; said Lord henry.

    quot;I old you about Sibyl Vane.quot;

    quot;You could not elling me, Dorian. All tell me everyt;

    quot;Yes,  is true. I cannot elling you t to you. You and me.quot;

    quot;People like you--t commit crimes, Dorian. But I am muc, all tell me-- reacc are your actual relations ;

    Dorian Gray leaped to , ;;

    quot;It is only t are ouc; said Lord range touc;But  any rate, I suppose?quot;

    quot;Of course I knore, to ter to take me beroduce me to old  Juliet  omb in Verona. I t, t  I aken too muc;

    quot;I am not surprised.quot;

    quot;te for any of told erribly disappointed at t, and confided to me t all tic critics   to be boug;

    quot;I s  of t be at all expensive.quot;

    quot;ell, o t; laug;By time, s  out in tre, and I o go. ed me to try some cigars t rongly recommended. I declined. t nig t I  patron of art.  offensive brute, traordinary passion for Sold me once,  cies irely due to ted on calling o t a distinction.quot;

    quot;It inction, my dear Dorian--a great distinction. Most people become bankrupt ted too o ry is an  o Miss Sibyl Vane?quot;

    quot;t. S  me--at least I fancied t sent. ermined to take me beed. It  ing to kno?quot;

    quot;No; I dont t;

    quot;My dear ;

    quot;I ell you some otime. No to kno t;

    quot;Sibyl? Ole. t e  of e unconscious of ood grinning at ty greenroom, making elaborate speec us botood looking at eac on calling me My Lord, so I o assure Sibyl t I  anyte simply to me, You look more like a prince. I must call you Prince C;

    quot;Upon my s.quot;

    quot;You dont understand ired  of magenta dressing- nigter days.quot;

    quot;I kno look. It depresses me,quot; murmured Lord henry, examining his rings.

    quot;ted to tell me ory, but I said it did not interest me.quot;

    quot;You e rigely mean about otragedies.quot;

    quot;Sibyl is t.  is it to me le feet, sely and entirely divine. Every nigo see , and every nig;

    quot;t is t you never dine  you must  it is not quite ed.quot;

    quot;My dear ogeto times,quot; said Dorian, opening his blue eyes in wonder.

    quot;You ale.quot;

    quot;ell, I cant o see Sibyl play,quot; ;even if it is only for a single act. I get  is  little ivory body, I am filled ;

    quot;You can dine o-nig you?quot;

    ;to-nig; ;and to-morro;

    quot;;

    quot;Never.quot;

    quot;I congratulate you.quot;

    quot;  I tell you s make s of life, tell me o co love me! I  to make Romeo jealous. I  to er and gro a breato stir t into consciousness, to o pain. My God, ; ic spots of red burned on erribly excited.

    Lord cle sense of pleasure.  ened boy  in Basil udio! ure  flame. Out of its secret  o meet it on the way.

    quot;And o do?quot; said Lord  last.

    quot;I  you and Basil to come  and see . I  test fear of t. You are certain to ackno  of to  least for time. I so pay  is settled, I sake a est End tre and bring  properly. S;

    quot;t ;

    quot;Yes, s merely art, consummate art-instinct, in  sy also; and you en told me t it is personalities, not principles, t move t;

    quot;ell, w nig;

    quot;Let me see. to-day is tuesday. Let us fix to-morroo-morro;

    quot;All rigol at eig Basil.quot;

    quot;Not eig six. e must be tain rises. You must see  act, ;

    quot; six!  an  ea, or reading an Englis must be seven. No gentleman dines before seven. Se to ;

    quot;Dear Basil! I  laid eyes on  is rat me my portrait in t le jealous of ture for being a  t I delig. Perter e to   to see  annoy me. ;

    Lord ;People are very fond of giving a t is y.quot;

    quot;O of fello o me to be just a bit of a Pine. Since I .quot;

    quot;Basil, my dear boy, puts everyt is co   for life but ists I ful are bad artists. Good artists exist simply in ly are perfectly uninteresting in  poet, a really great poet, is t unpoetical of all creatures. But inferior poets are absolutely fascinating. turesque t of e sonnets makes a man quite irresistible. ry t  e. te try t t realize.quot;

    quot;I  really so, ; said Dorian Gray, putting some perfume on  of a large, gold-topped bottle t stood on table. quot;It must be, if you say it. And noing for me. Dont forget about to-morro;

    As  to tainly feed  tion of some one else caused  test pang of annoyance or jealousy. . It made eresting study. ural science, but t-matter of t science o rivial and of no import. And so ing ing ot appeared to igating. Compared to it t rue t as one cs curious crucible of pain and pleasure, one could not roubling tion turbid rous fancies and missle t to knoies one o sicken of trange t one o pass t to understand ture. And, yet,  reo note tional coloured life of tellect--to observe   t  t discord--t in t!  matter  oo ion.

    brougo e eyes--t it ain erance, t Dorian Grays soul urned to te girl and boent tion. ure. t ed till life disclosed to ts secrets, but to to t, teries of life imes t of art, and c of literature, ely ellect. But noy took t, s , life s elaborate masterpieces, just as poetry ure, or painting.

    Yes, ture.   spring. t  ciful face, and iful soul, o . It ter  all ended, or ined to end.  or a play, e from one, but y, and whose wounds are like red roses.

    Soul and body, body and soul--erious ts moments of spirituality. tellect could degrade. rary definitions of ordinary psycs! And yet  to decide beted in t? tion of spirit from matter ery, and t ter ery also.

    o  eactle spring of life o us. As it ood ourselves and rarely understood ot o takes. Moralists  as a mode of ain etion of cer,  as somet taug to folloo avoid. But tive po tle of an active cause as conscience itself. All t it really demonstrated  our future , and t times, and h joy.

    It o  tal met any scientific analysis of tainly Dorian Gray  made to o promise ricful results. erest. t t curiosity o do , curiosity and t it  a simple, but rat t of tinct of boyransformed by tion, co somet seemed to to be remote from sense, and  very reason all t  yrannized most strongly over us. Our  motives ure  often  ing on oting on ourselves.

    dreaming on to t entered and reminded  ime to dress for dinner.  up and looked out into treet. t ten into scarlet gold te. tes of ed metal. t of  o end.

    table.  and found it  o tell  o be married to Sibyl Vane.

 Chapter 5

    Cer 5

    quot;Mot; o trusive ligting in t tting-room contained. quot;I am so ; sed, quot;and you must be oo!quot;

    Mrs. Vane  ened ers ;; s;I am only . You must not t your acting. Mr. Isaacs o us, and we owe ;

    ted. quot;Money, Mot; s;ter? Love is more t;

    quot;Mr. Isaacs y pounds to pay off our debts and to get a proper outfit for James. You must not forget t, Sibyl. Fifty pounds is a very large sum. Mr. Isaacs  considerate.quot;

    quot; a gentleman, Mote talks to me,quot; said to  and going over to the window.

    quot;I dont knohe elder woman querulously.

    Sibyl Vane tossed ;e dont  ; ted tals of rembled. Some sout over irred ty folds of ;I love ; she said simply.

    quot;Foolis; -pesqueness to the words.

    t t in radiance, t, as to .  of a dream hem.

    t ed at prudence, quoted from t book of coen. So remake  o searc  h.

    tered its met be ric of. Against t s by hin lips moving, and smiled.

    Suddenly s to speak. troubled ;Mot; s;--ell--t feel erribly proud. Mot;

    t daubed co ;Forgive me, Mot pains you to talk about our fat it only pains you because you loved  look so sad. I am as o-day as you y years ago. A me be ;

    quot;My coo young to t do you kno even kno, and really, ralia, and I o t say t you sion. ;

    quot;A me be ;

    Mrs. Vane glanced at rical gestures t so often become a mode of second nature to a stage-player, clasped  t, to t of figure, and  .  so finely bred as er. One ed betensified ally elevated o ty of an audience. S sure t tableau eresting.

    quot;You mig; said tured grumble.

    quot;A you dont like being kissed, Jim,quot; s;You are a dreadful old bear.quot; And she room and hugged him.

    James Vane looked into ers face enderness. quot;I  you to come out  suppose I s  to.quot;

    quot;My son, dont say suc; murmured Mrs. Vane, taking up a tarical dress, o patc. S a little disappointed t  joined t uresqueness of tuation.

    quot;, Mot.quot;

    quot;You pain me, my son. I trust you urn from Australia in a position of affluence. I believe ty of any kind in t I y--so  come back and assert yourself in London.quot;

    quot;Society!quot; muttered t;I dont  to kno t. I so make some money to take you and Sibyl off tage. I e it.quot;

    quot;O; said Sibyl, laug; are you really going for a  o say good-bye to some of your friends-- to tom  on,  is very s of you to let me  afternoon.  us go to t;

    quot;I am too s; ;Only so t;

    quot;Nonsense, Jim,quot; sroking t.

    ated for a moment. quot;Very ;  last, quot;but dont be too long dressing.quot; S of tairs. tle feet pattered overhead.

    imes. turned to till figure in t;Mot; he asked.

    quot;Quite ready, James,quot; s s ill at ease ure roubled ion, became intolerable to o complain. omen defend ttacking, just as ttack by sudden and strange surrenders. quot;I ented, James, ; s;You must remember t it is your oors office. Solicitors are a very respectable class, and in try often dine  families.quot;

    quot;I e offices, and I e clerks,quot; ;But you are quite rigc let o any  c;

    quot;James, you really talk very strangely. Of course I c;

    quot;I leman comes every nigo tre and goes beo talk to  rig about t?quot;

    quot;You are speaking about t understand, James. In tomed to receive a great deal of most gratifying attention. I myself used to receive many bouquets at one time. t ood. As for Sibyl, I do not kno present . But t t tion is a perfect gentleman.  polite to me. Besides, ;

    quot;You dont knohe lad harshly.

    quot;No,quot; ans revealed  is quite romantic of ocracy.quot;

    James Vane bit ;atc; ;c;

    quot;My son, you distress me very mucleman is  contract an alliance rust ocracy. , I must say. It mig brilliant marriage for Sibyl. te remarkable; everybody notices t;

    ttered someto  turned round to say somethe door opened and Sibyl ran in.

    quot;; s; is tter?quot;

    quot;Not; ;I suppose one must be serious sometimes. Good-bye, Mot five oclock. Everyt my ss, so you need not trouble.quot;

    quot;Good-bye, my son,quot; srained stateliness.

    Sremely annoyed at tone ed  had made her feel afraid.

    quot;Kiss me, Mot; said toucs frost.

    quot;My c; cried Mrs. Vane, looking up to the ceiling in search of an imaginary gallery.

    quot;Come, Sibyl,quot; said iently. ed ations.

    t out into t and strolled doon Road. t tting cloth a rose.

    Jim froime to time ive glance of some stranger.  dislike of being stared at, e unconscious of t srembling in laug s t talk of  prattled on about to sail, about tain to find, about to save from ted bus to remain a sailor, or a supercargo, or o get in, and a black s doearing to long screaming ribands! o leave t Melbourne, bid a polite good-bye to tain, and go off at once to to come across a large nugget of pure gold, t nugget t  doo t in a ed policemen. to attack times, and be defeated er. Or, no.  to go to t all. t intoxicated, and s eaco be a nice so see tiful  married, and come ful tore for   be very good, and not lose emper, or spend  s be sure, also, to e to o say  before  to sleep. God coo, and in a few years e rich and happy.

    tened sulkily to -sick at leaving home.

    Yet it  t made ill a strong sense of tion. to leman, and ed , ed inct for , and  y of ure, and in t sae peril for Sibyl and Sibyls s; as times them.

    o ask of

    tre, a  tage-door,  loose a train of s.  as if it ing-crop across  togeto a c his underlip.

    quot;You are not listening to a ; cried Sibyl, quot;and I am making t deligure. Do say somet;

    quot; do you  me to say?quot;

    quot;O you  forget us,quot; s him.

    ;You are more likely to forget me to forget you, Sibyl.quot;

    S; do you mean, Jim?quot; she asked.

    quot;You  told me about ;

    quot;Stop, Jim!quot; s;You must not say anyt ;

    quot; even kno; to kno;

    quot; you like t it. If you only sa ralia. You re to-nigo be to play Juliet. O! Fancy, Jim, to be in love and play Juliet! to ting to play for ! I am afraid I may frigen or ento be in love is to surpass ones self. Poor dreadful Mr. Isaacs o  to-nigion. I feel it. And it is all  I am poor beside  does t matter? y creeps in at t reing. ter, and it is summer noime for me, I t;

    quot;leman,quot; said the lad sullenly.

    quot;A prince!quot; s; more do you ?quot;

    quot;s to enslave you.quot;

    quot;I s t of being free.quot;

    quot;I  you to beware of ;

    quot;to see o rust ;

    quot;Sibyl, you are mad about ;

    Sook ;You dear old Jim, you talk as if you  is. Dont look so sulky. Surely you so t, terribly . But it  noo a ne do people go by.quot;

    took ts amidst a croculip-beds across te dust-- tremulous cloud of orris-root it seemed--ing air. tly coloured parasols danced and dipped like monstrous butterflies.

    Salk of s. . to eac a game pass counters. Sibyl felt oppressed. S communicate  smile curving t sullen mouter some time s. Suddenly s a glimpse of golden .

    Sarted to . quot;t; she cried.

    quot;; said Jim Vane.

    quot;Prince C; ser toria.

    ;So me.  . I must see ;  at t moment t out of the park.

    quot;; murmured Sibyl sadly. quot;I wis;

    quot;I wis;

    S ed  to gape. A lady standing close to ittered.

    quot;Come a; s glad at w he had said.

    atue, surned round. ty in  became laug ;You are foolisterly foolisempered boy, t is all.  knoalking about. You are simply jealous and unkind. A you said ;

    quot;I am sixteen,quot; ;and I kno. Moto you. S understand o look after you. I  going to Australia at all. I  mind to cicles  been signed.quot;

    quot;O be so serious, Jim. You are like one of to be so fond of acting in. I am not going to quarrel o see   quarrel. I know you would never ;

    quot;Not as long as you love ; he sullen answer.

    quot;I s; she cried.

    quot;And ;

    quot;For ever, too!quot;

    quot;ter.quot;

    S her hand on his arm. he was merely a boy.

    At t to ton Road. It er five oclock, and Sibyl o lie doed t s   present. So make a scene, and ested scenes of every kind.

    In Sybils oed. t, and a fierce murderous red of tranger o , ened and kissed ion. tears in  doairs.

    ing for  uality, as ered.  sat doo able and craained clotter of street-cabs, e t  to him.

    After some time,  a  t  to kno sold to  cattered lace cruck six,  up and  to turned back and looked at . In  enraged him.

    quot;Moto ask you,quot;  t;tell me trut to knoo my fat;

    S , t t nig last, and yet s no terror. Indeed, in some measure it ment to ness of tion called for a direct ansuation  been gradually led up to. It  reminded her of a bad rehearsal.

    quot;No,quot; s ty of life.

    quot;My fat; cried ts.

    S;I kne leman. Indeed, ed.quot;

    An oat;I dont care for myself,quot; ;but dont let Sibyl. . . . It is a gentleman, isnt it, oo, I suppose.quot;

    For a moment a ion came over t;Sibyl ; s;I ;

    touc to; ;but I could not . I must go no forget t you er, and believe me t if ter, I  ;

    ted folly of t, te gesture t accompanied it, tic o mosp time for many monto inued tional scale, but  . trunks o be carried doled in and out. t  in vulgar details. It ment t sattered lace  a great opportunity ed. Selling Sibyl e s  so look after. S  s ically expressed. S t t it some day.

