Chapter IV

I suppose you have heard the news, Basil?’ said Lord Hen-
ry on the following evening, as Hallward was shown
into a little private room at the Bristol where dinner had
been laid for three.
‘No, Harry,’ answered Hallward, giving his hat and coat
to the bowing waiter. ‘What is it? Nothing about politics, I
hope? They don’t interest me. There is hardly a single person
in the House of Commons worth painting; though many of
them would be the better for a little whitewashing.’
‘Dorian Gray is engaged to be married,’ said Lord Henry,
watching him as he spoke.
Hallward turned perfectly pale, and a curious look
flashed for a moment into his eyes, and then passed away,
leaving them dull.’ Dorian engaged to be married!’ he cried.
‘Impossible!’
‘It is perfectly true.’
‘To whom?’
‘To some little actress or other.’
‘I can’t believe it. Dorian is far too sensible.’
‘Dorian is far too wise not to do foolish things now and
then, my dear Basil.’
‘Marriage is hardly a thing that one can do now and
then, Harry,’ said Hallward, smiling.
‘Except in America. But I didn’t say he was married. I

Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 61

said he was engaged to be married. There is a great differ-
ence. I have a distinct remembrance of being married, but
I have no recollection at all of being engaged. I am inclined
to think that I never was engaged.’
‘But think of Dorian’s birth, and position, and wealth. It
would be absurd for him to marry so much beneath him.’
‘If you want him to marry this girl, tell him that, Basil.
He is sure to do it then. Whenever a man does a thoroughly
stupid thing, it is always from the noblest motives.’
‘I hope the girl is good, Harry. I don’t want to see Dorian
tied to some vile creature, who might degrade his nature
and ruin his intellect.’
‘Oh, she is more than good—she is beautiful,’ murmured
Lord Henry, sipping a glass of vermouth and orange-bit-
ters. ‘Dorian says she is beautiful; and he is not often wrong
about things of that kind. Your portrait of him has quick-
ened his appreciation of the personal appearance of other
people. It has had that excellent effect, among others. We
are to see her to-night, if that boy doesn’t forget his appoint-
ment.’
‘But do you approve of it, Harry?’ asked Hallward, walk-
ing up and down the room, and biting his lip. ‘You can’t
approve of it, really. It is some silly infatuation.’
‘I never approve, or disapprove, of anything now. It is an
absurd attitude to take towards life. We are not sent into the
world to air our moral prejudices. I never take any notice of
what common people say, and I never interfere with what
charming people do. If a personality fascinates me, what-
ever the personality chooses to do is absolutely delightful

62 The Picture of Dorian Gray

to me. Dorian Gray falls in love with a beautiful girl who
acts Shakespeare, and proposes to marry her. Why not? If
he wedded Messalina he would be none the less interest-
ing. You know I am not a champion of marriage. The real
drawback to marriage is that it makes one unselfish. And
unselfish people are colorless. They lack individuality. Still,
there are certain temperaments that marriage makes more
complex. They retain their egotism, and add to it many oth-
er egos. They are forced to have more than one life. They
become more highly organized. Besides, every experience
is of value, and, whatever one may say against marriage, it is
certainly an experience. I hope that Dorian Gray will make
this girl his wife, passionately adore her for six months,
and then suddenly become fascinated by some one else. He
would be a wonderful study.’
‘You don’t mean all that, Harry; you know you don’t. If
Dorian Gray’s life were spoiled, no one would be sorrier
than yourself. You are much better than you pretend to be.’
Lord Henry laughed. ‘The reason we all like to think so
well of others is that we are all afraid for ourselves. The basis
of optimism is sheer terror. We think that we are generous
because we credit our neighbor with those virtues that are
likely to benefit ourselves. We praise the banker that we may
overdraw our account, and find good qualities in the high-
wayman in the hope that he may spare our pockets. I mean
everything that I have said. I have the greatest contempt for
optimism. And as for a spoiled life, no life is spoiled but one
whose growth is arrested. If you want to mar a nature, you
have merely to reform it. But here is Dorian himself. He will

Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 63

tell you more than I can.’
‘My dear Harry, my dear Basil, you must both congratu-
late me!’ said the boy, throwing off his evening cape with
its satin-lined wings, and shaking each of his friends by the
hand in turn. ‘I have never been so happy. Of course it is
sudden: all really delightful things are. And yet it seems to
me to be the one thing I have been looking for all my life.’
He was flushed with excitement and pleasure, and looked
extraordinarily handsome.
‘I hope you will always be very happy, Dorian,’ said Hall-
ward, ‘but I don’t quite forgive you for not having let me
know of your engagement. You let Harry know.’
‘And I don’t forgive you for being late for dinner,’ broke
in Lord Henry, putting his hand on the lad’s shoulder, and
smiling as he spoke. ‘Come, let us sit down and try what
the new chef here is like, and then you will tell us how it all
came about.’
‘There is really not much to tell,’ cried Dorian, as they
took their seats at the small round table. ‘What happened
was simply this. After I left you yesterday evening, Harry, I
had some dinner at that curious little Italian restaurant in
Rupert Street, you introduced me to, and went down after-
wards to the theatre. Sibyl was playing Rosalind. Of course
the scenery was dreadful, and the Orlando absurd. But
Sibyl! You should have seen her! When she came on in her
boy’s dress she was perfectly wonderful. She wore a moss-
colored velvet jerkin with cinnamon sleeves, slim brown
cross-gartered hose, a dainty little green cap with a hawk’s
feather caught in a jewel, and a hooded cloak lined with

