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.