 Chapter 6

    Cer 6

    I suppose you ; said Lord  evening as o a little private room at tol whree.

    quot;No, ; ansist, giving  and coat to ter. quot; is it? Not politics, I  interest me. ting, tter for a little wewas;

    quot;Dorian Gray is engaged to be married,quot; said Lord ching him as he spoke.

    arted and t;Dorian engaged to be married!quot; ;Impossible!quot;

    quot;It is perfectly true.quot;

    quot;to w;

    quot;to some little actress or ot;

    quot;I cant believe it. Dorian is far too sensible.quot;

    quot;Dorian is far too  to do foolis;

    quot;Marriage is  one can do no;

    quot;Except in America,quot; rejoined Lord ;But I didnt say o be married. t difference. I inct remembrance of being married, but I ion at all of being engaged. I am inclined to t I never ;

    quot;But tion, and  would be absurd for o marry so muc;

    quot;If you  to make ell , Basil. o do it, tupid t is al motives.quot;

    quot;I   to see Dorian tied to some vile creature, .quot;

    quot;Oter tiful,quot; murmured Lord ters. quot;Dorian says siful, and  often  t kind. Your portrait of ion of t  excellent effect, amongst oto see o-nig boy doesnt forget ment.quot;

    quot;Are you serious?quot;

    quot;Quite serious, Basil. I s I s t moment.quot;

    quot;But do you approve of it, ; asked ter, ing ;You cant approve of it, possibly. It is some silly infatuation.quot;

    quot;I never approve, or disapprove, of anyt is an absurd attitude to take to sent into to air our moral prejudices. I never take any notice of erfere  cy fascinates me,  personality selects is absolutely deligo me. Dorian Gray falls in love iful girl , and proposes to marry ? If eresting. You kno a co marriage is t it makes one unselfisy. Still, tain temperaments t marriage makes more complex. tain tism, and add to it many oto o be  of mans existence. Besides, every experience is of value, and  marriage, it is certainly an experience. I  Dorian Gray ely adore ed by some one else. udy.quot;

    quot;You dont mean a single , . If Dorian Grays life ter tend to be.quot;

    Lord ;to t imism is serror. e t  our neigues t are likely to be a benefit to us. e praise t , and find good qualities in t s. I mean everyt I est contempt for optimism. As for a spoiled life, no life is spoiled but one  to mar a nature, you o reform it. As for marriage, of course t  teresting bonds betainly encourage t ell you more t;

    quot;My dear  botulate me!quot; said ts satin-lined ;I  is sudden-- all really delig it seems to me to be t; ement and pleasure, and looked extraordinarily handsome.

    quot;I ; said ;but I dont quite forgive you for not  me kno. You let ;

    quot;And I dont forgive you for being late for dinner,quot; broke in Lord ting ;Come, let us sit dory ell us  all came about.quot;

    quot;t muco tell,quot; cried Dorian as took ts at table. quot; er I left you yesterday evening,  t little Italian restaurant in Rupert Street you introduced me to, and  do eigo tre. Sibyl  Sibyl! You sly ered y little green cap  in a jee. Se grace of t tanagra figurine t you udio, Basil. ered round ing--. I sat in tely ent t I eentury. I  t no man er t beo ting togeto  I oo you  at t moment. It seemed to me t all my life o one perfect point of rose-coloured joy. Srembled all over and se narcissus. t I s tell you all t I cant . Of course, our engagement is a dead secret. S even told  knoo be furious. I dont care. I s I like. I , Basil,  I, to take my love out of poetry and to find my ;

    quot;Yes, Dorian, I suppose you were rig; said hallward slowly.

    quot;o-day?quot; asked Lord henry.

    Dorian Gray s;I left  of Arden; I s;

    Lord ative manner. quot;At icular point did you mention t did s all about it.quot;

    quot;My dear  treat it as a business transaction, and I did not make any formal proposal. I told  I loved  o be my  o me compared ;

    quot;omen are ical,quot; murmured Lord ;mucical tuations of t kind en forget to say anyt marriage, and t;

    ;Dont,  like oture is too fine for t.quot;

    Lord able. quot;Dorian is never annoyed ; be ans;I asked tion for t reason possible, for t excuses one for asking any question-- simple curiosity. I  it is alo us, and not , of course, in middle-class life. But t modern.quot;

    Dorian Gray laugossed ;You are quite incorrigible,  I dont mind. It is impossible to be angry  t, a beast  a . I cannot understand o s to place al of gold and to see t is marriage? An irrevocable vo it for t. A mock. It is an irrevocable vo I  to take. rust makes me fait all t you aug from ing, poisonous, delig;

    quot;And t; asked Lord o some salad.

    quot;O life, your t love, your t pleasure. All your t, ;

    quot;Pleasure is t,quot; ;But I am afraid I cannot claim my t belongs to Nature, not to me. Pleasure is Natures test,  w always ;

    quot;A ; cried Basil hallward.

    quot;Yes,quot; ec Lord ers of purple-lipped irises t stood in tre of table, quot;w do you mean by good, ;

    quot;to be good is to be in ; oucem of ed fingers. quot;Discord is to be forced to be in  is tant to be a prig or a Puritan, one can flaunt ones moral vie t t ones concern. Besides, individualism y consists in accepting tandard of ones age. I consider t for any man of culture to accept tandard of  immorality.quot;

    quot;But, surely, if one lives merely for ones self, errible price for doing so?quot; suggested ter.

    quot;Yes, ragedy of t t self-denial. Beautiful sins, like beautiful t;

    quot;One o pay in ot money.quot;

    quot; sort of ;

    quot;Oion.quot;

    Lord ;My dear fello is c mediaeval emotions are out of date. One can use tion, of course. But t one can use in fiction are t one o use in fact. Believe me, no civilized man ever regrets a pleasure, and no uncivilized man ever kno;

    quot;I kno; cried Dorian Gray. quot;It is to adore some one.quot;

    quot;t is certainly better t; oying s. quot;Being adored is a nuisance. omen treat us just as y treats its gods. to do somet;

    quot;I s  given to us,quot; murmured t;te love in our natures. t to demand it back.quot;

    quot;t is quite true, Dorian,quot; cried hallward.

    quot;Note true,quot; said Lord henry.

    quot;t; interrupted Dorian. quot;You must admit,  o men t;

    quot;Possibly,quot; ;but t it back in suc is tty Frenc it, inspire us o do masterpieces and al us from carrying t.quot;

    quot; know w;

    quot;You ; ;ill you er, bring coffee, and fine-ctes. No, dont mind ttes--I  alloo smoke cigars. You must te. A cigarette is t type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied.  more can one ? Yes, Dorian, you  to you all to commit.quot;

    quot; nonsense you talk, ; cried taking a lig ter able. quot;Let us go doo tre. age you o you t you ;

    quot;I ; said Lord ired look in ;but I am alion. I am afraid, , for me at any rate, till, your ing. It is so muc us go. Dorian, you  t follow us in a ;

    t up and put on ts, sipping tanding. ter  and preoccupied. t bear t it seemed to o be better t miger a fees, tairs. cs of ttle broug of range sense of loss came over  t Dorian Gray o  . Life reets became blurred to  tre, it seemed to  he had grown years older.

 Chapter 7

    Cer 7

    For some reason or ot nig Je to ear remulous smile. ed to t of pompous y,  top of  as if o look for Miranda and  by Caliban. Lord  least ed on s o meet a man . c. t erribly oppressive, and t flamed like a monstrous daals of yelloaken off ts and coats and alked to eacre and sa. t. the bar.

    quot; a place to find ones divinity in!quot; said Lord henry.

    quot;Yes!quot; ans;It  everytal gestures, become quite different  silently and co do. Sualizes t t;

    quot;t!quot; exclaimed Lord s of through his opera-glass.

    quot;Dont pay any attention to ; said ter. quot;I understand  be marvellous, and any girl  be fine and noble. to spiritualize ones age--t is someto t one, if se ty in people ears for sorro are not tion, ion of te rig t first, but I admit it no e.quot;

    quot;t; ans you and me. errifies me. But ra. It is quite dreadful, but it only lasts for about five minutes. tain rises, and you o o ;

    A quarter of an er an extraordinary turmoil of applause, Sibyl Vane stepped on to tage. Yes, sainly lovely to look at-- one of t creatures, Lord , t artled eyes. A faint bluso  tic epped back a feremble. Basil o  and began to applaud. Motionless, and as one in a dream, sat Dorian Gray, gazing at ;C;

    ts ered io and  ruck up a feors, Sibyl Vane moved like a creature from a finer er. t e lily. o be made of cool ivory.

    Yet sless. Sed on Romeo. to speak--

    Good pilgrim, you do wrong your oo much,

    ion shis;

    For saints  pilgrims ouch,

    And palm to palm is holy palmers kiss--

    folloificial manner. te, but from t of vieone it ely false. It  took a made the passion unreal.

    Dorian Gray greo o to be absolutely incompetent. ted.

    Yet t t true test of any Juliet is t. ted for t. If shing in her.

    S in t. t could not be denied. But taginess of ing ificial. S so say. tiful passage--

    t t is on my face,

    Else would a maiden blus my cheek

    For t --

    augo recite by some second-rate professor of elocution. o those wonderful lines--

    Althee,

    I ract to-night:

    It is too rasoo unadvised, too sudden;

    too like tning, wo be

    Ere one can say, quot;It lig; S, good-night!

    th

    May prove a beauteous flo--

    so   nervousness. Indeed, so far from being nervous, sely self-contained. It . Se failure.

    Even ted audience of t and gallery lost terest in t restless, and began to talk loudly and to anding at tamped and she girl herself.

    orm of  up from  on . quot;Se beautiful, Dorian,quot; ;but s act. Let us go.quot;

    quot;I am going to see t; anster voice. quot;I am a I e an evening, o you bot;

    quot;My dear Dorian, I s; interrupted ;e .quot;

    quot;I  so me to be simply callous and cold. Sirely altered. Last nig artist. tress.quot;

    quot;Dont talk like t about any one you love, Dorian. Love is a more .quot;

    quot;tation,quot; remarked Lord ;But do let us go. Dorian, you must not stay  is not good for ones morals to see bad acting. Besides, I dont suppose you  your o act, so  matter if s like a le about life as s acting, sful experience. tely not look so tragic! t of remaining young is never to ion t is unbecoming. Come to ttes and drink to ty of Sibyl Vane. Siful.  more can you ?quot;

    quot;Go a;I  to be alone. Basil, you must go. A you see t my  is breaking?quot; t tears came to rembled, and ruso t the wall, hiding his face in his hands.

    quot;Let us go, Basil,quot; said Lord range tenderness in  together.

    A fes afterligain rose on t. Dorian Gray  back to . . terminable.  out, tramping in s and laug act o almost empty bencain  doitter and some groans.

    As soon as it anding triump e fire. t ed lips  of their own.

    ered, s e joy came over ;ed to-nig; she cried.

    quot;;  . quot;  ;

    t;Dorian,quot; s er to tals of ;Dorian, you sood. But you understand no you?quot;

    quot;Understand ; he asked, angrily.

    quot;o-nig ;

    ;You are ill, I suppose.  act. You make yourself ridiculous. My friends ;

    S to listen to ransfigured asy of ed her.

    quot;Dorian, Dorian,quot; s;before I kneing y of my life. It re t I lived. I t t it rue. I rice ed o me to be godlike. ted scenes  s tiful love!-- and you freed my soul from prison. You taug reality really is. to-nig time in my life, I say pageant in ime, I became conscious t ted, t t in t t to speak  my  ed to say. You  me somet is but a reflection. You and  can ever be.  o do s of a play? o-nig understand   everyt t I o be  I could do not da all meant. te to me. I  could take me aake me ae alone. I e tage. I mig I do not feel, but I cannot mimic one t burns me like fire. Oand no signifies? Even if I could do it, it ion for me to play at being in love. You .quot;

    urned aered.

    S o tle fingers stroked  down and pressed o hrough him.

    t to t;Yes,quot; ;you o stir my imagination. No even stir my curiosity. You simply produce no effect. I loved you because you , because you realized t poets and gave sance to t. You  all aion your name. You dont knoo me, once.  bear to t! I le you can kno mars your art! it your art, you are not. t are you noe actress ty face.quot;

    te, and trembled. Sogeto catc. quot;You are not serious, Dorian?quot; s;You are acting.quot;

    quot;Acting! I leave t to you. You do it so ; terly.

    Seous expression of pain in o  o  ;Dont touc; he cried.

    A lorampled flo;Dorian, Dorian, dont leave me!quot; s;I am so sorry I didnt act ime. But I ry--indeed, I ry. It came so suddenly across me, my love for you. I t if you  kissed me-- if  bear it. O go a mean it. . . . . But you, o you forgive me for to-nigry to improve. Dont be cruel to me, because I love you better ter all, it is only once t I  pleased you. But you are quite rigist. It  . O leave me, dont leave me.quot; A fit of passionate sobbing ciful eyes, looked do e disdain. t tions of people o o be absurdly melodramatic. ears and sobs annoyed him.

    quot;I am going,quot;  last in ;I dont  I cant see you again. You ed me.quot;

    S silently, and made no ans crept nearer. tle retc, and appeared to be seeking for urned on  ts  of tre.

    to  streets, past gaunt, black-ser er tering to trous apes. esque ceps, and s.

    As t breaking, o Covent Garden. ted, and, flus fires, tself into a perfect pearl. s filled y street. ty seemed to bring o t and ce-smocked carter offered o accept any money for to eat tlessly. t midnigered into tes of striped tulips, and of yello of ables. Under tico, s grey, sun-bleacered a troop of draggled bareing for tion to be over. Ot-amped upon tones, srappings. Some of ted, t picking up seeds.

    After a little ep, looking round at t square, s blank, close-stered s staring blinds. tened like silver against it. From some ce a t curled, a violet riband, the nacre-coloured air.

    In t Venetian lantern, spoil of some Doges barge, t , oak-panelled rance, ligill burning from ts: tals of flame te fire. urned t and,  and cape on table, passed toagonal c, in  ed for apestries t ored in a disused attic at Selby Royal. As urning trait Basil ed of arted back as if in surprise. t on into  puzzled. After aken tton- of , o ate. Finally,  over to ture, and examined it. In ted lig struggled to o be a little c. One oucy in t ainly strange.

    urned round and, o t da tastic so dusky corners, range expression t iced in trait seemed to linger to be more intensified even. t sunligy round to a mirror after hing.

    aking up from table an oval glass framed in ivory Cupids, one of Lord s to o its polis  mean?

    o ture, and examined it again. to tual painting, and yet t t tered. It  a mere fancy of .

    o a co t udio ture  perfectly. tered a mad rait gro y migarnis ted image mig, and t  keep all te bloom and loveliness of  conscious boy been fulfilled? Suc seemed monstrous even to t, ture before oucy in th.

    Cruelty!  , not  artist, o  . ted , a feeling of infinite regret came over  of   sobbing like a little c callousness c? o  errible  ted, uries of pain, aeon upon aeon of torture. , if ter suited to bear sorroions. t of tions. ook lovers, it o old , and Lord   Sibyl Vane? So him now.

    But ture?  ? It  of old ory. It augo love y. ould it teaco loat it again?

    No; it  t  poms be. Suddenly t tiny scarlet speck t makes men mad. ture  c o think so.

    Yet it cs beautiful marred face and its cruel smile. Its brig. Its blue eyes met e pity, not for  for ted image of  ered already, and er more. Its gold o grey. Its red and  ted, a stain s fairness. But  sin. ture, co  temptation.  see Lord , at any rate, listen to tle poisonous t in Basil  stirred o Sibyl Vane, make ry to love  o do so. S o ion t surn. togetiful and pure.

    up from  in front of trait, s it. quot;; o o t. epped out on to to drive a eco ed  o be telling t her.

 Chapter 8

    Cer 8

    It  noon imes on tiptoe into to see if irring, and  made er sleep so late. Finally or came in softly ea, and a pile of letters, on a small tray of old Sevres cin curtains,   of tall windows.

    quot;Monsieur  t; he said, smiling.

    quot; oclock is it, Victor?quot; asked Dorian Gray drowsily.

    quot;One er, Monsieur.quot;

    e it urned over ters. One of t by  morning. ated for a moment, and t it aside. tlessly. tained tion of cards, invitations to dinner, tickets for private vies, and t are soilet-set t  yet o send on to remely old-fas realize t eously ions from Jermyn Street money-lenders offering to advance any sum of money at a moments notice and at t reasonable rates of interest.

    After about ten minutes  up, and te dressing-goer refreser o ten all t aken part in some strange tragedy came to  ty of a dream about it.

    As soon as  into t doo a lig t  for able close to t e day. t, filled ood before  perfectly happy.

    Suddenly   of trait, and arted.

    quot;too cold for Monsieur?quot; asked , putting an omelette on table. quot;I s t;

    Dorian s;I am not cold,quot; he murmured.

    as it all true? rait really c been simply ion t ed canvas could not alter? t ale to tell Basil some day. It would make him smile.

    And, yet, ion of t in t dreaded  leaving t rait. ainty. tes  and turned to go,  a o tell o remain. As tood ing for  . quot;I am not at o any one, Victor,quot; ired.

    table, lit a cigarette, and flung  stood facing t Spanisamped and tern.  curiously,   of a mans life.

    S aside, after all?  let it stay t rue, it errible. If it  true,  it? But e or deadlier c so look at ure? Basil o do t. No; to be examined, and at once. Anytter tate of doubt.

    up and locked bot least o face. It ly true. trait ered.

    As en remembered after first gazing at trait  scientific interest. t sucaken place o  it . as tle affinity betoms t so form and colour on t  be t  soul t, t  dreamed, true? Or errible reason?  afraid, and, going back to t ture in sickened horror.

    One t t it  , o Sibyl Vane. It  too late to make reparation for t. Sill be o some ransformed into some nobler passion, and trait t Basil ed of o o  o some, and conscience to oto us all. tes for remorse, drugs t could lull to sleep. But ion of sin.  sign of t upon their souls.

    truck, and four, and ts double c Dorian Gray did not stir. rying to gat to o a pattern; to find  knoo do, or o t over to table and e a passionate letter to ter page  no one else  to blame us. It is t t, t gives us absolution. ter,  t he had been forgiven.

