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.
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.