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.