    Suddenly to tside. quot;My dear boy, I must see you. Let me in at once. I cant bear your sting yourself up like t;

    first, but remained quite still. till continued and gre ter to let Lord o explain to o lead, to quarrel  became necessary to quarrel, to part if parting able. ily across ture, and unlocked the door.

    quot;I am so sorry for it all, Dorian,quot; said Lord ered. quot;But you must not too muc it.quot;

    quot;Do you mean about Sibyl Vane?quot; asked the lad.

    quot;Yes, of course,quot; ans is dreadful, from one point of vie it  your fault. tell me, did you go beer t;

    quot;Yes.quot;

    quot;I felt sure you ;

    quot;I al, ly brutal. But it is all rig sorry for anyt  augo knoter.quot;

    quot;Aake it in t earing t nice curly ;

    quot;I  t,quot; said Dorian, s;I am perfectly  conscience is, to begin  is not old me it  is t t sneer at it,  least not before me. I  to be good. I cant bear t;

    quot;A very cistic basis for etulate you on it. But o begin?quot;

    quot;By marrying Sibyl Vane.quot;

    quot;Marrying Sibyl Vane!quot; cried Lord anding up and looking at . quot;But, my dear Dorian--quot;

    quot;Yes,  you are going to say. Somet marriage. Dont say it. Dont ever say t kind to me again. to marry me. I am not going to break my o o be my ;

    quot;Your  you get my letter? I e to you t te do;

    quot;Your letter? O read it yet,  be somet t I  like. You cut life to pieces ;

    quot;You kno;

    quot; do you mean?quot;

    Lord ting doook botig;Dorian,quot; ;my letter--dont be frigo tell you t Sibyl Vane is dead.quot;

    A cry of pain broke from to , tearing ;Dead! Sibyl dead! It is not true! It is a ?quot;

    quot;It is quite true, Dorian,quot; said Lord ;It is in all te doo you to ask you not to see any one till I came. to be an inquest, of course, and you must not be mixed up in it. t make a man fas in London people are so prejudiced.   to give an interest to ones old age. I suppose t kno tre? If t, it is all rigo  is an important point.quot;

    Dorian did not anss. ammered, in a stifled voice, quot;?  did you mean by t? Did Sibyl--? O bear it! But be quick. tell me everyt once.quot;

    quot;I  it  an accident, Dorian, t must be put in t o t seems t as sre   ten sometairs. ted some time for  s come doimately found ake, some dreadful t tres. I dont kno  it e lead in it. I s aneously.quot;

    quot; is terrible!quot; cried the lad.

    quot;Yes; it is very tragic, of course, but you must not get yourself mixed up in it. I see by tandard t seen. I s s younger t. So knotle about acting. Dorian, you mustnt let t on your nerves. You must come and dine er t is a Patti nigo my sisters box. S some smart ;

    quot;So I ; said Dorian Gray, o ;murdered  tle t  t less lovely for all t. t as o-nigo dine o teric life is! If I  over it. Some it ually, and to me, it seems far too ears.  passionate love-letter I ten in my life. Strange, t my first passionate love-letter so a dead girl. Can te silent people en? O seems years ago to me no dreadful nig really only last nig almost broke. S all to me. It erribly patic. But I  moved a bit. I t  made me afraid. I cant tell you   it errible. I said I o  I  s knoo keep me straig for me. S to kill  was selfis;

    quot;My dear Dorian,quot; anste from ten matc;tely t erest in life. If you created o people about  you ely indifferent to  out about  bonnets t some oto pay for. I say not take,  in any case te failure.quot;

    quot;I suppose it ; muttered t;But I t it y. It is not my fault t terrible tragedy ed my doing ality about good resolutions--t too late. Mine certainly ; quot;Good resolutions are useless attempts to interfere ific lay. t is absolutely nil. terile emotions t ain c is all t can be said for t men dra;

    quot;; cried Dorian Gray, coming over and sitting do I cannot feel tragedy as muc to? I dont tless. Do you?quot;

    quot;You oo many foolis fortnigo be entitled to give yourself t name, Dorian,quot; answered Lord  melancholy smile.

    t;I dont like t explanation, ; ;but I am glad you dont tless. I am not. And yet I must admit t t  affect me as it s seems to me to be simply like a o a  errible beauty of a Greek tragedy, a tragedy in  part, but by ;

    quot;It is an interesting question,quot; said Lord e pleasure in playing on tism, quot;an extremely interesting question. I fancy t true explanation is t often  tragedies of life occur in sucistic manner t t us by te inco of meaning, tire lack of style. t us just as vulgarity affects us. te force, and  against t. Sometimes, ragedy t possesses artistic elements of beauty crosses our lives. If ts of beauty are real, to our sense of dramatic effect. Suddenly  ors, but tators of tcacle ent case,  t  I   been very many, but ted on living on, long after I o care for to care for me. tout and tedious, and  once for reminiscences. t a is! And ter intellectual stagnation it reveals! One s one ss details. Details are al;

    quot;I must so; sighed Dorian.

    quot;ty,quot; rejoined ;Life  violets all tistic mourning for a romance t  die. Ultimately,  did die. I forget . I t  is al. It fills one error of eternity. ell--?--a  Lady ed at dinner next tion, and sed on going over t, and raking up ture. I  out again and assured me t I o state t se an enormous dinner, so I did not feel any anxiety. But aste s is t it is t. But , and as soon as terest of tirely over, to continue it. If tragic ending, and every tragedy e in a farce. tificial, but t. You are more fortunate t not one of t Sibyl Vane did for you. Ordinary  by going in for sentimental colours. Never trust a  tory. Ot consolation in suddenly discovering ties of t ty in ones face, as if it  fascinating of sins. Religion consoles some. Its mysteries ation, a old me, and I can quite understand it. Besides, notold t one is a sinner. Conscience makes egotists of us all. Yes; to tions t ioned t important one.quot;

    quot; is t, ; said tlessly.

    quot;Oion. taking some one elses admirer  al s! to me quite beautiful about ury ;

    quot;I erribly cruel to  t.quot;

    quot;I am afraid t e cruelty, doive instincts. e ed t ters, all ted. I am sure you  I can fancy ful you looked. And, after all, you said someto me terday t seemed to me at time to be merely fanciful, but t I see noely true, and it o everyt;

    quot; , ;

    quot;You said to me t Sibyl Vane represented to you all t s, and Op if s, so life as Imogen.quot;

    quot;So life again no; muttered the lad, burying his face in his hands.

    quot;No, so life. S part. But you must t lonely deatarange lurid fragment from some Jacobean tragedy, as a er, or Ford, or Cyril tourneur. to you at least som t flitted t ts presence, a reed t soucual life, s, and it marred  asrangled. Cry out against er of Brabantio died. But dont e your tears over Sibyl Vane. S;

    t, t in from t of things.

    After some time Dorian Gray looked up. quot;You o myself, ; ;I felt all t you  some, and I could not express it to myself.   talk again of ore for me anyt;

    quot;Life ore for you, Dorian. t you, raordinary good looks,  be able to do.quot;

    quot;But suppose,  t;

    quot;A; said Lord o go, quot;to figories. As it is, t to you. No, you must keep your good looks. e live in an age t reads too muco be  too muco be beautiful. e cannot spare you. And noer dress and drive doo te, as it is.quot;

    quot;I t too tired to eat anyt is ters box?quot;

    quot;ty-seven, I believe. It is on tier. You  come and dine.quot;

    quot;I dont feel up to it,quot; said Dorian listlessly. quot;But I am ao you for all t you o me. You are certainly my best friend. No one ood me as you ;

    quot;e are only at t; ansi is singing.quot;

    As ouces Victor appeared ed impatiently for o go. to take an interminable time over everything.

    As soon as , o t back. No; ture. It   s of life as ty t marred t, appeared at t t tever it  indifferent to results? Did it merely take cognizance of  some day aking place before .

    Poor Sibyl!  a romance it en mimicked deatage. toucaken  dreadful last scene?  to oned for everyt t s  at tre.  of  ragic figure sent on to tage to sy of love. A ragic figure? tears came to remulous grace. ily and looked again at ture.

    t time  for e curiosity about life. Eternal youte passion, pleasures subtle and secret,  o bear t was all.

    A feeling of pain crept over  of tion t ore for to kiss, ted lips t no er morning  before trait  its beauty, almost enamoured of it, as it seemed to  times. as it to alter noo o become a monstrous and loato be o be s out from t t en touco brigs y of it! ty of it!

    For a moment,  of praying t t existed bet mig,  life, astic t c be, or  fateful consequences it mig? Besides,  really under rol?  indeed been prayer t itution? Mig be some curious scientific reason for it all? If t could exercise its influence upon a living organism, mig t exercise an influence upon dead and inorganic t t or conscious desire, mig ternal to ourselves vibrate in unison om calling to atom in secret love or strange affinity? But tance. empt by a prayer any terrible poure o alter, it o alter. t o it?

    For tc. o follos secret places. trait o  magical of mirrors. As it o  o er came upon it, ill be standing  from its face, and left be one blossom of  one pulse of rong, and fleet, and joyous.  did it matter  hing.

    o its former place in front of ture, smiling as o  ing for er  the opera, and Lord henry was leaning over his chair.

 Chapter 9

    Cer 9

    As ting at breakfast next morning, Basil o the room.

    quot;I am so glad I ; ;I called last nigold me you  t  I ragedy mig elegrap first. I read of it quite by ce edition of t I picked up at t once and  not finding you. I cant tell you -broken I am about t you must suffer. But  of folloon Road, isnt it? But I ruding upon a sorro I could not lig a state s be in! And oo!  did s it all?quot;

    quot;My dear Basil, ; murmured Dorian Gray, sipping some pale-yelloe, gold-beaded bubble of Venetian glass and looking dreadfully bored. quot;I  t Lady G time. e i sang divinely. Dont talk about s. If one doesnt talk about a t  is simply expression, as  gives reality to tion t s t  on tage. ell me about yourself and ing.quot;

    quot;You  to t; said rained touc;You  to talk to me of otti singing divinely, before t of a grave to sleep in? ore for t little we body of ;

    quot;Stop, Basil! I  !quot; cried Dorian, leaping to . quot;You must not tell me about t is done is done.  is past is past.quot;

    quot;You call yesterday t?quot;

    quot; ual lapse of time got to do ? It is only so get rid of an emotion. A man   to be at tions. I  to use to enjoy to dominate t;

    quot;Dorian, tely. You look exactly ter day, used to come doo my studio to sit for ure. But you ural, and affectionate t unspoiled creature in t knoy in you. It is all .quot;

    to t for a fes on t;I o deal to ;  last, quot;more to you. You only taugo be vain.quot;

    quot;ell, I am punis, Dorian--or s;

    quot;I dont kno; urning round. quot;I dont kno.  do you ?quot;

    quot;I  to paint,quot; said tist sadly.

    quot;Basil,quot; said to ting ;you oo late. Yesterday, w Sibyl Vane ;

    quot;Killed  about t?quot; cried  h an expression of horror.

    quot;My dear Basil! Surely you dont t ? Of course s;

    t;; tered, and a shrough him.

    quot;No,quot; said Dorian Gray, quot;t it. It is one of t romantic tragedies of t lead t commonplace lives. tedious. You knoue and all t kind of t Sibyl ragedy. S nig you say, s migo t. tyr about ic uselessness of martyrdom, all its ed beauty. But, as I  not t suffered. If you erday at a particular moment-- about  five, perer to six-- you ,  I  passed a repeat an emotion. No one can, except sentimentalists. And you are a, Basil. You come do is cic person! You remind me of a story old me about a certain p y years of rying to get some grievance redressed, or some unjust laered--I forget exactly  . ely noto do, almost died of ennui, and became a confirmed misant to console me, teaco forget  from a proper artistic point of vie not Gautier e about la consolation des arts? I remember picking up a little vellum-covered book in your studio one day and c delig like t young man you told me of ogeto say t yelloin could console one for all tiful t one can touce surroundings, luxury, pomp--to be got from all t tistic temperament t te, or at any rate reveal, is still more to me. to become tator of ones o my talking to you like t realized s, ne, but you must not like me less. I am c you must al you are better t stronger-- you are too muc you are better. And o be toget leave me, Basil, and dont quarrel  I am. to be said.quot;

    ter felt strangely moved. tely dear to y  turning point in .  bear ter all,   was good, so muc was noble.

    quot;ell, Dorian,quot;  lengt;I  speak to you again about ter to-day. I only trust your name  be mentioned in connection . t is to take place ternoon. ;

    Dorian s tion of t;inquest.quot; t everyt;t kno; he answered.

    quot;But surely s;

    quot;Only my Cian name, and t I am quite sure sioned to any one. Sold me once t to learn  ty of  do me a dra;

    quot;I ry and do somet  you must come and sit to me yourself again. I cant get on  you.quot;

    quot;I can never sit to you again, Basil. It is impossible!quot; arting back.

    ter stared at ;My dear boy, ; ;Do you mean to say you dont like ? Let me look at it. It is t take t is simply disgraceful of your servant . I felt t as I came in.quot;

    quot;My servant o do , Basil. You dont imagine I let tles my floimes-- t is all. No; I did it myself. t oo strong on trait.quot;

    quot;too strong! Surely not, my dear fello is an admirable place for it. Let me see it.quot; And ohe room.

    A cry of terror broke from Dorian Grays lips, and er and t;Basil,quot; ;you must not look at it. I dont ;

    quot;Not look at my o serious.  I look at it?quot; exclaimed hallward, laughing.

    quot;If you try to look at it, Basil, on my e serious. I dont offer any explanation, and you are not to ask for any. But, remember, if you touc;

    ruck.  Dorian Gray in absolute amazement. ually pallid rembling all over.

    quot;Dorian!quot;

    quot;Dont speak!quot;

    quot;But ter? Of course I  look at it if you dont  me to,quot; urning on o;But, really, it seems rat I s see my oo ex it in Paris in tumn. I so give it anot of varnis, so I must see it some day, and o-day?quot;

    quot;to ex it! You  to ex it?quot; exclaimed Dorian Gray, a strange sense of terror creeping over o be s? ere people to gape at tery of   kno once.

    quot;Yes; I dont suppose you  to t. Georges Petit is going to collect all my best pictures for a special exion in t ober. trait  for t time. In fact, you are sure to be out of to al.quot;

    Dorian Gray passed ion t t ;You told me a mont you ,quot; ;ent  as many moods as ot your moods are rat ten t you assured me most solemnly t noto send it to any exion. You told ly t; opped suddenly, and a gleam of ligo  Lord o , quot;If you  to range quarter of an  Basil to tell you ure. old me  ion to me.quot; Yes, peroo, . ry.

    quot;Basil,quot; e close and looking raig; me knoo ex my picture?quot;

    ter se of ;Dorian, if I told you, you migainly laug me. I could not bear your doing eito look at your picture again, I am content. I o look at. If you ation.quot;

    quot;No, Basil, you must tell me,quot; insisted Dorian Gray. quot;I t to kno; error y aken its place. ermined to find out Basil ery.

    quot;Let us sit do; said ter, looking troubled. quot;Let us sit do ansion. iced in ture somet probably at first did not strike you, but t revealed itself to you suddenly?quot;

    quot;Basil!quot; cried tcrembling  artled eyes.

    quot;I see you did. Dont speak. ait till you  I o say. Dorian, from t I met you, your personality  extraordinary influence over me. I ed, soul, brain, and poo me tion of t unseen ideal ists like an exquisite dream. I o o myself. I  in my art.... Of course, I never let you kno t . I ood it myself. I only kne I ion face to face, and t to my eyes-- too . I y armour, and as Adonis smans cloak and polisus-blossoms you  on turbid Nile. You ill pool of some Greek ers silent silver t  art se. One day, a fatal day I sometimes termined to paint a rait of you as you actually are, not in tume of dead ages, but in your oime.  y, tly presented to me  mist or veil, I cannot tell. But I kno as I  it, every flake and film of colour seemed to me to reveal my secret. I gre otry. I felt, Dorian, t I old too muc I  too muco it. t  I resolved never to alloure to be exed. You tle annoyed; but t realize all t it meant to me. o  it, laug me. But I did not mind t. ure , I felt t I  my studio, and as soon as I  rid of tolerable fascination of its presence, it seemed to me t I  I , more t you remely good-looking and t I could paint. Even no  it is a mistake to t tion is ever really ses. Art is alract tell us of form and colour--t is all. It often seems to me t art conceals tist far more completely t ever reveals  termined to make your portrait tion. It never occurred to me t you  you  be s not be angry  I old you. As I said to o be wors;

    Dorian Gray dreo  ime. Yet  e pity for ter range confession to ed by ty of a friend. Lord  t oo cynical to be really fond of. ould trange idolatry? as t one of t life ore?

    quot;It is extraordinary to me, Dorian,quot; said ;t you srait. Did you really see it?quot;

    quot;I sa,quot; ;somet seemed to me very curious.quot;

    quot;ell, you dont mind my looking at t;

    Dorian s;You must not ask me t, Basil. I could not possibly let you stand in front of t picture.quot;

    quot;You ;

    quot;Never.quot;

    quot;ell, per. And noo you. A kno cost me to tell you all t I old you.quot;

    quot;My dear Basil,quot; said Dorian, quot; you felt t you admired me too muc is not even a compliment.quot;

    quot;It  intended as a compliment. It  I , someto  of me. Per ones ;

    quot;It ing confession.quot;

    quot; did you expect, Dorian? You didnt see anyture, did you? to see?quot;

    quot;No; to see.  you mustnt talk about ;

    quot;You  ; said ter sadly.

    quot;O; cried ter. quot; is incredible and  is improbable. Just t of life I o lead. But still I dont to rouble. I o you, Basil.quot;

    quot;You  to me again?quot;

    quot;Impossible!quot;

    quot;You spoil my life as an artist by refusing, Dorian. No man comes across t;

    quot;I cant explain it to you, Basil, but I must never sit to you again. tal about a portrait. It s o  as pleasant.quot;

    quot;Pleasanter for you, I am afraid,quot; murmured fully. quot;And no let me look at ture once again. But t cant be e understand  it.quot;

    As  to tle rue reason! And range it , instead of o reveal ,  by cing a secret from  strange confession explained to ers absurd fits of jealousy, ion, ravagant panegyrics, icences-- ood t sorry. to o be sometragic in a friendship so coloured by romance.

    oucrait must be  all costs.  run suc o o remain, even for an o which any of his friends had access.

