《道林格雷的画像》第17章

k　in　the　morning　and　chatter　at　tea…parties　in　the　afternoon。　they　have　their　stereotyped　smile　and　their　fashionable　manner。　they　are　quite　obvious。　but　an　actress！　how　different　an　actress　is！　harry！　why　didnt　you　tell　me　that　the　only　thing　worth　loving　is　an　actress？〃
〃because　i　have　loved　so　many　of　them；　dorian。〃
〃oh；　yes；　horrid　people　with　dyed　hair　and　painted　faces。〃
〃dont　run　down　dyed　hair　and　painted　faces。　there　is　an　extraordinary　charm　in　them；　sometimes；〃　said　lord　henry。
〃i　wish　now　i　had　not　told　you　about　sibyl　vane。〃
〃you　could　not　have　helped　telling　me；　dorian。　all　through　your　life　you　will　tell　me　everything　you　do。〃
〃yes；　harry；　i　believe　that　is　true。　i　cannot　help　telling　you　things。　you　have　a　curious　influence　over　me。　if　i　ever　did　a　crime；　i　would　e　and　confess　it　to　you。　you　would　understand　me。〃
〃people　like　you……the　wilful　sunbeams　of　life……dont　mit　crimes；　dorian。　but　i　am　much　obliged　for　the　pliment；　all　the　same。　and　now　tell　me……　reach　me　the　matches；　like　a　good　boy……thanks……what　are　your　actual　relations　with　sibyl　vane？〃
dorian　gray　leaped　to　his　feet；　with　flushed　cheeks　and　burning　eyes。　〃harry！　sibyl　vane　is　sacred！〃
〃it　is　only　the　sacred　things　that　are　worth　touching；　dorian；〃　said　lord　henry；　with　a　strange　touch　of　pathos　in　his　voice。　〃but　why　should　you　be　annoyed？　i　suppose　she　will　belong　to　you　some　day。　when　one　is　in　love；　one　always　begins　by　deceiving　ones　self；　and　one　always　ends　by　deceiving　others。　that　is　what　the　world　calls　a　romance。　you　know　her；　at　any　rate；　i　suppose？〃
〃of　course　i　know　her。　on　the　first　night　i　was　at　the　theatre；　the　horrid　old　jew　came　round　to　the　box　after　the　performance　was　over　and　offered　to　take　me　behind　the　scenes　and　introduce　me　to　her。　i　was　furious　with　him；　and　told　him　that　juliet　had　been　dead　for　hundreds　of　years　and　that　her　body　was　lying　in　a　marble　tomb　in　verona。　i　think；　from　his　blank　look　of　amazement；　that　he　was　under　the　impression　that　i　had　taken　too　much　champagne；　or　something。〃
〃i　am　not　surprised。〃
〃then　he　asked　me　if　i　wrote　for　any　of　the　newspapers。　i　told　him　i　never　even　read　them。　he　seemed　terribly　disappointed　at　that；　and　confided　to　me　that　all　the　dramatic　critics　were　in　a　conspiracy　against　him；　and　that　they　were　every　one　of　them　to　be　bought。〃
〃i　should　not　wonder　if　he　was　quite　right　there。　but；　on　the　other　hand；　judging　from　their　appearance；　most　of　them　cannot　be　at　all　expensive。〃
〃well；　he　seemed　to　think　they　were　beyond　his　means；〃　laughed　dorian。　〃by　this　time；　however；　the　lights　were　being　put　out　in　the　theatre；　and　i　had　to　go。　he　wanted　me　to　try　some　cigars　that　he　strongly　remended。　i　declined。　the　next　night；　of　course；　i　arrived　at　the　place　again。　when　he　saw　me；　he　made　me　a　low　bow　and　assured　me　that　i　was　a　munificent　patron　of　art。　he　was　a　most　offensive　brute；　though　he　had　an　extraordinary　passion　for　shakespeare。　he　told　me　once；　with　an　air　of　pride；　that　his　five　bankruptcies　were　entirely　due　to　the　bard；　as　he　insisted　on　calling　him。　he　seemed　to　think　it　a　distinction。〃
