《道林格雷的画像》第15章

〃not　seventeen；　lady　henry？〃
〃well；　eighteen；　then。　and　i　saw　you　with　him　the　other　night　at　the　opera。〃　she　laughed　nervously　as　she　spoke；　and　watched　him　with　her　vague　forget…me…not　eyes。　she　was　a　curious　woman；　whose　dresses　always　looked　as　if　they　had　been　designed　in　a　rage　and　put　on　in　a　tempest。　she　was　usually　in　love　with　somebody；　and；　as　her　passion　was　never　returned；　she　had　kept　all　her　illusions。　she　tried　to　look　picturesque；　but　only　succeeded　in　being　untidy。　her　name　was　victoria；　and　she　had　a　perfect　mania　for　going　to　church。
〃that　was　at　lohengrin；　lady　henry；　i　think？〃
〃yes；　it　was　at　dear　lohengrin。　i　like　wagners　music　better　than　anybodys。　it　is　so　loud　that　one　can　talk　the　whole　time　without　other　people　hearing　what　one　says。　that　is　a　great　advantage；　dont　you　think　so；　mr。　gray？〃
the　same　nervous　staccato　laugh　broke　from　her　thin　lips；　and　her　fingers　began　to　play　with　a　long　tortoise…shell　paper…knife。
dorian　smiled　and　shook　his　head：　〃i　am　afraid　i　dont　think　so；　lady　henry。　i　never　talk　during　music……at　least；　during　good　music。　if　one　hears　bad　music；　it　is　ones　duty　to　drown　it　in　conversation。〃
〃ah！　that　is　one　of　harrys　views；　isnt　it；　mr。　gray？　i　always　hear　harrys　views　from　his　friends。　it　is　the　only　way　i　get　to　know　of　them。　but　you　must　not　think　i　dont　like　good　music。　i　adore　it；　but　i　am　afraid　of　it。　it　makes　me　too　romantic。　i　have　simply　worshipped　pianists……　two　at　a　time；　sometimes；　harry　tells　me。　i　dont　know　what　it　is　about　them。　perhaps　it　is　that　they　are　foreigners。　they　all　are；　aint　they？　even　those　that　are　born　in　england　bee　foreigners　after　a　time；　dont　they？　it　is　so　clever　of　them；　and　such　a　pliment　to　art。　makes　it　quite　cosmopolitan；　doesnt　it？　you　have　never　been　to　any　of　my　parties；　have　you；　mr。　gray？　you　must　e。　i　cant　afford　orchids；　but　i　share　no　expense　in　foreigners。　they　make　ones　rooms　look　so　picturesque。　but　here　is　harry！　harry；　i　came　in　to　look　for　you；　to　ask　you　something……　i　forget　what　it　was……and　i　found　mr。　gray　here。　we　have　had　such　a　pleasant　chat　about　music。　we　have　quite　the　same　ideas。　no；　i　think　our　ideas　are　quite　different。　but　he　has　been　most　pleasant。　i　am　so　glad　ive　seen　him。〃
〃i　am　charmed；　my　love；　quite　charmed；〃　said　lord　henry；　elevating　his　dark；　crescent…shaped　eyebrows　and　looking　at　them　both　with　an　amused　smile。　〃so　sorry　i　am　late；　dorian。　i　went　to　look　after　a　piece　of　old　brocade　in　wardour　street　and　had　to　bargain　for　hours　for　it。　nowadays　people　know　the　price　of　everything　and　the　value　of　nothing。〃
〃i　am　afraid　i　must　be　going；〃　exclaimed　lady　henry；　breaking　an　awkward　silence　with　her　silly　sudden　laugh。　〃i　have　promised　to　drive　with　the　duchess。　good…bye；　mr。　gray。　good…bye；　harry。　you　are　dining　out；　i　suppose？　so　am　i。　perhaps　i　shall　see　you　at　lady　thornburys。〃
〃i　dare　say；　my　dear；〃　said　lord　henry；　shutting　the　door　behind　her　as；　looking　like　a　bird　of　paradise　that　had　been　out　all　night　in　the　rain；　she　flitted　out　of　the　room；　leaving　a　faint　odour　of　frangipanni。　then　he　lit　a　cigarette　and　flung　himself　down　on　the　sofa。