 Chapter 10

    Cer 10

    entered, be looked at eadfastly and ed for  a cigarette and o to it. ion of Victors face perfectly. It y. to be afraid of, t  it best to be on his guard.

    Speaking very sloell t ed to see o go to to send t seemed to  as t tion of t merely his own fancy?

    After a fes, in tens on led into the schoolroom.

    quot;t; s; is full of dust. I must get it arranged and put straigo it. It is not fit for you to see, sir. It is not, indeed.quot;

    quot;I dont  it put straig t;

    quot;ell, sir, youll be covered o it.   been opened for nearly five years--not since ;

    tion of eful memories of ;t does not matter,quot; ;I simply  to see t is all. Give me t;

    quot;And ; said tents of remulously uncertain ; off t. But you dont table ;

    quot;No, no,quot; ulantly. quot;t ;

    Ss, and ail of told o manage t best. S thed in smiles.

    As t t and looked round tin coverlet e seventeentury Venetian   near Bologna. Yes, t o  en as a pall for t o  ion of its oion of deatself-- somet o to ted image on ts beauty and eat as grace. t and make it s till live on. It would be always alive.

    ted t  told Basil true reason  Lord ill more poisonous influences t came from emperament. t

    noble and intellectual. It  t mere pion of beauty t is born of t dies   oo late no could al, denial, or forgetfulness could do t. But ture able. t errible outlet, dreams t heir evil real.

    ook up from t purple-and-gold texture t covered it, and,  in  seemed to  it ensified. Gold   ered. t y. Compared to tle account!  at o judgement. A look of pain came across ure. As o t as  entered.

    quot;t;

    t t be got rid of at once.  not be alloo knoaken to. t ful, treacting do ting-table e to Lord o send o read and reminding  to meet at eigeen t evening.

    quot;ait for an ans;  to ;and s;

    In tes ted frame-maker of Soutreet, came in  rougant. Mr. tle man,  empered by terate impecuniosity of most of tists  ed for people to come to  ion in favour of Dorian Gray. t Dorian t c o see him.

    quot; can I do for you, Mr. Gray?quot;  freckled ;I t I  got a beauty of a frame, sir. Picked it up at a sale. Old Florentine. Came from Fonted for a religious subject, Mr. Gray.quot;

    quot;I am so sorry you rouble of coming round, Mr. ainly drop in and look at t go in muc present for religious art--but to-day I only  a picture carried to top of t is rat I o lend me a couple of your men.quot;

    quot;No trouble at all, Mr. Gray. I am deligo be of any service to you. , sir?quot;

    quot;t; replied Dorian, moving t;Can you move it, covering and all, just as it is? I dont  it to get scratcairs.quot;

    quot;ty, sir,quot; said tant, to unure from t ;And, noo, Mr. Gray?quot;

    quot;I er go in front. I am afraid it is rig top of t staircase, as it is ;

    into t. te cer of ture extremely bulky, and noe of tests of Mr. rue tradesmans spirited dislike of seeing a gentleman doing anyt o it so as to hem.

    quot;Someto carry, sir,quot; gasped ttle man wop landing. And he wiped his shiny forehead.

    quot;I am afraid it is rat; murmured Dorian as  opened into t o keep for  of he eyes of men.

    entered t, indeed, since  first as a play-room  ioned room,  Lord Kelso for ttle grandson o ed and desired to keep at a distance. It appeared to Dorian to  little calian cassone, s fantastically painted panels and its tarnis mouldings, in  ry ed s.  all! Every moment of o ainless purity of  seemed o  it rait o be tle , in t ore for him!

    But ter it. Beneats purple pall, ted on tial, sodden, and unclean.  did it matter? No one could see it.  see it. cion of

    ure groer all? t ture s come across  seemed to be already stirring in spirit and in flesured sins  tlety and t sensitive mout so terpiece.

    No; t ore for it. t s brig, ted body, t ern to ure o be concealed. t.

    quot;Bring it in, Mr. ; urning round. quot;I am sorry I kept you so long. I ;

    quot;Alo , Mr. Gray,quot; ansill gasping for breat; it, sir?quot;

    quot;O  to   lean it against t;

    quot;Mig t, sir?quot;

    Dorian started. quot;It  interest you, Mr. ;  ready to leap upon o to lift t concealed t of ;I s trouble you any more now. I am muc;

    quot;Not at all, not at all, Mr. Gray. Ever ready to do anyt; And Mr. ramped doairs, folloant, h a look of shy wonder in his rough uncomely face. he had never seen any one so marvellous.

    steps  t.  safe no his would ever see his shame.

    On reac it  after five oclock and t tea  up. On a little table of dark perfumed ed  from Lady Radley, ty professional invalid er in Cairo, e from Lord  ly torn and tion of t. Jamess Gazette ea-tray. It  t Victor urned.  t of t to miss ture-- missed it already,  been set back, and a blank space   find airs and trying to force t er, or overion, or picked up a card hered flower or a shred of crumpled lace.

    some tea, opened Lord e. It o say t   migerest   t eigeen. . Jamess languidly, and looked t. A red pencil-mark on t  dretention to the following paragraph:

    INQUESt ON AN ACtRESS.--An inquest avern, on Road, by Mr. Danby, trict Coroner, on tress recently engaged at tre,  of deature urned. Considerable sympatly affected during t of Dr. Birrell, em examination of the deceased.

    earing t across t all tle annoyed  . And it ainly stupid of o  or mig. t.

    Per and o suspect somet,  matter?  o do o fear. Dorian Gray  killed her.

    Lord   ,  totle, pearl-coloured octagonal stand t o range Egyptian bees t o an arm-co turn over ter a fees  rangest book t  seemed to  in exquisite raiment, and to te sound of flutes, t o hings of which he had never dreamed were gradually revealed.

    It  a plot and er, being, indeed, simply a psycudy of a certain young Parisian o realize in teentury all t t belonged to every century except o sum up, as it y tions t men ue, as mucural rebellions t ill call sin. tyle in ten  curious jeyle, vivid and obscure at once, full of argot and of arcece parap cerizes t artists of tes. t metaprous as orcle in colour. terms of mystical p times asies of some mediaeval saint or t o cling about its pages and to trouble tences, tle monotony of t s elaborately repeated, produced in ter to cer, a form of reverie, a malady of dreaming, t made he falling day and creeping shadows.

    Cloudless, and pierced by one solitary star, a copper-green sky gleamed ts eness of t up, and going into t room, placed ttle Florentine table t alood at o dress for dinner.

    It  nine oclock before ting alone, in the morning-room, looking very much bored.

    quot;I am so sorry, ; ;but really it is entirely your fault. t book you sent me so fascinated me t I forgot ime ;

    quot;Yes, I t you ,quot; replied , rising from his chair.

    quot;I didnt say I liked it,  fascinated me. t difference.quot;

    quot;A?quot; murmured Lord o the dining-room.

 Chapter 11

    Cer 11

    For years, Dorian Gray could not free  e to say t  to free .  edition, and  colours, so t t suit ure over imes, to  entirely lost control. tic and tific temperaments rangely blended, became to ype of o o contain tory of ten before .

    In one point unate tastic o kno someesque dread of mirrors, and polisal surfaces, and still er   cruel joy-- and perainly in every pleasure, cruelty s place--t o read tter part of ts really tragic, if some  dearly valued.

    For ty t ed Basil o leave  evil t ime to time strange rumours about  tter of t believe anyto  ted from talked grossly became silent y of  rebuked to recall to t tarnisain of an age t  once sordid and sensual.

    Often, on returning erious and prolonged absences t gave rise to sucrange conjecture among t t tairs to t never left and,  of trait t Basil ed of  t t laug rast used to quicken y, more and more interested in tion of e care, and sometimes rous and terrible delig seared times we ed ure, and smile. he failing limbs.

    ts, indeed, at nigely scented ctle ill-famed tavern near t o frequent,  upon y t  because it s suc curiosity about life irred in  togeto increase ification. to know.  grew more ravenous as hem.

    Yet  really reckless, at any rate in ions to society. Once or ter, and on eaced, o tiful  celebrated musicians of to cs . tle dinners, in ttling of ed, as for te taste sion of table, s subtle symps of exotic floique plate of gold and silver. Indeed, t true realization of a type of on or Oxford days, a type t o combine someture of tinction and perfect manner of a citizen of to to be of te describes as  to quot;make t by ty.quot; Like Gautier, ;ted.quot;

    And, certainly, to self , test, of ts, and for it all ts seemed to be but a preparation. Fas is really fantastic becomes for a moment universal, and dandyism, tempt to assert te modernity of beauty, ion for icular styles t from time to time ed, es of t ried to reproduce tal co him only half-serious fopperies.

    For, oo ready to accept tion t  immediately offered to le pleasure in t t  really become to t to imperial Neronian Rome tyricon once  in   o be someter elegantiarum, to be consulted on tting of a necktie, or t of a cane.  to elaborate some neualizing of ts  realization.

    ten, and ice, been decried, men feeling a natural instinct of terror about passions and sensations t seem stronger t tence. But it appeared to Dorian Gray t true nature of tood, and t t to starve to submission or to kill tead of aiming at making ts of a neuality, of  for beauty o be t ceristic. As ory, ed by a feeling of loss. So muco suctle purpose! tions, monstrous forms of self-torture and self-denial, ion infinitely more terrible t fancied degradation from o escape; Nature, in  te to feed  and giving to t ts of the field as his companions.

    Yes: to be, as Lord  o recreate life and to save it from t anism t is s curious revival. It o s service of tellect, certainly, yet it o accept any tem t e experience. Its aim, indeed, o be experience itself, and not ts of experience, s or bitter as t be. Of ticism t deadens t dulls t o kno it o teaco concentrate s of a life t is itself but a moment.

    t sometimes er one of ts t make us almost enamoured of deats of oms more terrible ty itself, and instinct  vivid life t lurks in all grotesques, and t lends to Got its enduring vitality, t being, one mig of troubled e fingers creep tains, and to tremble. In black fantastic so tside, tirring of birds among to t  feared to  must needs call forter veil of ted, and by degrees tored to tcs antique pattern. t back tapers stand  book t  ter t  en. Noto us c of t comes back t  eals over us a terrible sense of ty for tinuance of energy in tereotyped s, or a  may be, t our eyelids mig s, a le or no place, or survive, at any rate, in no conscious form of obligation or regret, ts bitterness and their pain.

    It ion of suc seemed to Dorian Gray to be true object, or amongst true objects, of life; and in ions t  once ne of strangeness t is so essential to romance, en adopt certain modes of t t o be really alien to ure, abandon o tle influences, and t ual curiosity, leave t curious indifference t is not incompatible emperament, and t, indeed, according to certain modern psycs, is often a condition of it.

    It o join tainly tual  attraction for ique irred s superb rejection of tive simplicity of its elements and ternal patragedy t it sougo symbolize. o kneel do and c, in iff floic, sloe abernacle, or raising aloft tern-srance  pallid  at times, one ;panis caelestis,quot; ts of t, breaking t into ting  for  t, tossed into t gilt floion for , o look  to sit in ten to men and rue story of their lives.

    But o ting ellectual development by any formal acceptance of creed or system, or of mistaking, for a o live, an inn t is but suitable for t, or for a feravail. Mysticism, s marvellous porange to us, and tle antinomianism t alo accompany it, moved o terialistic doctrines of t in Germany, and found a curious pleasure in tracing ts and passions of men to some pearly cell in te nerve in ting in tion of te dependence of t on certain pions, morbid or , as o o be of any importance compared self.  keenly conscious of ellectual speculation is ion and experiment.  tual mysteries to reveal.

    And so udy perfumes and ts of ture, distilling ed oils and burning odorous gums from t.  t  its counterpart in t o discover true relations,  made one mystical, and in ambergris t stirred ones passions, and in violets t  troubled t stained tion; and seeking often to elaborate a real psyco estimate t-smelling roots and scented, pollen-laden floic balms and of dark and fragrant  sickens; of  makes men mad; and of aloes, t are said to be able to expel melanche soul.

    At anotime ed irely to music, and in a long latticed room, o give curious concerts in tle zitunisians plucked at trained strings of monstrous lutes, onously upon copper drums and, crouc mats, slim turbaned Indians bleo c ervals and sirred  times y ed togets of trangest instruments t could be found, eitombs of dead nations or among tribes t act ern civilizations, and loved to toucry terious juruparis of t  alloo look at and t even yout see till ted to fasting and scourging, and t es of  are found near Cuzco and give forte of singular sness. ed gourds filled  rattled  ture of tribes, t is sounded by tinels  a distance of teponaztli, t ing tongues of en icks t are smeared ic gum obtained from ts; tl-bells of tecs, t are ers like grapes; and a  serpents, like t Bernal Diaz saes into temple, and of ion. tastic cer of truments fascinated  a curious delig t art, like Nature, ers, tial s, after some time,  in  tening in rapt pleasure to quot;tann; and seeing in to t great  a presentation of tragedy of his own soul.

    On one occasion ook up tudy of je a costume ball as Anne de Joyeuse, Admiral of France, in a dress covered y pearls. taste ento  en spend a tling in tones t be ed, suc turns red by lampligs ac, rose-pink and opazes, carbuncles of fiery scarlet remulous, four-rayed stars, flame-red cinnamon-stones, orange and violet spinels, and amets ernate layers of ruby and sappone, and tones pearly erdam traordinary size and ricurquoise de la vieille roc he connoisseurs.

    ories, also, about jeioned ic ory of Alexander, to ;; tratus told us, and quot;by tion of golden letters and a scarlet robequot; ter could be to a magical sleep and slain. According to t alc, Pierre de Boniface, te of India made . t drove a cast out demons, and te  discovers ted only by te stone taken from toad, t ain antidote against poison. t  of t could cure ts of Arabian birds es, t, according to Democritus, kept the wearer from any danger by fire.

    ty ion. tes of t ;made of sardius, , so t no man mig; Over t;t; so t t s. In Lodges strange romance A Margarite of America, it ated t in t;all te ladies of t of silver, looking tes, carbuncles, sapps.quot; Marco Polo ants of Zipangu place rose-coloured pearls in ter  t to King Perozes, and s loss. o t pit,  aells tory--nor  ever found again, tasius offered five  of gold pieces for it. to a certain Venetian a rosary of t he worshipped.

    inois, son of Alexander VI, visited Louis XII of France, o Brantome, and  t a great ligirrups y-one diamonds. Ric, valued at ty to too ion, as ;a jacket of raised gold, tones, and a great bauderike about ; tes of James I  in gold filigrane. Edo Piers Gaveston a suit of red-gold armour studded  urquoise-stones, and a skull-cap parsemé o ty-t orients. t of C Duke of Burgundy of udded h sapphires.

    e life s pomp and decoration! Even to read of the dead was wonderful.

    turned tention to embroideries and to tapestries t performed tions of Europe. As igated t-- and raordinary faculty of becoming absolutely absorbed for t in ion of t time brougiful and  any rate, . Summer folloimes, and niged tory of t er marred ained  it erial to?  crocus-coloured robe, on  ts, t  Nero retc Rome, t titan sail of purple on arry sky, and Apollo driving a c dra-reined steeds? o see table-napkins ies and viands t could be ed for a feast; tuary clots tastic robes t excited tion of tus and ;lions, pants, rocks, ers--all, in fact, t a painter can copy from naturequot;; and t t C;Madame, je suis tout joyeux,quot; t of t in gold te, of square s  t Red ;teen y-one parrots, made in broidery, and blazoned y-one butterflies, ; Cat pos and suns. Its curtains  stood in a room  black velvet upon clotides fifteen feet ment. tate bed of Sobieski, King of Poland, urquoises s supports , beautifully c  aken from turkisandard of Moood beneatremulous gilt of its canopy.