〃it　was　a　distinction；　my　dear　dorian……a　great　distinction。　most　people　bee　bankrupt　through　having　invested　too　heavily　in　the　prose　of　life。　to　have　ruined　ones　self　over　poetry　is　an　honour。　but　when　did　you　first　speak　to　miss　sibyl　vane？〃
〃the　third　night。　she　had　been　playing　rosalind。　i　could　not　help　going　round。　i　had　thrown　her　some　flowers；　and　she　had　looked　at　me……at　least　i　fancied　that　she　had。　the　old　jew　was　persistent。　he　seemed　determined　to　take　me　behind；　so　i　consented。　it　was　curious　my　not　wanting　to　know　her；　wasnt　it？〃
〃no；　i　dont　think　so。〃
〃my　dear　harry；　why？〃
〃i　will　tell　you　some　other　time。　now　i　want　to　know　about　the　girl。〃
〃sibyl？　oh；　she　was　so　shy　and　so　gentle。　there　is　something　of　a　child　about　her。　her　eyes　opened　wide　in　exquisite　wonder　when　i　told　her　what　i　thought　of　her　performance；　and　she　seemed　quite　unconscious　of　her　power。　i　think　we　were　both　rather　nervous。　the　old　jew　stood　grinning　at　the　doorway　of　the　dusty　greenroom；　making　elaborate　speeches　about　us　both；　while　we　stood　looking　at　each　other　like　children。　he　would　insist　on　calling　me　my　lord；　so　i　had　to　assure　sibyl　that　i　was　not　anything　of　the　kind。　she　said　quite　simply　to　me；　you　look　more　like　a　prince。　i　must　call　you　prince　charming。〃
〃upon　my　word；　dorian；　miss　sibyl　knows　how　to　pay　pliments。〃
〃you　dont　understand　her；　harry。　she　regarded　me　merely　as　a　person　in　a　play。　she　knows　nothing　of　life。　she　lives　with　her　mother；　a　faded　tired　woman　who　played　lady　capulet　in　a　sort　of　magenta　dressing…wrapper　on　the　first　night；　and　looks　as　if　she　had　seen　better　days。〃
〃i　know　that　look。　it　depresses　me；〃　murmured　lord　henry；　examining　his　rings。
〃the　jew　wanted　to　tell　me　her　history；　but　i　said　it　did　not　interest　me。〃
〃you　were　quite　right。　there　is　always　something　infinitely　mean　about　other　peoples　tragedies。〃
〃sibyl　is　the　only　thing　i　care　about。　what　is　it　to　me　where　she　came　from？　from　her　little　head　to　her　little　feet；　she　is　absolutely　and　entirely　divine。　every　night　of　my　life　i　go　to　see　her　act；　and　every　night　she　is　more　marvellous。〃
〃that　is　the　reason；　i　suppose；　that　you　never　dine　with　me　now。　i　thought　you　must　have　some　curious　romance　on　hand。　you　have；　but　it　is　not　quite　what　i　expected。〃
〃my　dear　harry；　we　either　lunch　or　sup　together　every　day；　and　i　have　been　to　the　opera　with　you　several　times；〃　said　dorian；　opening　his　blue　eyes　in　wonder。
〃you　always　e　dreadfully　late。〃
〃well；　i　cant　help　going　to　see　sibyl　play；〃　he　cried；　〃even　if　it　is　only　for　a　single　act。　i　get　hungry　for　her　presence；　and　when　i　think　of　the　wonderful　soul　that　is　hidden　away　in　that　little　ivory　body；　i　am　filled　with　awe。〃
〃you　can　dine　with　me　to…night；　dorian；　cant　you？〃
he　shook　his　head。　〃to…night　she　is　imogen；〃　he　answered；　〃and　to…morrow　night　she　will　be　juliet。〃
〃when　is　she　sibyl　vane？〃
〃never。〃
〃i　congratulate　you。〃
〃how　horrid　you　are！　she　is　all　the　great　heroines　of　the　world　in　one。　she　is　more　than　an　individual。　you　laugh；　but　i　tel