〃never　marry　a　woman　with　straw…coloured　hair；　dorian；〃　he　said　after　a　few　puffs。
〃why；　harry？〃
〃because　they　are　so　sentimental。〃
〃but　i　like　sentimental　people。〃
〃never　marry　at　all；　dorian。　men　marry　because　they　are　tired；　women；　because　they　are　curious：　both　are　disappointed。〃
〃i　dont　think　i　am　likely　to　marry；　harry。　i　am　too　much　in　love。　that　is　one　of　your　aphorisms。　i　am　putting　it　into　practice；　as　i　do　everything　that　you　say。〃
〃who　are　you　in　love　with？〃　asked　lord　henry　after　a　pause。
〃with　an　actress；〃　said　dorian　gray；　blushing。
lord　henry　shrugged　his　shoulders。　〃that　is　a　rather　monplace　début。〃
〃you　would　not　say　so　if　you　saw　her；　harry。〃
〃who　is　she？〃
〃her　name　is　sibyl　vane。〃
〃never　heard　of　her。〃
〃no　one　has。　people　will　some　day；　however。　she　is　a　genius。〃
〃my　dear　boy；　no　woman　is　a　genius。　women　are　a　decorative　sex。　they　never　have　anything　to　say；　but　they　say　it　charmingly。　women　represent　the　triumph　of　matter　over　mind；　just　as　men　represent　the　triumph　of　mind　over　morals。〃
〃harry；　how　can　you？〃
〃my　dear　dorian；　it　is　quite　true。　i　am　analysing　women　at　present；　so　i　ought　to　know。　the　subject　is　not　so　abstruse　as　i　thought　it　was。　i　find　that；　ultimately；　there　are　only　two　kinds　of　women；　the　plain　and　the　coloured。　the　plain　women　are　very　useful。　if　you　want　to　gain　a　reputation　for　respectability；　you　have　merely　to　take　them　down　to　supper。　the　other　women　are　very　charming。　they　mit　one　mistake；　however。　they　paint　in　order　to　try　and　look　young。　our　grandmothers　painted　in　order　to　try　and　talk　brilliantly。　rouge　and　esprit　used　to　go　together。　that　is　all　over　now。　as　long　as　a　woman　can　look　ten　years　younger　than　her　own　daughter；　she　is　perfectly　satisfied。　as　for　conversation；　there　are　only　five　women　in　london　worth　talking　to；　and　two　of　these　cant　be　admitted　into　decent　society。　however；　tell　me　about　your　genius。　how　long　have　you　known　her？〃
〃ah！　harry；　your　views　terrify　me。
〃never　mind　that。　how　long　have　you　known　her？〃
〃about　three　weeks。〃
〃and　where　did　you　e　across　her？〃
〃i　will　tell　you；　harry；　but　you　mustnt　be　unsympathetic　about　it。　after　all；　it　never　would　have　happened　if　i　had　not　met　you。　you　filled　me　with　a　wild　desire　to　know　everything　about　life。　for　days　after　i　met　you；　something　seemed　to　throb　in　my　veins。　as　i　lounged　in　the　park；　or　strolled　down　piccadilly；　i　used　to　look　at　every　one　who　passed　me　and　wonder；　with　a　mad　curiosity；　what　sort　of　lives　they　led。　some　of　them　fascinated　me。　others　filled　me　with　terror。　there　was　an　exquisite　poison　in　the　air。　i　had　a　passion　for　sensations。　。　。　。　well；　one　evening　about　seven　oclock；　i　determined　to　go　out　in　search　of　some　adventure。　i　felt　that　this　grey　monstrous　london　of　ours；　with　its　myriads　of　people；　its　sordid　sinners；　and　its　splendid　sins；　as　you　once　phrased　it；　must　have　something　in　store　for　me。　i　fancied　a　thousand　things。　the　mere　danger　gave　me　a　sense　of　delight。　i　remembered　what　you　had　said　to　me　on　that　wonde