    And so, for a o accumulate t exquisite specimens t extile and embroidered ting ty Del es and stitc beetles  from transparency are kno as quot;; and quot;running er,quot; and quot;evening de;; strange figured clote yelloins or fair blue silks and iff Spaniss; Georgian s gilt coins, and Japanese Foukousas, oned golds and their marvellously plumaged birds.

    ical vestments, as indeed ed s t lined t gallery of ored aiful specimens of  of t,  sed body t is  sed pain. ing pattern of golden pomegranates set in six-petalled formal blossoms, beyond o panels representing scenes from tion of talian eentury. Anot, embroidered -semmed ails of als. tarred s and martyrs, among ian. ations of t, and embroidered ics of in and pink silk damask, decorated ulips and dolpar frontals of crimson velvet and blue linen; and many corporals, cic offices to  quickened ion.

    For treasures, and everyt ed in o be to fulness, modes by o  times to be almost too great to be borne. Upon t so mucerrible portrait  ain. For  ted t back  , e absorption in mere existence. t  of to dreadful places near Blue Gate Fields, and stay ter day, until urn  in front of times,  pride of individualism t is ion of sin, and smiling  pleasure at t o bear t should have been his own.

    After a feo be long out of England, and gave up t  trouville tle er. ed to be separated from ture t o te of te bars t o be placed upon the door.

    e conscious t tell t rue t trait still preserved, under all ts marked likeness to  ?  any one o taunt  painted it.   to  looked? Even if old t?

    Yet imes ingertaining tounding ty by ton luxury and gorgeous splendour of s and ruso too see t t been tampered  ture ill t if it solen? t made  ted it.

    For,  a feed  a est End club of itled o become a member, and it  on one occasion, o tleman got up in a marked manner and  out. Curious stories became current about er y-fift  ant parts of ec ed eries of trade. raordinary absences became notorious, and, y, men o discover .

    Of suctempted sligook no notice, and in t people e grace of t  seemed never to leave  anso termed t ed about   intimate er a time, to s convention at defiance, o groered the room.

    Yet trange and dangerous c ain element of security. Society--civilized society, at least-- is never very ready to believe anyto triment of ting. It feels instinctively t manners are of more importance ts opinion, t respectability is of mucer all, it is a very poor consolation to be told t te life. Even tues cannot atone for rées, as Lord , and to be said for y are, or s. Form is absolutely essential to it. It sy of a ceremony, as s unreality, and ser of a romantic play  and beauty t make sucful to us. Is insincerity sucerrible t. It is merely a metiply our personalities.

    Suc any rate,  t, reliable, and of one essence. to ions, a complex multiform creature t bore self strange legacies of t and passion, and ed rous maladies of to stroll t cold picture-gallery of ry  traits of t, described by Francis Osborne, in ;caressed by t for   long company.quot; as it young s life t imes led? range poisonous germ crept from body to body till it  some dim sense of t ruined grace t   cause, give utterance, in Basil udio, to t , je, and gilt-edged ruff and bands, stood Sir Ant .  ance of sin and sions merely t t dared to realize? omac  clasped an enamelled collar of able by tes upon tle pointed srange stories t old about emperament in o look curiously at  of George illougastic patcurnine and so be ted e lace ruffles fell over t eentury, and t of t in  days, and one of tnesses at t marriage z? nut curls and insolent pose!  passions  Carlton ar of ter glittered upon . Beside rait of irred  all seemed! And on face and ,  e dress. tions of ting  till o follow .

    Yet one ors in literature as emperament, many of tainly ely conscious. times o Dorian Gray t tory  as  in act and circumstance, but as ion ed it for   t range terrible figures t age of tlety. It seemed to  in some mysterious heir lives had been his own.

    t er ells  lig strike , as tiberius, in a garden at Capri, reading tis, ted round e-player mocked ted jockeys in tables and supped in an ivory manger leted ian, ion of t o end  ennui, t terrible taedium vitae, t comes on to ter of pearl and purple dra of Pomegranates to a ed aff among t tic marriage to the Sun.

    Over and over again Dorian used to read tastic cer, and tely follories or cunningly iful forms of trous or mad: Filippo, Duke of Milan,   suck deatro Barbi, tian, kno in y to assume title of Formosus, and  t terrible sin; Gian Maria Visconti, ained to; Pietro Riario, tus IV, aurs, and gilded a boy t  serve at t as Ganymede or acle of deated, and one ista Cibo,  and into or; Sigismondo Malatesta, tta and t Rome as trangled Polyssena o Ginevra dEste in a cup of emerald, and in  a pagan cian  ed rimmed jerkin and jeto Baglioni, to , as ed  c alanta, who had cursed him, blessed him.

    tion in t nigroubled ion in trange manners of poisoning-- poisoning by a  and a ligorcs iful.

 Chapter 12

    Cer 12

    It y-eigen remembered afterwards.

    eleven oclock from Lord   treet, a man passed ,  and er turned up.  , came over ion and  on quickly in tion of his own house.

    But  stopping on t and ter s, his hand was on his arm.

    quot;Dorian!  an extraordinary piece of luck! I ing for you in your library ever since nine oclock. Finally I took pity on your tired servant and told o go to bed, as  me out. I am off to Paris by t train, and I particularly ed to see you before I left. I t it , as you passed me. But I  quite sure. Didnt you recognize me?quot;

    quot;In t even recognize Grosvenor Square. I believe my   I dont feel at all certain about it. I am sorry you are going a I suppose you ;

    quot;No: I am going to be out of England for six montend to take a studio in Paris and s myself up till I  picture I   about myself I ed to talk.  your door. Let me come in for a moment. I o say to you.quot;

    quot;I s  you miss your train?quot; said Dorian Gray languidly as eps and opened tch-key.

    t struggled out t c;I ime,quot; ;train doesnt go till teen, and it is only just eleven. In fact, I o to look for you, o Victoria in ty minutes.quot;

    Dorian looked at ; a o travel! A Gladstone bag and an ulster! Come in, or t into t talk about anyt least not;

    ered, and folloo t , and an open Dutc-case stood, er and large cut-glass tumblers, on a little marqueterie table.

    quot;You see your servant made me quite at ed, including your best gold-tipped cigarettes.  able creature. I like ter to  ;

    Dorian s;I believe ablis seems silly of t it? But--do you kno all a bad servant. I never liked  I o complain about. One often imagines t are quite absurd. ed to me and seemed quite sorry ake zer myself. to be some in t room.quot;

    quot;t ; said ter, taking  off and t ;And no to speak to you seriously. Dont fro. You make it so muc for me.quot;

    quot; is it all about?quot; cried Dorian in ulant  about myself. I am tired of myself to-nigo be somebody else.quot;

    quot;It is about yourself,quot; ans say it to you. I s;

    Dorian sig a cigarette. quot;; he murmured.

    quot;It is not muco ask of you, Dorian, and it is entirely for your o I am speaking. I t rig you s t dreadful t you in London.quot;

    quot;I dont  t ot scandals about myself dont interest me. t got ty.quot;

    quot;t interest you, Dorian. Every gentleman is interested in   people to talk of you as sometion, and your  kind of t position and  everyt believe t all. At least, I cant believe t es itself across a mans face. It cannot be concealed. People talk sometimes of secret vices. tc sself in t mention  you kno year to rait done. I   time, travagant price. I refused  I ed. I kno I e rig I fancied about  you, Dorian, , innocent face, and your marvellous untroubled yout believe anyt you. And yet I see you very seldom, and you never come doo tudio no knoo say. , Dorian, t a man like ter it?  t so many gentlemen in London o your e you to to be a friend of Lord Staveley. I met  dinner last ion, in connection ures you  to tion at taveley curled  you mig artistic tastes, but t you  I  o young men? t cted suicide. You on, arnis about Adrian Singleton and  about Lord Kents only son and  erday in St. Jamess Street.  about t sort of life  noleman e ;

    quot;Stop, Basil. You are talking about t; said Dorian Gray, biting e of infinite contempt in ;You ask me . It is because I kno  because  mine. it on and young Perteacs silly son takes reets,  to me? If Adrian Singleton es ter in England. tables, and ters in order to try and pretend t t society and on intimate terms ry, it is enougo inction and brains for every common tongue to   sort of lives do t t ive land of te.quot;

    quot;Dorian,quot; cried ;t is not tion. England is bad enougy is all  is t you to be fine. You  been fine. One  to judge of a man by t o lose all sense of y. You o t you can smile, as you are smiling no reason, if for none ot ers name a by-;

    quot;take care, Basil. You go too far.quot;

    quot;I must speak, and you must listen. You sen.  Lady G a breatouc o live ories-- stories t you  da of dreadful o t dens in London. Are true? Can true?   about your country- is led t kno you. I  tell you t I dont  to preaco you. I remember  every man eur curate for t al, and to break  to preaco you. I  you to lead suc you. I  you to  you to get rid of te  s. Dont be so indifferent. You  it be for good, not for evil. t you corrupt every one imate, and t it is quite sufficient for you to enter a o folloer. I dont kno.  it is said of you. I am told t it seems impossible to doubt. Lord Gloucester est friends at Oxford. ter t ten to  Mentone. Your name ed in t terrible confession I ever read. I told  it  I kne you , I so see your soul.quot;

    quot;to see my soul!quot; muttered Dorian Gray, starting up from turning almost we from fear.

    quot;Yes,quot; anso see your soul. But only God can do t.quot;

    A bitter laug;You s yourself, to-nig; able. quot;Come: it is your o it? You can tell t it afterer for it. I knoter te about it so tediously. Come, I tell you. You tered enoug corruption. Noo face.quot;

    ttered. amped  upon t manner.  a terrible joy at t t some one else o s, and t ted trait t o be burdened for t of  he had done.

    quot;Yes,quot; inued, coming closer to eadfastly into ern eyes, quot;I s you fancy only God can see.quot;

    arted back. quot;t; ;You must not say t. t mean anyt;

    quot;You t; he laughed again.

    quot;I knoo you to-nig for your good. You kno;

    quot;Dont touc you o say.quot;

    A ted flas across ters face. , and a y came over er all, o tit   raigo tood t tlike ashrobbing cores of flame.

    quot;I am ing, Basil,quot; said the young man in a hard clear voice.

    urned round. quot; I o say is t; ;You must give me some anso t are made against you. If you tell me t tely untrue from beginning to end, I s you see  tell me t you are bad, and corrupt, and s;

    Dorian Gray smiled. tempt in ;Come upstairs, Basil,quot; ly. quot;I keep a diary of my life from day to day, and it never leaves t is ten. I s to you if you come ;

    quot;I s. I see I rain. t makes no matter. I can go to-morro dont ask me to read anyto-nig is a plain anso my question.quot;

    quot;t so you upstairs. I could not give it  o read long.quot;

 Chapter 13

    Cer 13

    of t, Basil ly, as men do instinctively at nig fantastic saircase. A rising tle.

    op landing, Dorian set taking out turned it in t;You insist on kno; he asked in a low voice.

    quot;Yes.quot;

    quot;I am delig;  ;You are titled to kno me. You o do ;; and, taking up t in. A cold current of air passed t s up for a moment in a flame of murky orange. ;S t; able.

    been lived in for years. A faded Flemisapestry, a curtained picture, an old Italian cassone, and an almost empty book-case--t  it seemed to contain, besides a cable. As Dorian Gray anding on tels t and t t here was a damp odour of mildew.

    quot;So you t it is only God ain back, and you ;

    t spoke ;You are mad, Dorian, or playing a part,quot; muttered hallward, frowning.

    quot;You ? t do it myself,quot; said tore tain from its rod and flung it on the ground.

    An exclamation of ers lips as  t s expression t filled  and loat  ! tever it  entirely spoiled t marvellous beauty. till some gold in t on t somet yet completely passed aic t. Yes, it   afraid. ed candle, and  to ture. In t-raced in long letters of bright vermilion.

    It ire. . Still, it o sluggisure!  did it mean?  altered? urned and looked at Dorian Gray congue seemed unable to articulate.  .

    t telsc strange expression t one sees on t artist is acting. t nor real joy. tator, riumpaken t of , and , or pretending to do so.

    quot; does t; cried  last. his own voice sounded shrill and curious in his ears.

    quot;Years ago,  me, flattered me, and taugo be vain of my good looks. One day you introduced me to a friend of yours, rait of me t revealed to me ty. In a mad moment t, even no kno, I made a ;

    quot;I remember it! O! No! t into ts I used cell you t;

    quot;A is impossible?quot; murmured to t t-stained glass.

    quot;You told me you royed it.quot;

    quot;I  royed me.quot;

    quot;I dont believe it is my picture.quot;

    quot;Cant you see your ideal in it?quot; said Dorian bitterly.

    quot;My ideal, as you call it. . .quot;

    quot;As you called it.quot;

    quot;t, noto me suc again. tyr.quot;

    quot;It is t;

    quot;C!   ;

    quot;Eac; cried Dorian ure of despair.

    urned again to trait and gazed at it. quot;My God! If it is true,quot; ;and t you  be alk against you fancy you to be!quot;  up again to t. to be quite undisturbed and as  it. It ly, t trange quickening of inner life ting tting of a corpse in a ery grave  so fearful.

    s socket on ttering.  on it and put it out. to ty c anding by table and buried his face in his hands.

    quot;Good God, Dorian, ; t  t;Pray, Dorian, pray,quot; ; is it t one augo say in ones boy into temptation. Forgive us our sins. asies. Let us say t togetance will be answered also. I worsoo muc. You worsoo muc;

    Dorian Gray turned slo ear-dimmed eyes. quot;It is too late, Basil,quot; ered.

    quot;It is never too late, Dorian. Let us kneel dory if  remember a prayer. Isnt t, yet I e as sno;

    quot;to me no;

    quot; say t. You  you see t accursed t us?quot;

    Dorian Gray glanced at ture, and suddenly an uncontrollable feeling of red for Basil  ed to o ed animal stirred ed at table, more top of ted c t faced .  it

    up, some days before, to cut a piece of cord, and ten to take ao, passing  be and turned round. irred in o rise.  o t vein t is beable and stabbing again and again.

    tifled groan and times tstretc up convulsively, esque, stiff-fingered abbed  t move. Someto trickle on ted for a moment, still pressing table, and listened.

    t.  out on tely quiet. No one . For a ferade and peering doo took out turned to the room, locking himself in as he did so.

    till seated in training over table astic arms.  not been for tear in tted black pool t able, one he man was simply asleep.

    strangely calm, and o t and stepped out on trous peacocks tail, starred ern on t  of a protering saggering as s. Noopped and peered back. Once, so sing in a rolled over and said someto umbled aer blast s across trees so and fro.  back, closing the window behind him.

    urned t.  even glance at t t t of t to realize tuation. ted tal portrait to w of  was enough.

    t eel, and studded urquoises. Per mig, and questions ed for a moment, turned back and took it from table.  ill it  was like a dreadful wax image.

    quietly doairs. to cry out as if in pain. opped several times and ed. No: everytill. It steps.

    in t be  press t ing, a press in o it. er c y minutes to two.

    doo t-- men rangled in England for o t,   t eleven. No one  of ts  Selby Royal.  o bed.... Paris! Yes. It o Paris t Basil  train, as ended. its, it royed long before then.

    A sudden t struck  on  and  and  out into tread of t outside and seeing ted in ted and h.

    After a fes c, sting tly be five minutes  appeared, half-dressed and looking very drowsy.

    quot;I am sorry to o ; epping in; quot;but I ten my latc time is it?quot;

    quot;ten minutes past t; ans the clock and blinking.

    quot;ten minutes past t  nine to-morro;

    quot;All rig;

    quot;Did any one call t;

    quot;Mr. ayed ill eleven, and t ao catcrain.quot;

    quot;O see ;

    quot;No, sir, except t e to you from Paris, if  find you at t;

    quot;t  forget to call me at nine to-morro;

    quot;No, sir.quot;

    the passage in his slippers.

    Dorian Gray t and coat upon table and passed into ter of an ing ook doo turn over t;Alan Campbell, 152, ford Street, Mayfair.quot; Yes; t ed.

 Chapter 14

    Cer 14

    At nine oclock t morning  came in e on a tray and opened tters. Dorian e peacefully, lying on  side, ired out udy.

    to touc smile passed across  in some delig  dreamed at all.  roubled by any images of pleasure or of pain. But yout any reason. It is one of its c charms.

    urned round, and leaning upon o sip e. treaming into t, and t  like a morning in May.

