The next morning, Basil came to visit Dorian in his
library. Dorian was sitting in a chair, drinking a glass of white
wine, looking very bored. T he picture Basil had painted of
hi m was st ill covered by a screen.
"Oh Dorian, I'm so glad I've found you . They told me
you went to the opera last night, but I knew that couldn't be
true. I'm so sorry about what happened to Sybil. You must
be terrib ly hurt."
"Sit clown, Basil. I did go to the opera, and I was hurt, but
now I am not. What happened in the past is over. There is
no use in re-living it."
"Dorian, how can you ta lk like that about someone you
loved?"
"Sybil Vane was an actress. She died as Juliet would die.
It is just another tragedy. I choose to live for pleasure and
not regret the past."
"You've changed, Dorian. You still look the same as when
I first saw you, but you are different. You used to be so kind
and innocent. Now you talk like you have no heart. Harry
has influenced yo u. I see that."
"1 was a boy when I first met you. Now I am a man. Harry
has made me see myself as I really am."
Basil was confused. He wanted to believe that Dorian was
the pure, good , innocent boy he had first met. He hoped that
Sybil's death had caused Dorian's strange behaviour. Basil
looked up and saw the screen in front of the picture.
"Why have you put a screen in front of your picture? It's
the best work I have ever clone. Let me look at it."
Basil walked towards the screen . Dorian stood up and ran
in front of him.
"No, Basil, you mustn't! I can't let you ."
"B ut ... but why?"
Dorian's face was white and his eyes were Eillecl with
terror.
"I can't tell you, and please don't ask me why."
Basil turned away from Dorian and looked out of the
window. He was frightened by what he had to say.
"Dorian, have you seen someth ing strange in the picture,
something which was not there at first but suddenly appeared?"
Dorian was frighten ed.
"Basil , what are you saying?!"
"Listen to me, Dorian. Don't speak. It is a secret of mine,
and I hope that it doesn't upset you. When I first saw you , I
thought that your face was the most beautiful thing I had
ever seen. It was a work of art. But I liked you too much. I
think the picture shows that. I wanted to put all of my artistic
talent into that picture, because that's what I thought your
face deserved."
Basil turned away from the window and looked at Dorian .
''I'm embarrassed because all of my feelings for you and
for art are in that picture, and I know that it is wrong to
worship human beauty so much. We are not perfect, and
even a work of art should not show that we are."
Dorian's face relaxed . Its natural colour returned . He sat
down , feeling safe that the secret of the picture had not been
found out. He had been afraid that Basil would see his
character in the picture. What Basil was saying was not as
bad as what was really in the picture. Basil prepared to leave.
''I'm sorry if you don't like what you see in the picture,
but I hope you will come and have tea with me soon."
"Of course, Basil , of course."
After Basil had gone, Dorian covered the picture 111 a
purple and gold cloth, then had it taken up to a small room
at the top of the house which no one ever entered. He locked
the picture in that room and always kept the key to it with
him. He felt safe now that no one would ever see the picture
which showed the dark secrets of his soul.
library. Dorian was sitting in a chair, drinking a glass of white
wine, looking very bored. T he picture Basil had painted of
hi m was st ill covered by a screen.
"Oh Dorian, I'm so glad I've found you . They told me
you went to the opera last night, but I knew that couldn't be
true. I'm so sorry about what happened to Sybil. You must
be terrib ly hurt."
"Sit clown, Basil. I did go to the opera, and I was hurt, but
now I am not. What happened in the past is over. There is
no use in re-living it."
"Dorian, how can you ta lk like that about someone you
loved?"
"Sybil Vane was an actress. She died as Juliet would die.
It is just another tragedy. I choose to live for pleasure and
not regret the past."
"You've changed, Dorian. You still look the same as when
I first saw you, but you are different. You used to be so kind
and innocent. Now you talk like you have no heart. Harry
has influenced yo u. I see that."
"1 was a boy when I first met you. Now I am a man. Harry
has made me see myself as I really am."
Basil was confused. He wanted to believe that Dorian was
the pure, good , innocent boy he had first met. He hoped that
Sybil's death had caused Dorian's strange behaviour. Basil
looked up and saw the screen in front of the picture.
"Why have you put a screen in front of your picture? It's
the best work I have ever clone. Let me look at it."
Basil walked towards the screen . Dorian stood up and ran
in front of him.
"No, Basil, you mustn't! I can't let you ."
"B ut ... but why?"
Dorian's face was white and his eyes were Eillecl with
terror.
"I can't tell you, and please don't ask me why."
Basil turned away from Dorian and looked out of the
window. He was frightened by what he had to say.
"Dorian, have you seen someth ing strange in the picture,
something which was not there at first but suddenly appeared?"
Dorian was frighten ed.
"Basil , what are you saying?!"
"Listen to me, Dorian. Don't speak. It is a secret of mine,
and I hope that it doesn't upset you. When I first saw you , I
thought that your face was the most beautiful thing I had
ever seen. It was a work of art. But I liked you too much. I
think the picture shows that. I wanted to put all of my artistic
talent into that picture, because that's what I thought your
face deserved."
Basil turned away from the window and looked at Dorian .
''I'm embarrassed because all of my feelings for you and
for art are in that picture, and I know that it is wrong to
worship human beauty so much. We are not perfect, and
even a work of art should not show that we are."
Dorian's face relaxed . Its natural colour returned . He sat
down , feeling safe that the secret of the picture had not been
found out. He had been afraid that Basil would see his
character in the picture. What Basil was saying was not as
bad as what was really in the picture. Basil prepared to leave.
''I'm sorry if you don't like what you see in the picture,
but I hope you will come and have tea with me soon."
"Of course, Basil , of course."
After Basil had gone, Dorian covered the picture 111 a
purple and gold cloth, then had it taken up to a small room
at the top of the house which no one ever entered. He locked
the picture in that room and always kept the key to it with
him. He felt safe now that no one would ever see the picture
which showed the dark secrets of his soul.
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