64 The Picture of Dorian Gray

dull red. She had never seemed to me more exquisite. She
had all the delicate grace of that Tanagra figurine that you
have in your studio, Basil. Her hair clustered round her face
like dark leaves round a pale rose. As for her acting—well,
you will see her to-night. She is simply a born artist. I sat in
the dingy box absolutely enthralled. I forgot that I was in
London and in the nineteenth century. I was away with my
love in a forest that no man had ever seen. After the perfor-
mance was over I went behind, and spoke to her. As we were
sitting together, suddenly there came a look into her eyes
that I had never seen there before. My lips moved towards
hers. We kissed each other. I can’t describe to you what I
felt at that moment. It seemed to me that all my life had
been narrowed to one perfect point of rose-colored joy. She
trembled all over, and shook like a white narcissus. Then she
flung herself on her knees and kissed my hands. I feel that
I should not tell you all this, but I can’t help it. Of course
our engagement is a dead secret. She has not even told her
own mother. I don’t know what my guardians will say. Lord
Radley is sure to be furious. I don’t care. I shall be of age in
less than a year, and then I can do what I like. I have been
right, Basil, haven’t I, to take my love out of poetry, and to
find my wife in Shakespeare’s plays? Lips that Shakespeare
taught to speak have whispered their secret in my ear. I have
had the arms of Rosalind around me, and kissed Juliet on
the mouth.’
‘Yes, Dorian, I suppose you were right,’ said Hallward,
slowly.
‘Have you seen her to-day?’ asked Lord Henry.

Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 65

 Dorian Gray shook his head. ‘I left her in the forest of Ar-
den, I shall find her in an orchard in Verona.’
Lord Henry sipped his champagne in a meditative man-
ner. ‘At what particular point did you mention the word
marriage, Dorian? and what did she say in answer? Perhaps
you forgot all about it.’
‘My dear Harry, I did not treat it as a business transac-
tion, and I did not make any formal proposal. I told her that
I loved her, and she said she was not worthy to be my wife.
Not worthy! Why, the whole world is nothing to me com-
pared to her.’
‘Women are wonderfully practical,’ murmured Lord
Henry,—‘much more practical than we are. In situations of
that kind we often forget to say anything about marriage,
and they always remind us.’
Hallward laid his hand upon his arm. ‘Don’t, Harry. You
have annoyed Dorian. He is not like other men. He would
never bring misery upon any one. His nature is too fine for
that.’
Lord Henry looked across the table. ‘Dorian is never an-
noyed with me,’ he answered. ‘I asked the question for the
best reason possible, for the only reason, indeed, that ex-
cuses one for asking any question,—simple curiosity. I have
a theory that it is always the women who propose to us, and
not we who propose to the women, except, of course, in
middle-class life. But then the middle classes are not mod-
ern.’
Dorian Gray laughed, and tossed his head. ‘You are quite
incorrigible, Harry; but I don’t mind. It is impossible to be

66 The Picture of Dorian Gray

angry with you. When you see Sibyl Vane you will feel that
the man who could wrong her would be a beast without a
heart. I cannot understand how any one can wish to shame
what he loves. I love Sibyl Vane. I wish to place her on a ped-
estal of gold, and to see the world worship the woman who
is mine. What is marriage? An irrevocable vow. And it is
an irrevocable vow that I want to take. Her trust makes me
faithful, her belief makes me good. When I am with her, I
regret all that you have taught me. I become different from
what you have known me to be. I am changed, and the mere
touch of Sibyl Vane’s hand makes me forget you and all your
wrong, fascinating, poisonous, delightful theories.’
‘You will always like me, Dorian,’ said Lord Henry. ‘Will
you have some coffee, you fellows?—Waiter, bring coffee,
and fine-champagne, and some cigarettes. No: don’t mind
the cigarettes; I have some.— Basil, I can’t allow you to
smoke cigars. You must have a cigarette. A cigarette is the
perfect type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves
one unsatisfied. What more can you want?— Yes, Dorian,
you will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins
you have never had the courage to commit.’
‘What nonsense you talk, Harry!’ cried Dorian Gray,
lighting his cigarette from a fire-breathing silver dragon
that the waiter had placed on the table. ‘Let us go down to
the theatre. When you see Sibyl you will have a new ideal
of life. She will represent something to you that you have
never known.’
‘I have known everything,’ said Lord Henry, with a sad
look in his eyes, ‘but I am always ready for a new emotion.

Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 67

I am afraid that there is no such thing, for me at any rate.
Still, your wonderful girl may thrill me. I love acting. It is so
much more real than life. Let us go. Dorian, you will come
with me.—I am so sorry, Basil, but there is only room for
two in the brougham. You must follow us in a hansom.’
They got up and put on their coats, sipping their coffee
standing. Hallward was silent and preoccupied. There was
a gloom over him. He could not bear this marriage, and yet
it seemed to him to be better than many other things that
might have happened. After a few moments, they all passed
down-stairs. He drove off by himself, as had been arranged,
and watched the flashing lights of the little brougham in
front of him. A strange sense of loss came over him. He felt
that Dorian Gray would never again be to him all that he
had been in the past. His eyes darkened, and the crowded
flaring streets became blurred to him. When the cab drew
up at the doors of the theatre, it seemed to him that he had
grown years older.

68 The Picture of Dorian Gray