    Gradually ts of t crept , blood-stained feet into ructed terrible distinctness.  t  t  in to ill sitting too, and in t nohe day.

    t if  ion range triump gratified to tellect a quickened sense of joy, greater t, or could ever bring, to t t one of t o be driven out of to be drugged o be strangled lest it migrangle one itself.

    ruck,  up ily and dressed tention to tie and scarf-pin and c a long time also over breakfast, tasting talking to  about some ne ting made for ts at Selby, and going t some of tters, imes over and tore up  look of annoyance in ;t a; as Lord henry had once said.

    After ioned to  to , and going over to table, sat doe tters. One  in , to t.

    quot;take to 152, ford Street, Francis, and if Mr. Campbell is out of to ;

    As soon as  a cigarette and began sketc flos of arcecture, and t every face t o astic likeness to Basil ting up,  over to took out a volume at ermined t  t  became absolutely necessary t he should do so.

    retc title-page of t iers Emaux et Camees, Ciers Japanese-paper edition,  etcron-green leat trellis-ted pomegranates. It o on. As urned over t t;du supplice encore mal lavé:e,quot; s do;doigts de faune.quot;  e taper fingers, sly in spite of ill o tanzas upon Venice:

    Sur une gamme cique,

    Le sein de peries ruisselant,

    La Vénus de lAdriatique

    Sort de leau son corps rose et blanc.

    Les d?mes, sur lazur des ondes

    Suivant la pour,

    Senflent comme des gorges rondes

    Que soulève un soupir damour.

    Lesquif aborde et me dépose,

    Jetant son amarre au pilier,

    Devant une fa?ade rose,

    Sur le marbre dun escalier.

    e to be floating doer-y, seated in a black gondola railing curtains. to raigurquoise-blue t folloo ted birds t flutter round tall alk, ately grace, t-stained arcades. Leaning back  saying over and over to himself:

    Devant une fa?ade rose,

    Sur le marbre dun escalier.

    t  irred o mad delig Venice, like Oxford,  to true romantic, background  everyt of time, and intoret. Poor Basil!  a o die!

    ook up tried to forget.  fly in and out of ttle cafe at Smyrna ing turbaned mercs smoke tasselled pipes and talk gravely to eac ears of granite in its lonely sunless exile and longs to be back by t, lotus-covered Nile, ures  craeaming mud; o brood over tained marble, tell of t curious statue t Gautier compares to a contralto voice, t;monstre cquot; t couc after a time t of terror came over  if Alan Campbell s of England? Days o come.  could  al importance.

    t friends once, five years before-- almost inseparable, indeed. timacy o an end.  in society no was only Dorian Gray who smiled: Alan Campbell never did.

    remely clever young man, tion of ts, and tle sense of ty of poetry irely from Dorian.  intellectual passion  Cambridge  a great deal of ime ory, and aken a good class in tural Science tripos of ill devoted to tudy of cry, and ory of o s ly to t  on anding for Parliament and  a c er t amateurs. In fact, it   brougoget indefinable attraction t Dorian seemed to be able to exercise  being conscious of it. t at Lady Berks t Rubinstein played ter t used to be aloget teen montimacy lasted. Campbell  Selby Royal or in Grosvenor Square. to o many otype of everyt is ing in life.  a quarrel aken place bet suddenly people remarked t t and t Campbell seemed alo go ay at rangely melanc times, appeared almost to dislike   ime left in ise. And tainly true. Every day o become more interested in biology, and ific revieion ain curious experiments.

    ting for. Every second  glancing at tes  by ated. At last  up and began to pace up and doiful caged took long stealtrides. his hands were curiously cold.

    time seemed to o be cra of lead,  to of precipice.  ing for , indeed, and, s and driven to t s otened, and tion, made grotesque by terror, ted and distorted as a living t on a stand and grinned time stopped for  blind, slos, time being dead, raced nimbly on in front, and dragged a ure from its grave, and s to ared at it. Its very one.

    At last t entered. urned glazed eyes upon him.

    quot;Mr. Campbell, sir,quot; said the man.

    A sigo his cheeks.

    quot;Ask o come in at once, Francis.quot;  t he was himself again. his mood of cowardice had passed away.

    tired. In a fes, Alan Campbell ern and ratensified by his coal-black hair and dark eyebrows.

    quot;Alan! t;

    quot;I ended never to enter your  you said it ter of life and deat; ion. tempt in teady searc urned on Dorian.  s of rak, and seemed not to iced ture ed.

    quot;Yes: it is a matter of life and deato more t do;

    Campbell took a cable, and Dorian sat opposite to . In Dorians te pity.  w o do was dreadful.

    After a strained moment of silence, ly, but c of eac for, quot;Alan, in a locked room at top of to  a table. en  stir, and dont look at me like t. ters t do not concern you.  you o do is t;

    quot;Stop, Gray. I dont  to kno you old me is true or not true doesnt concern me. I entirely decline to be mixed up in your life. Keep your s to yourself. t interest me any more.quot;

    quot;Alan, to interest you. to interest you. I am a I cant o save me. I am forced to bring you into tter. I ion. Alan, you are scientific. You kno cry and t kind. You s.  you  to do is to destroy t is upstairs-- to destroy it so t not a vestige of it . Nobody sao t t moment o be in Paris.  be missed for mont be no trace of  c belongs to o a  I may scatter in t;

    quot;You are mad, Dorian.quot;

    quot;Aing for you to call me Dorian.quot;

    quot;You are mad, I tell you--mad to imagine t I o o make trous confession. I ter,  is. Do you to peril my reputation for you?  is it to me o?quot;

    quot;It ;

    quot;I am glad of t. But ? You, I s;

    quot;Do you still refuse to do t;

    quot;Of course I refuse. I o do . I dont care o see you disgraced, publicly disgraced. o mix myself up in t you kne peoples cers. Your friend Lord ton cant aug psycever else augo stir a step to o to some of your friends. Dont come to me.quot;

    quot;Alan, it  t ended it, t ;

    quot;Murder! Good God, Dorian, is t  is not my business. Besides,  my stirring in tter, you are certain to be arrested. Nobody ever commits a crime  doing sometupid. But I .quot;

    quot;You must o do . ait,  a moment; listen to me. Only listen, Alan. All I ask of you is to perform a certain scientific experiment. You go to als and dead- you do t affect you. If in some ing-room or fetid laboratory you found table ters scooped out in it for to flo. You  turn a  believe t you rary, you  you ing tifying intellectual curiosity, or somet kind.  I  you to do is merely o destroy a body must be far less  you are accustomed to . And, remember, it is t me. If it is discovered, I am lost; and it is sure to be discovered unless you ;

    quot;I o  t. I am simply indifferent to t o do ;

    quot;Alan, I entreat you. tion I am in. Just before you came I almost fainted error. You may knoerror yourself some day. No! dont t. Look at tter purely from tific point of vie inquire  inquire nooo muc is. But I beg of you to do t;

    quot;Dont speak about t;

    quot;times. tairs  go aing at table stretc come to my assistance, I am ruined.  you understand? t I ;

    quot;tely refuse to do anytter. It is insane of you to ask me.quot;

    quot;You refuse?quot;

    quot;Yes.quot;

    quot;I entreat you, Alan.quot;

    quot;It is useless.quot;

    ty came into Dorian Grays eyes. tretc ook a piece of paper, and e somet.  over t carefully, and pus across table.  up and  over to the window.

    Campbell looked at ook up t. As , ly pale and  as if  ing itself to deaty hollow.

    After tes of terrible silence, Dorian turned round and came and stood beting his hand upon his shoulder.

    quot;I am so sorry for you, Alan,quot; ;but you leave me no alternative. I ter ten already.  is. You see t  send it. If you dont . You kno  you are going to  is impossible for you to refuse noried to spare you. You ice to admit t. You ern, reated me as no man o treat me--no living man, at any rate. I bore it all. No is for me to dictate terms.quot;

    Campbell buried hrough him.

    quot;Yes, it is my turn to dictate terms, Alan. You knoe simple. Come, dont o to be done. Face it, and do it.quot;

    A groan broke from Campbells lips and icking of telpiece seemed to o be dividing time into separate atoms of agony, eacoo terrible to be borne.  as if an iron ring igened  olerable. It seemed to crush him.

    quot;Come, Alan, you must decide at once.quot;

    quot;I cannot do it,quot; er things.

    quot;You must. You  delay.quot;

    ated a moment. quot;Is tairs?quot;

    quot;Yes, tos.quot;

    quot;I so go  some tory.quot;

    quot;No, Alan, you must not leave te out on a s of notepaper  and my servant ake a cab and bring to you.quot;

    Campbell scrated to ant. Dorian took te up and read it carefully. t to , o return as soon as possible and to bring th him.

    As t, Campbell started nervously, and  up from t over to ty minutes, neit ticking of t of a hammer.

    As truck one, Campbell turned round, and looking at Dorian Gray, sa ears. ty and refinement of t sad face t seemed to enrage ;You are infamous, absolutely infamous!quot; tered.

    quot;; said Dorian.

    quot;Your life? Good  a life t is! You ion to corruption, and noo do--o do-- it is not of your life t I am t;

    quot;A; murmured Dorian ;I y for me t I ; urned a at the garden. Campbell made no answer.

    After about ten minutes a knock came to t entered, carrying a large ma of ceel and platinum her curiously shaped iron clamps.

    quot;S; he asked Campbell.

    quot;Yes,quot; said Dorian. quot;And I am afraid, Francis, t I  is t Ric;

    quot;;

    quot;Yes-- go doo Ric once, see ell o send t, I dont  any  is a lovely day, Francis, and Ricty place-- ot bot it.quot;

    quot;No trouble, sir. At ime s;

    Dorian looked at Campbell. quot; take, Alan?quot;  voice. to give raordinary courage.

    Campbell fro ;It ake about five ; he answered.

    quot;It ime enoug  seven, Francis. Or stay: just leave my t for dressing. You can o yourself. I am not dining at   you.quot;

    quot;t; said the room.

    quot;No a moment to be lost.  is! Ill take it for you. You bring t; ative manner. Campbell felt dominated by  together.

    op landing, Dorian took out turned it in topped, and a troubled look came into ;I dont t; he murmured.

    quot;It is noto me. I dont require you,quot; said Campbell coldly.

    Dorian rait leering in t. On t of it torn curtain  before ten, for t time in o al canvas, and  to rush a shudder.

    loat gleamed,  and glistening, on one of ted blood?  o , t t retcable, tesque missted carpet s it  stirred, but ill t it.

    tle ed ermined t  look even once upon tooping doaking up t rigure.

    topped, feeling afraid to turn round, and ricacies of ttern before , and t o  of eacher.

    quot;Leave me no; said a stern voice behind him.

    urned and , just conscious t t back into t Campbell o a glistening yellohe lock.

    It er seven  absolutely calm. quot;I  you asked me to do,quot; tered quot;And no us never see eac;

    quot;You  forget t,quot; said Dorian simply.

    As soon as Campbell ,  upstairs. tric acid in t t ting at table was gone.

 Chapter 15

    Cer 15

    t evening, at eigy, exquisitely dressed and ton-s, Dorian Gray ed, but  over esss  ones ease as . Certainly no one looking at Dorian Gray t nig ragedy as ragedy of our age. tc on God and goodness.   t felt keenly terrible pleasure of a double life.

    It y, got up rat Lord o describe as t o one of our most tedious ambassadors, and ers to some riced o tion, Frenc .

    Dorian  ;I kno;and t rig is most fortunate t you  t of at time. As it s rying to raise t I never ation  was all Narboroug. -sigaking in a ;

    s tedious. t o stay o make matters  is most unkind of ; s;Of course I go and stay er I come from  t imes, and besides, I really  knoence t is pure unadulterated country life. t up early, because to do, and go to bed early, because ttle to t. t been a scandal in time of Queen Elizabetly ter dinner. You s sit next eit by me and amuse me.quot;

    Dorian murmured a graceful compliment and looked round t ainly a tedious party. ted of Ernest ies so common in London clubs on, an overdressed y-seven, rying to get   to  disappointment no one  ful lisp and Venetian-red esss daugeristic Britis, once seen, are never remembered; and e-e joviality can atone for an entire lack of ideas.

    ill Lady Narboroug t ormolu gilt clock t spraels;ton to be so late! I sent round to  to disappoint me.quot;

    It ion t o be to some insincere apology, o feel bored.

    But at dinner  eat anyte after plate  aasted. Lady Narboroug scolding  s;an insult to poor Adolped t; and no  racted manner. From time to time tler filled  seemed to increase.

    quot;Dorian,quot; said Lord  last, as t;ter o-nige out of sorts.quot;

    quot;I believe ; cried Lady Narboroug o tell me for fear I se rigainly s;

    quot;Dear Lady Narboroug; murmured Dorian, smiling, quot;I  been in love for a , since Madame de Ferrol left to;

    quot; ; exclaimed t;I really cannot understand it.quot;

    quot;It is simply because stle girl, Lady Narboroug; said Lord ;S;

    quot;S remember my s frocks at all, Lord  I remember  Vienna ty years ago, and ée s;

    quot;Sill décolletée,quot; aking an olive in ;and ion is extraordinary. urned quite gold from grief.quot;

    quot;; cried Dorian.

    quot;It is a most romantic explanation,quot; laugess. quot;But  mean to say Ferrol is t;

    quot;Certainly, Lady Narboroug;

    quot;I dont believe a .quot;

    quot;ell, ask Mr. Gray.  intimate friends.quot;

    quot;Is it true, Mr. Gray?quot;

    quot;S; said Dorian. quot;I asked e de Navarre, ss embalmed and  old me s, because none of ts at all.quot;

    quot;Four  is trop de zèle.quot;

    quot;trop daudace, I tell ; said Dorian.

    quot;O is Ferrol like? I dont know ;

    quot;tiful o t; said Lord henry, sipping his wine.

    Lady Narboroug ;Lord  at all surprised t t you are extremely ;

    quot;But ?quot; asked Lord ing ;It can only be t  terms.quot;

    quot;Everybody I kno; cried the old lady, shaking her head.

    Lord s. quot;It is perfectly monstrous,quot;  last, quot;t no one be are absolutely and entirely true.quot;

    quot;Isnt ; cried Dorian, leaning forward in his chair.

    quot;I ; said ess, laug;But really, if you all o be in t;

    quot;You oo  is because sested   is because  ry t;

    quot;Narboroug perfect,quot; cried the old lady.

    quot;If  ; ;omen love us for our defects. If s. You o dinner again after saying t it is quite true.quot;

    quot;Of course it is true, Lord  love you for your defects,  of unfortunate bac,  t er you muc;

    quot;Fin de siècle,quot; murmured Lord henry.

    quot;Fin du globe,quot; answered ess.

    quot;I ; said Dorian ;Life is a great disappointment.quot;

    quot;A; cried Lady Narborougting on ;dont tell me t you ed life.  one kno life ed imes o be good-- you look so good. I must find you a nice  Mr. Gray s married?quot;

    quot;I am alelling ; said Lord h a bow.

    quot;ell,  look out for a suitable matct carefully to-nig a list of all t;

    quot;it; asked Dorian.

    quot;Of course, ly edited. But not be done in a  it to be  calls a suitable alliance, and I  you boto be ;

    quot; nonsense people talk about ; exclaimed Lord ;A man can be  love ;

    quot;A a cynic you are!quot; cried to Lady Ruxton. quot;You must come and dine onic, mucter t Sir Andre tell me o meet, t it to be a delig;

    quot;I like men ; ;Or do you t  a petticoat party?quot;

    quot;I fear so,quot; sood up. quot;A ton,quot; s;I didnt see you  finiste.quot;

    quot;Never mind, Lady Narboroug deal too muco limit myself, for ture.quot;

    quot;Pray dont, Lady Ruxton,quot; said Lord ;Moderation is a fatal t.quot;

    Lady Ruxton glanced at ;You must come and explain t to me some afternoon, Lord  sounds a fascinating t; s out of the room.

    quot;No stay too long over your politics and scandal,quot; cried Lady Narboroug;If you do, o squabble upstairs.quot;

    t up solemnly from t of table and came up to top. Dorian Gray c and  and sat by Lord o talk in a loud voice about tuation in t rinaire--error to tisime to time betive prefix served as an ornament of oratory. ed t. ted stupidity of termed it--y.

    A smile curved Lord urned round and looked at Dorian.

    quot;Are you better, my dear fello; ;You seemed rat of sorts at dinner.quot;

    quot;I am quite  is all.quot;

    quot;You le duce devoted to you. Sells me so Selby.quot;

    quot;So come on tiet;

    quot;Is Monmouto be too?quot;

    quot;O;

    quot; as mucoo clever for a  of clay t make t are very pretty, but t feet of clay. e porcelain feet, if you like. t fire does not destroy, it ;

    quot;; asked Dorian.

    quot;An eternity, sells me. I believe, according to t is ten years, but ten years  ernity, ime t;

    quot;Oess, Geoffrey Clouston, t. I rian.quot;

    quot;I like ; said Lord ;A great many people dont, but I find ones for being occasionally someely over-educated. ype.quot;

    quot;I dont knoo Monte Carlo ;

    quot;A a nuisance peoples people are! try and make  nig before eleven.  did you do afterraig;

    Dorian glanced at him hurriedly and frowned.

    quot;No, ;  last, quot;I did not get ill nearly t;

    quot;Did you go to t;

    quot;Yes,quot;  ;No, I dont mean t. I didnt go to t. I forget o knoo forget  time. I  my latc  o let me in. If you  any corroborative evidence on t, you can ask ;

    Lord ;My dear fello us go up to to you, Dorian. tell me  is. You are not yourself to-nig;

    quot;Dont mind me, able, and out of temper. I so-morro day. Make my excuses to Lady Narboroug go upstairs. I s go ;

    quot;All rigo-morro tea-time. t;

    quot;I ry to be t; o  terror  rangled o ioning , and ed ill. t royed. ed touchem.

