Dorian Gray stayed out all night after he had left Sybil at
the theatre. When he arrived home, the sun was just coming
up behind the houses around the square where he li ved. He
was walking t~rough the library in his house, on the way to
his bedroom, when something suddenly seemed strange.
The picture Basil had painted ofhim, which was on Dorian's
library wall , looked different. There was a cruel expression
in the mouth. It looked the way he might look after he had
clone something horrible.
Dorian remembered the wish he had made at Basil's. He
had sa id that he wished the picture would grow old and ugly
whi le he remained young and beautifuL But cou ld such
things come true? Dorian didn't think so. But what about the
picture? It had changed. Was it because of the way he had
acted towards Sybil?
Dorian was tired. He did not want to look at the picture
any more. He put a screen in front of it and then went to
bed.
Dorian woke up when his butler, Victor, came in with his
tea.
"You have slept late today, sir."
"What time is it, Victor?"
"A quarter past one."
There were several letters on the tray with the tea. One
was from Lord Henry. As Victor left the room , Dorian
stopped him.
"Victor, I do not want to see anyone today."
"Yes, sir."
Dorian did not read Lord Henry's letter. In fact, he had
decided not to spend so much time with Lord Henry. Lord
Henry had a negative influence on him, he thought.
After breakfast, Dorian went to look at the picture again.
He had hoped that it would look different, but it didn't. The
face was still cruel. Dorian was sure it looked this way because
of what he had done to Sybil.
He sat clown and wrote Sybil a long letter. He apologised
for what he had done and told her again how much he loved
her. He had decided to marry her after all, and he wanted to
start living a better life.
Late in the afternoon, Lord Henry came to see him.
Dorian had covered the portrait before he came in .
"Dorian, I'm so sorry about what happened, but you must
forget about her."
"You mean Sybil?"
"Yes."
"I cannot forget about her. She has made me see the
difference between good and evil. I was wrong to be cruel to
her after the play. I am sorry for that. But now I have
decided to marry her."
"Marry her!"
Lord Henry stood up and looked confused.
"Then you don't know. Didn't you read my letter?"
"No."
"Oh, Dorian. Then you don't know. Sybil Vane is dead."
Dorian's face changed into a terrible expression of pain.
"No, no! It's a lie! Tell me you are lying."
After Dorian had left Sybil at the theatre, she was so
heartbroken she drank poison. The police were saying that it
was suicide. Lord Henry tried to make Dorian feel better, but
he did this in his own careless way.
"Have dinner with me tonight, Dorian. We'll go to the
opera and forget all about this."
"The opera? How can I gu to the opera when the woman
I loved has died because of me."
"That's exactly why you shou ld go . Dorian, this is not
your fault. Life is full of traged ies. You are young and goodlooking.
Sybil Vane is in your pas t. Think of the future. You
can do anyth ing."
Dorian wanted to believe that Sybil 's death was not his
fault. He did not want to feel gui lty or ev il. Lord He nry's
words made him feel better. Why shou ldn't he go to the
opera, he thought. If the picture of him was going to change
after every ev il act he did and he was going to stay young and
beautiful, why should he care?
the theatre. When he arrived home, the sun was just coming
up behind the houses around the square where he li ved. He
was walking t~rough the library in his house, on the way to
his bedroom, when something suddenly seemed strange.
The picture Basil had painted ofhim, which was on Dorian's
library wall , looked different. There was a cruel expression
in the mouth. It looked the way he might look after he had
clone something horrible.
Dorian remembered the wish he had made at Basil's. He
had sa id that he wished the picture would grow old and ugly
whi le he remained young and beautifuL But cou ld such
things come true? Dorian didn't think so. But what about the
picture? It had changed. Was it because of the way he had
acted towards Sybil?
Dorian was tired. He did not want to look at the picture
any more. He put a screen in front of it and then went to
bed.
Dorian woke up when his butler, Victor, came in with his
tea.
"You have slept late today, sir."
"What time is it, Victor?"
"A quarter past one."
There were several letters on the tray with the tea. One
was from Lord Henry. As Victor left the room , Dorian
stopped him.
"Victor, I do not want to see anyone today."
"Yes, sir."
Dorian did not read Lord Henry's letter. In fact, he had
decided not to spend so much time with Lord Henry. Lord
Henry had a negative influence on him, he thought.
After breakfast, Dorian went to look at the picture again.
He had hoped that it would look different, but it didn't. The
face was still cruel. Dorian was sure it looked this way because
of what he had done to Sybil.
He sat clown and wrote Sybil a long letter. He apologised
for what he had done and told her again how much he loved
her. He had decided to marry her after all, and he wanted to
start living a better life.
Late in the afternoon, Lord Henry came to see him.
Dorian had covered the portrait before he came in .
"Dorian, I'm so sorry about what happened, but you must
forget about her."
"You mean Sybil?"
"Yes."
"I cannot forget about her. She has made me see the
difference between good and evil. I was wrong to be cruel to
her after the play. I am sorry for that. But now I have
decided to marry her."
"Marry her!"
Lord Henry stood up and looked confused.
"Then you don't know. Didn't you read my letter?"
"No."
"Oh, Dorian. Then you don't know. Sybil Vane is dead."
Dorian's face changed into a terrible expression of pain.
"No, no! It's a lie! Tell me you are lying."
After Dorian had left Sybil at the theatre, she was so
heartbroken she drank poison. The police were saying that it
was suicide. Lord Henry tried to make Dorian feel better, but
he did this in his own careless way.
"Have dinner with me tonight, Dorian. We'll go to the
opera and forget all about this."
"The opera? How can I gu to the opera when the woman
I loved has died because of me."
"That's exactly why you shou ld go . Dorian, this is not
your fault. Life is full of traged ies. You are young and goodlooking.
Sybil Vane is in your pas t. Think of the future. You
can do anyth ing."
Dorian wanted to believe that Sybil 's death was not his
fault. He did not want to feel gui lty or ev il. Lord He nry's
words made him feel better. Why shou ldn't he go to the
opera, he thought. If the picture of him was going to change
after every ev il act he did and he was going to stay young and
beautiful, why should he care?
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