    Yet it o be done. , and o  took ers of an o consume everyt t faint and sick, and  some Algerian pastilles in a pierced copper brazier, ed vinegar.

    Suddenly arted. rangely brig ood a large Florentine cabinet, made out of ebony and inlaid c as t  could fascinate and make afraid, as t   almost loat a cigarette and t a touc ill c. At last  up from t over to it, and , toucriangular dra. inctively to, dipped in, and closed on somet ely erned als and tasselled in plaited metal t. Inside e, re, tent.

    ated for some moments, rangely immobile smile upon mosperribly ,  t y minutes to tting t doors as  into his bedroom.

    As midnigriking bronze blo, crept quietly out of reet  and in a lohe driver an address.

    t;It is too far for me,quot; tered.

    quot;; said Dorian. quot;You s.quot;

    quot;All rig; ans;you ; and after  in urned ohe river.

 Chapter 16

    Cer 16

    A cold rain began to fall, and treet-lamps looked gly in t. t closing, and dim men and ering in broken groups round ter. In others, drunkards brawled and screamed.

    Lying back in t pulled over cless eyes t city, and noed to  Lord o  day t, quot;to cure t; Yes, t . en tried it, and ry it again noroyed by t were new.

    time to time a retc. treets more narro o drive back eam rose from t splas.

    quot;to cure t; ainly, o deat true t t? Innocent blood  could atone for t? A tonement; but tfulness ill, and ermined to forget, to stamp t, to crus as one o be endured.

    On and on plodded t seemed to  eacep.  up trap and called to to drive faster. to gna  burned and e cogetruck at tick. t.

    terminable, and treets like tony became unbearable, and as t t afraid.

    ter range, bottle-songues of fire. A dog barked as t by, and far aumbled in a rut, to a gallop.

    After some time t ttled again over rougreets. Most of t noastic sted against some lamplit blind. crous marionettes and made gestures like live ted t. As turned a corner, a  ter t a  at th his whip.

    It is said t passion makes one tainly eration tten lips of Dorian Gray sle  dealt ill  ellectual approval, passions t  sucification ill ed emper. From cell to cell of  t; and to live, most terrible of all mans appetites, quickened into force eacrembling nerve and fibre. Ugliness t eful to  made to  very reason. Ugliness y. tcast, ense actuality of impression, t, t fulness. In three days he would be free.

    Suddenly t top of a dark lane. Over tacks of ts of se mist clung like gly sails to the yards.

    quot;Some?quot; rap.

    Dorian started and peered round. quot;t;  out ily and given tra fare ion of tern gleamed at tern of some man. t sered in teamer t  looked like a  mackintosh.

    o, glancing back noo see if  seven or eiges   factories. In one of top-ood a lamp. opped and gave a peculiar knock.

    After a little time eps in tly, and  in  saying a o t miss flattened itself into t tattered green curtain t s.  aside and entered a long loorted in t faced tors of ribbed tin backed t. t, trampled o mud, and stained tle cove, playing ers and se teettered. In one corner, able, and by taed bar t ran across one complete side stood t. quot; red ants on ; laug error and began to whimper.

    At ttle staircase, leading to a darkened cs ty steps, t rils quivered ered, a young man ing a long t ating manner.

    quot;You ; muttered Dorian.

    quot;; lessly. quot;None of to me no;

    quot;I t you  England.quot;

    quot;Darlington is not going to do anyt last. George doesnt speak to me eit care,quot; ;As long as one uff, one doesnt  friends. I too many friends.quot;

    Dorian  tesque t lay in sucastic postures on ttresses. ted limbs, taring lustreless eyes, fascinated  strange  dull eac of some neter off t. Memory, like a ing ime to time o see t

    stay. ton troubled ed to be o escape from himself.

    quot;I am going on to t; er a pause.

    quot;On t;

    quot;Yes.quot;

    quot;t mad-cat is sure to be t ;

    Dorian s;I am sick of ing. Besides, tuff is better.quot;

    quot;Muc;

    quot;I like it better. Come and o drink. I must ;

    quot;I dont  anyt; murmured the young man.

    quot;Never mind.quot;

    Adrian Singleton rose up o te, in a ragged turban and a ser, grinned a ing as  a bottle of brandy and tumblers in front of to cter. Dorian turned o Adrian Singleton.

    A crooked smile, like a Malay crease, ;e are very proud to-nig; she sneered.

    quot;For Gods sake dont talk to me,quot; cried Dorian, stamping  on t; do you ? Money?  is. Dont ever talk to me again.quot;

    t and left tossed er ched her enviously.

    quot;Its no use,quot; sigon. quot;I dont care to go back.  does it matter? I am quite ;

    quot;You e to me if you  anyt you?quot; said Dorian, after a pause.

    quot;Per;

    quot;Good nig;

    quot;Good nig; anseps and wiping h a handkerchief.

    Dorian o tain aside, a ed lips of taken ;t; she hiccoughed, in a hoarse voice.

    quot;Curse you!quot; ;dont call me t.quot;

    S;Prince C you like to be called, aint it?quot; ser him.

    to  as sting of t as if in pursuit.

    Dorian Gray ing on rangely moved  young life o be laid at o .  , after all,  matter to oo brief to take t. ty en for a single fault. One o pay over and over again, indeed. In iny never closed s.

    ts, psycs tell us, es a nature t every fibre of to be instinct  sucs lose to terrible end as automatons move. Caken from t lives at all, lives but to give rebellion its fascination and disobedience its c of reminding us, are sins of disobedience.  , t morning star of evil, fell from   he fell.

    Callous, concentrated on evil, ained mind, and soul ened on, quickening ep as , but as ed aside into a dim arc en as a s cut to t ime to defend  back against tal .

    ruggled madly for life, and by a terrible effort raig , t man facing him.

    quot; do you ?quot; he gasped.

    quot;Keep quiet,quot; said t;If you stir, I s you.quot;

    quot;You are mad.  o you?quot;

    quot;You ; ;and Sibyl Vane er. S.  your door. I surn. For years I  you. I race. t name so call you. I  to-nigo-nigo die.quot;

    Dorian Gray gre;I never kne;I never ;

    quot;You ter confess your sin, for as sure as I am James Vane, you are going to die.quot; t. Dorian did not knoo say or do. quot;Do; gro;I give you one minute to make your peace--no more. I go on board to-nig do my job first. One minute. ts all.quot;

    Dorians arms fell to error,  knoo do. Suddenly a op,quot; ; since your sister died? Quick, tell me!quot;

    quot;Eig; said t; do years matter?quot;

    quot;Eig; laugoucriump;Eig me under t my face!quot;

    James Vane ated for a moment, not understanding . the archway.

    Dim and , yet it served to s seemed, into o kill ained purity of youttle more ty summers,  all, ter ed so many years ago. It  t troyed her life.

    ;My God! my God!quot; ;and I would ;

    Dorian Gray dre;You ting a terrible crime, my man,quot;  ernly. quot;Let to you not to take vengeance into your own ;

    quot;Forgive me, sir,quot; muttered James Vane. quot;I  me on track.quot;

    quot;You ter go  t pistol a into trouble,quot; said Dorian, turning on reet.

    James Vane stood on t in rembling from o foot. After a little o t and came close to ealtsteps.  a art. It  the bar.

    quot; you kill ; s, putting e close to ;I knew you were following  from Dalys. You fool! You ss of money, and ;

    quot; t; ;and I  no mans money. I  a mans life. t must be nearly forty notle more t got ;

    tter laug;Little more t; s;s nigeen years since Prince C I am.quot;

    quot;You lie!quot; cried James Vane.

    So ;Before God I am telling trut; she cried.

    quot;Before God?quot;

    quot;Strike me dumb if it aint so.  one t comes o tty face. Its nigeen years since I met  c; sh a sickly leer.

    quot;You s;

    quot;I s,quot; came in  mout;But dont give me ao ; s;I am afraid of  me s lodging.quot;

    o treet, but Dorian Gray he woman had vanished also.

 Chapter 17

    Cer 17

    A er Dorian Gray ting in tory at Selby Royal, talking to tty Ducy,  s. It ea-time, and t of t stood on table lit up te c  somet Dorian o  t Lady Narborougending to listen to tion of t Brazilian beetle t o ion. te smoking-suits o some of ty consisted of ted to arrive on t day.

    quot; are you talking about?quot; said Lord rolling over to table and putting ;I old you about my plan for recening everyt is a delig;

    quot;But I dont  to be recened, ; rejoined t ;I am quite satisfied isfied ;

    quot;My dear Gladys, I  alter eit. I erday I cut an orcton- ted tive as tless moment I asked one of t it   kind. It is a sad trut y of giving lovely names to tions. My one quarrel is  is te vulgar realism in literature. to use one. It is t for.quot;

    quot;t s; she asked.

    quot;; said Dorian.

    quot;I recognize ; exclaimed the duchess.

    quot;I  ,quot; laugo a c;From a label title.quot;

    quot;Royalties may not abdicate,quot; fell as a ty lips.

    quot;You ;

    quot;Yes.

    quot;I give truto-morro;

    quot;I prefer takes of to-day,quot; she answered.

    quot;You disarm me, Gladys,quot; che wilfulness of her mood.

    quot;Of your s of your spear.quot;

    quot;I never tilt against beauty,quot; h a wave of his hand.

    quot;t is your error, y far too muc;

    quot;? I admit t I t it is better to be beautiful to be good. But on to ackno it is better to be good to be ugly.quot;

    quot;Ugliness is one of t; cried t; becomes of your simile about t;

    quot;Ugliness is one of tues, Gladys. You, as a good tory, must not underrate tues  s;

    quot;You dont like your country, t; she asked.

    quot;I live in it.quot;

    quot;t you may censure it tter.quot;

    quot;ould you ake t of Europe on it?quot; he inquired.

    quot; do t;

    quot;t tartuffe ed to England and opened a s;

    quot;Is t yours, ;

    quot;I give it to you.quot;

    quot;I could not use it. It is too true.quot;

    quot;You need not be afraid. Our countrymen never recognize a description.quot;

    quot;tical.quot;

    quot;tical. upidity by ;

    quot;Still, ;

    quot;Great t on us, Gladys.quot;

    quot;e ;

    quot;Only as far as tock Exc;

    S;I believe in t; she cried.

    quot;It represents t;

    quot;It .quot;

    quot;Decay fascinates me more.quot;

    quot; of art?quot; she asked.

    quot;It is a malady.quot;

    quot;Love?quot;

    quot;An illusion.quot;

    quot;Religion?quot;

    quot;titute for belief.quot;

    quot;You are a sceptic.quot;

    quot;Never! Scepticism is t;

    quot; are you?quot;

    quot;to define is to limit.quot;

    quot;Give me a clue.quot;

    quot;t;

    quot;You be us talk of some one else.quot;

    quot;Our  is a deligopic. Years ago ened Prince C;

    quot;A remind me of t,quot; cried Dorian Gray.

    quot;Our  is rat; ans;I believe  Monmoutific principles as t specimen terfly.quot;

    quot;ell, I  stick pins into you, Duc; laughed Dorian.

    quot;O already, Mr. Gray, w;

    quot;And , Duc;

    quot;For t trivial t ten minutes to nine and tell  I must be dressed by  eig;

    quot;;

    quot;I darent, Mr. Gray. s s for me. You remember t Lady ones garden-party? You dont, but it is nice of you to pretend t you do. ell, s of nots are made out of not;

    quot;Like all good reputations, Gladys,quot; interrupted Lord ;Every effect t one produces gives one an enemy. to be popular one must be a mediocrity.quot;

    quot;Not ; said t;and  bear mediocrities. e  as you men love  all.quot;

    quot;It seems to me t ; murmured Dorian.

    quot;A; ansh mock sadness.

    quot;My dear Gladys!quot; cried Lord ;? Romance lives by repetition, and repetition converts an appetite into an art. Besides, eacime t one loves is time one  does not alter singleness of passion. It merely intensifies it. e can  one great experience at best, and t of life is to reproduce t experience as often as possible.quot;

    quot;Even er a pause.

    quot;Especially ; answered Lord henry.

    turned and looked at Dorian Gray ; do you say to t, Mr. Gray?quot; she inquired.

    Dorian ated for a moment. t;I al;

    quot;Even w;

    quot;;

    quot;And does ;

    quot;I s ;

    quot;And found it, Mr. Gray?quot;

    quot;Often. too often.quot;

    t;I am searc; s;and if I dont go and dress, I s;

    quot;Let me get you some orc; cried Dorian, starting to  and ory.

    quot;You are flirting disgracefully ; said Lord o ;You ter take care. ing.quot;

    quot;If , ttle.quot;

    quot;Greek meets Greek, t;

    quot;I am on trojans. t for a ;

    quot;ted.quot;

    quot;ture,quot; she answered.

    quot;You gallop ;

    quot;Pace gives life,quot; e.

    quot;I se it in my diary to-nig;

    quot;?quot;

    quot;t a burnt c;

    quot;I am not even singed. My ouc;

    quot;You use t flig;

    quot;Courage o  is a ne;

    quot;You ;

    quot;;

    ;Lady Narboroug; ;Sly adores ;

    quot;You fill me o antiquity is fatal to us s.quot;

    quot;Romanticists! You ;

    quot;Men ed us.quot;

    quot;But not explained you.quot;

    quot;Describe us as a sex,quot; was her challenge.

    quot;Sp secrets.quot;

    S ;; s;Let us go and  yet told ;

    quot;A suit your frock to ;

    quot;t ure surrender.quot;

    quot;Romantic art begins s climax.quot;

    quot;I must keep an opportunity for retreat.quot;

    quot;In t;

    quot;ty in t. I could not do t.quot;

    quot;omen are not alory came a stifled groan, folloarted up. tood motionless in o find Dorian Gray lying face doiled floor in a deathlike swoon.

    once into ter a s time, o h a dazed expression.

    quot; ; ;O; o tremble.

    quot;My dear Dorian,quot; ansed. t  ired yourself. You ter not come doo dinner. I ake your place.quot;

    quot;No, I ; ruggling to . quot;I  not be alone.quot;

    to y in  at table, but noerror ran t, pressed against tory, like a we ching him.

 Chapter 18

    Cer 18

    t day  leave t most of time in error of dying, and yet indifferent to life itself. ted, snared, tracked doe apestry did but tremble in t  to ed resolutions and s. -stained glass, and o lay its .

    But per   of t and set t before ual life erribly logical in tion. It ion t set remorse to dog t of sin. It ion t made eacs miss t puniso trong, failure t upon t s or t-marks been found on ted it. Yes, it  come back to kill o founder in some er sea. From  any rate,  know w know wh had saved him.

    And yet if it errible it o t conscience could raise sucoms, and give t sort of life   corners, to mock  places, to  t, to  terror, and to o  a  all again. Eacail came back to  of time, terrible and s, rose t six oclock,  will break.

    It  till t ured to go out. ted air of t er morning t seemed to bring  it  merely tions of environment t ure ed against t  to maim and mar tion of its calm. itle and finely s it is alrong passions must eit are great are destroyed by tude. Besides,  im of a terror-stricken imagination, and looked back no a little of contempt.

    After breakfast, o join ting-party. t lay like salt upon ted cup of blue metal. A t, reed-grown lake.

    At t sigon, t cartridges out of , and old to take toh.

    quot;, Geoffrey?quot; he asked.

    quot;Not very good, Dorian. I t of to t ter after lunc to ne;

    Dorian strolled along by ic air, ts t glimmered in ters ringing out from time to time, and t folloed ful freedom. ed by the high indifference of joy.

    Suddenly from a lumpy tussock of old grass some ty yards in front of tipped ears erect and long  forarted a  bolted for a t of alders. Sir Geoffrey put o  t t strangely c at once, quot;Dont s it, Geoffrey. Let it live.quot;

    quot; nonsense, Dorian!quot; laugo t, wo cries he cry of a man in agony, which is worse.

    quot;Good  a beater!quot; exclaimed Sir Geoffrey. quot; an ass to get in front of top sing t;  at top of ;A man is .quot;

    tick in his hand.

    quot;; ed. At time, the line.

    quot;; ans. quot; you keep your men back? Spoiled my sing for t;

    Dorian co ts ter to t. urned ao  misfortune folloo o rampling of myriad feet and t copper-breasted p came beating the boughs overhead.

    After a fes--t o urbed state, like endless  a arted and looked round.

    quot;Dorian,quot; said Lord ;I ter tell t ting is stopped for to-day. It  look o go on.quot;

    quot;I opped for ever, ; terly. quot;t;

    finisence.

    quot;I am afraid so,quot; rejoined Lord ; t in .   instantaneously. Come; let us go ;

    tion of ty yards  speaking. t Lord ;It is a bad omen, ;

    quot; is?quot; asked Lord ;O, I suppose. My dear fello cant be  .  in front of t is noto us. It is rat does not do to pepper beaters. It makes people t one is a ; s very straig talking about tter.quot;

    Dorian s;It is a bad omen, o o some of us. to myself, per; ure of pain.

    t;t is t  likely to suffer from it unless ttering about t dinner. I must tell t t is to be tabooed. As for omens, tiny does not send us oo oo cruel for t. Besides, o you, Dorian? You  a man can . t be deligo c;

    quot;t c laug. I am telling you trutc ter off terror of deat is t terrifies me. Its monstrous o cing for me?quot;

    Lord ion in ;Yes,quot; ;I see ting for you. I suppose s to ask you o-nig come and see my doctor, o to;

    Dorian ouc, glanced for a moment at Lord ating manner, and tter, ;old me to  for an ans; he murmured.

    Dorian put tter into . quot;tell  I am coming in,quot; urned round and  rapidly in tion of the house.

    quot;; laug;It is one of ties in t I admire most. A  ;

    quot; instance, you are quite astray. I like t I dont love ;

    quot;And t sly matc;

    quot;You are talking scandal, ;

    quot;tainty,quot; said Lord ing a cigarette.

    quot;You would sacrifice anybody, ;

    quot;to tar of its o; he answer.

    quot;I e of pat;But I seem to  tten too mucrated on myself. My oy o me. I  to escape, to go ao forget. It o come doo o  got ready. On a yac;

    quot;Safe from rouble.  tell me  is? You know I would ;

    quot;I cant tell you, ; ;And I dare say it is only a fancy of mine. tunate accident  me. I iment t someto me.quot;

    quot; nonsense!quot;

    quot;I  is, but I cant . Aemis in a tailor-made gown. You see we ;

    quot;I  it, Mr. Gray,quot; s;Poor Geoffrey is terribly upset. And it seems t you asked  to s t;

    quot;Yes, it  kno. Some  of little live t I am sorry told you about t is a .quot;

    quot;It is an annoying subject,quot; broke in Lord ;It  all. Noing o knoed a real murder.quot;

    quot;; cried t;Isnt it, Mr. Gray? o faint.quot;

    Dorian dre;It is not; ;my nerves are dreadfully out of order. t is all. I am afraid I oo far t   very bad? You must tell me some otime. I t go and lie do you?quot;

    t fligeps t led from tory on to terrace. As turned and looked at t;Are you very muc; he asked.

    S ansime, but stood gazing at t;I .

    ;Knoal. It is tainty t c makes t;

    quot;One may lose ones ;

    quot;All  t, my dear Gladys.quot;

    quot; is t?quot;

    quot;Disillusion.quot;

    quot;It  in life,quot; she sighed.

    quot;It came to you cro;

    quot;I am tired of stra;

    quot;t;

    quot;Only in public.quot;

    quot;You ; said Lord henry.

    quot;I  part al.quot;

    quot;Monmout;

    quot;Old age is dull of ;

    quot;;

    quot;I wis;

    as if in searc; are you looking for?quot; she inquired.

    quot;tton from your foil,quot; ;You .quot;

    S;I ill t;

    quot;It makes your eyes lovelier,quot; was his reply.

    Seete seeds in a scarlet fruit.

    Upstairs, in error in every tingling fibre of oo o bear. ter, s in t like a  w Lord ing.

    At five oclock  and gave o pack -express to too  t-ty. ermined not to sleep anot at Selby Royal. It . t ted h blood.

    te a note to Lord elling  o too consult or and asking o entertain s in ting it into to t informed  to see  ;Send ; tered, after some moments ation.

    As soon as tered, Dorian pulled  of a dra out before him.

    quot;I suppose you  tunate accident of ton?quot; aking up a pen.

    quot;Yes, sir,quot; anshe gamekeeper.

    quot;as t on ; asked Dorian, looking bored. quot;If so, I s like to be left in , and ;

    quot;e dont knoook ty of coming to you about.quot;

    quot;Dont knolessly. quot; do you mean? asnt ;

    quot;No, sir. Never saw ;

    t as if  opped beating. quot;A sailor?quot; . quot;Did you say a sailor?quot;

    quot;Yes, sir.  of sailor; tattooed on bot kind of t;

    quot;as t; said Dorian, leaning for tartled eyes. quot;Anyt ell ;

    quot;Some money, sir--not mucer. t-looking man, sir, but roug of sailor ;

    Dorian started to . A terrible tered past c it madly. quot;; ;Quick! I must see it at once.quot;

    quot;It is in an empty stable in t like to  sort of t;

    quot;t once and meet me. tell one of to bring my o tables myself. It ime.quot;

    In less ter of an rees seemed to s ral procession, and  a e-post and nearly t tones flew from her hoofs.

    At last ering in to one of t stable a ligo tell  to t ch.

    t, feeling t   tered.

    On a  and a pair of blue trousers. A spotted uck in a bottle, sputtered beside it.

    Dorian Gray s t  be to take t to one of ts to come to him.

    quot;take t to see it,quot; c t for support.

    epped for was James Vane.

    ood tes looking at tears, for he knew he was safe.

 Chapter 19

    Cer 19

    telling me t you are going to be good,quot; cried Lord e fingers into a red copper boer. quot;You are quite perfect. Pray, dont c;

    Dorian Gray s;No, oo many dreadful t going to do any more. I began my good actions yesterday.quot;

    quot;erday?quot;

    quot;In try, aying at a little inn by myself.quot;

    quot;My dear boy,quot; said Lord ;anybody can be good in try. temptations t is t of toely uncivilized. Civilization is not by any means an easy to attain to. tured, t. Country people unity of being eitagnate.quot;

    quot;Culture and corruption,quot; ec;I  seems terrible to me no togeto alter. I tered.quot;

    quot;You  yet told me ion tle crimson pyramid of seeded straed, se sugar upon them.

    quot;I can tell you,  is not a story I could tell to any one else. I spared somebody. It sounds vain, but you understand iful and   tracted me to  you?  seems! ell, ty  one of our o I loved  imes a erday s me in a little orc tumbling do daermined to leave ;

    quot;I sy of tion must ; interrupted Lord ;But I can finis. t ion.quot;

    quot;nt say ttys  is not broken. Of course, s. But ta, in  and marigold.quot;

    quot;And ; said Lord ;My dear Dorian, you  curiously boyisent noo a rouger or a grinning ploug of  you, and loved you, eaco despise c of vie say t I t renunciation. Even as a beginning, it is poor. Besides,  ty isnt floating at t moment in some starlit mill-pond, er-lilies round ;

    quot;I cant bear t everyt t serious tragedies. I am sorry I told you no care o me. I knoy! As I rode past te face at t let us talk about it any more, and dont try to persuade me t t good action I  little bit of self-sacrifice I  of sin. I  to be better. I am going to be better. tell me somet yourself.  is going on in too t;

    quot;till discussing poor Basils disappearance.quot;

    quot;I s t tired of t by time,quot; said Dorian, pouring  some ly.

    quot;My dear boy, talking about it for six is equal to tal strain of opic every tunate lately,  terious disappearance of an artist. Scotland Yard still insists t ter  train on t Basil never arrived in Paris at all. I suppose in about a fortnigold t  is an odd t every one  San Francisco. It must be a deligy, and possess all ttractions of t ;

    quot; do you to Basil?quot; asked Dorian,  t and  ter so calmly.

    quot;I  test idea. If Basil co  is no business of mine. If   to t  ever terrifies me. I e it.quot;

    quot;; said the younger man wearily.

    quot;Because,quot; said Lord rils t trellis of an open vinaigrette box, quot;one can survive everyt t. Deaty are ts in teentury t one cannot explain a us  play Co me. tely. Poor Victoria! I  ts t s. Pers t. tial part of ones personality.quot;

    Dorian said not rose from table, and passing into t room, sat doo t ray across te and black ivory of ter t in, opped, and looking over at Lord ; ever occur to you t Basil ;

    Lord ;Basil erbury c clever enougo ing. But a man can paint like Velasquez and yet be as dull as possible. Basil erested me once, and t  ion for you and t you  motive of .quot;

    quot;I ; said Dorian e of sadness in ;But dont people say t ;

    quot;O does not seem to me to be at all probable. I kno Basil  t of man to o ty. It ;

    quot;  I ; said tcently after he had spoken.

    quot;I  you  doesnt suit you. All crime is vulgar, just as all vulgarity is crime. It is not in you, Dorian, to commit a murder. I am sorry if I  your vanity by saying so, but I assure you it is true. Crime belongs exclusively to t blame t degree. I s crime o t art is to us, simply a metraordinary sensations.quot;

    quot;A metions? Do you t a man  tell me t.quot;

    quot;O too often,quot; cried Lord ;t is one of t important secrets of life. I s murder is alake. One s one cannot talk about after dinner. But let us pass from poor Basil. I , but I cant. I dare say o t tor  ing over c t ten years ing ;

    Dorian rolled across to stroke t, a large, grey-plumaged bird  and tail, t self upon a bamboo perced fingers touc, it dropped te scurf of crinkled lids over black, glasslike eyes and began to sway backwards and forwards.

    quot;Yes,quot; inued, turning round and taking  of ; quot;ing e gone off. It seemed to me to  somet  an ideal. o be great friends, o be a great artist.   separated you? I suppose s a  bores   rait  t since . Oelling me years ago t you  it doo Selby, and t it  mislaid or stolen on t it back?  a pity! it erpiece. I remember I ed to buy it. I o Basils best period. Since t curious mixture of bad painting and good intentions t alitles a man to be called a representative Britisist. Did you advertise for it? You s;

    quot;I forget,quot; said Dorian. quot;I suppose I did. But I never really liked it. I am sorry I sat for it. teful to me. alk of it? It used to remind me of t, I they run?--

    Like ting of a sorrow,

    A face  a .

    Yes: t is  ;

    Lord ;If a man treats life artistically, ,quot; o an arm-chair.

    Dorian Gray sruck some soft c;Like ting of a sorro; ed, quot;a face  a .quot;

    t ;By t; er a pause, quot; profit a man if ation run?-- ;

    tarted and stared at ;, ;

    quot;My dear fello; said Lord ing ;I asked you because I t you migo give me an ans is all. I  Sunday, and close by tood a little croo some vulgar street-preac t question to  struck me as being ratic. London is very rics of t kind. A  Sunday, an uncoutian in a mackintose faces under a broken roof of dripping umbrellas, and a erical lips--it s e a suggestion. I t of telling t t art  t man . I am afraid,  ood me.quot;

    quot;Dont, errible reality. It can be bougered a can be poisoned, or made perfect. t.quot;

    quot;Do you feel quite sure of t, Dorian?quot;

    quot;Quite sure.quot;

    quot;A must be an illusion. tely certain about are never true. t is tality of fait be so serious.  o do itions of our age? No: ell me, in a lo . I am only ten years older to-nig. You ely extraordinary. You  not in appearance. I . to get back my yout take exercise, get up early, or be respectable. Yout. Its absurd to talk of to  are people muc of me. Life o test radict t on principle. If you ask t erday, t in 1820, ely not te it at Majorca,  spray das t is marvellously romantic.  a blessing it is t t left to us t is not imitative! Dont stop. I  music to-nig seems to me t you are t I am Marsyas listening to you. I  even you knoragedy of old age is not t one is old, but t one is young. I am amazed sometimes at my oy. A an exquisite life you  your palate. Not o you no more t  marred you. You are still t;

    quot;I am not t;

    quot;Yes, you are t t of your life  spoil it by renunciations. At present you are a perfect type. Dont make yourself incomplete. You are quite fla s deceive yourself. Life is not governed by ention. Life is a question of nerves, and fibres, and slo-up cells in rong. But a cone of colour in a room or a morning sky, a particular perfume t you  brings subtle memories , a line from a forgotten poem t you  you o play-- I tell you, Dorian, t it is on t our lives depend. Broes about t somes rangest mont against us bot it  al it is afraid it  you atue, or painted a picture, or produced anytside of yourself! Life . You  yourself to music. Your days are your sonnets.quot;

    Dorian rose up from t;Yes, life e,quot; ;but I am not going to  not say travagant to me. You dont kno me. I t if you did, even you urn from me. You laug laug;

    quot;opped playing, Dorian? Go back and give me turne over again. Look at t great,  ing for you to co t? Let us go to t  end it c es o kno son. ies, and o introduce o you. e delig;

    quot;I ,quot; said Dorian ;But I am tired to-nig go to t is nearly eleven, and I  to go to bed early.quot;

    quot;Do stay. You o-nigouc   before.quot;

    quot;It is because I am going to be good,quot; ;I am a little c;

    quot;You cannot co me, Dorian,quot; said Lord ;You and I ;

    quot;Yet you poisoned me  forgive t.  you  book to any one. It does ;

    quot;My dear boy, you are really beginning to moralize. You  like ted, and t,  all tired. You are mucoo deligo do t. Besides, it is no use. You and I are . Art ion. It annies to act. It is superbly sterile. t t ss o  discuss literature. Come round to-morroo ride at eleven. e migogetake you to luncers to consult you about some tapestries stle ducired of Gladys? I t you s on ones nerves. ell, in any case, be  eleven.quot;

    quot;Must I really come, ;

    quot;Certainly. te lovely no t you.quot;

    quot;Very ; said Dorian. quot;Good nig; As ated for a moment, as if o say. t out.

 Chapter 20

    Cer 20

    It  . As rolled te, t;t is Dorian Gray.quot; o be , or stared at, or talked about. ired of tle village ely  no one kneold to love  old

    ty ston dresses and s! S s .

    ing up for  o bed, and to t Lord o him.

    as it really true t one could never c a ained purity of e boy.  arnision and given o  o oterrible joy in being so; and t of t   and t full of promise t  to s  all irretrievable? as there no hope for him?

    A a monstrous moment of pride and passion  trait sernal youto t. Better for  eac its sure s penalty along . tion in punis. Not quot;Forgive us our sinsquot; but quot;Smite us for our iniquitiesquot; so a most just God.

    t Lord o anding on table, and te-limbed Cupids laug as of old. ook it up, as  nig noted tal picture, and ear-dimmed eyes looked into its poliserribly loved ten to ter, ending rous ;te ory.quot; to ed to y, and flinging t into silver splinters beneat  y and t  for t ain. y o  a mask,  a mockery.   best? A green, an unripe time, a time of ss. s livery? Youth had spoiled him.

    It ter not to t. Noter t. It  o t  in ory, but  revealed t t o knoement, suc  t  troubled ed trait t  forgive . It rait t o

    borne ience. t. As for Alan Campbell, . o do it. It o him.

    A ne   any rate. empt innocence. he would be good.

    As  of ty Merton, o rait in t  still so  o expel every sign of evil passion from the signs of evil had already gone away. he would go and look.

    ook table and crept upstairs. As ted across rangely young-looking face and lingered for a moment about  error to  as if ted from him already.

    in quietly, locking tom, and dragged trait. A cry of pain and indignation broke from  in te. till loat de spotted ter, and more like blood nerembled.  been merely vanity t ion, as Lord ed,  passion to act a part t sometimes makes us do tain larger t  seemed to  like a ed feet, as t   mean t o confess? to give  to deat t trous. Besides, even if race of to royed.  airs. t  ed in ory. . . . Yet it o confess, to suffer public so make public atonement. to tell to earto  ill old tle to ty Merton. For it  mirror, t . Vanity? Curiosity? ion t? t least  so. But y ys sake ried t now.

    But t to dog o be burdened by ? as o confess? Never. t of evidence left against ure itself-- t .  it so long? Once it o c ce  no suc   nigerror lest ot. It  melancs mere memory s of joy. It o  roy it.

    abbed Basil  many times, till tain left upon it. It  er, so it ers  t meant. It , and rous soul-life, and  its  peace. abbed ture .

    ts agony t tened servants  out of tlemen,  t ill t a policeman and brougimes, but t for a ligop er a time,  aood in an adjoining portico and ched.

    quot;, Constable?quot; asked tlemen.

    quot;Mr. Dorian Grays, sir,quot; anshe policeman.

    t eacons uncle.

    Inside, in ts part of tics alking in low wo each.

    After about a quarter of an  tmen and crept upstairs. t t. Everytill. Finally, after vainly trying to force t on to ts were old.

    ered, trait of ter as t seen e youty. Lying on t.   till t t was.

    thE END