One afternoon，a month later，Dorian Gray visited Lord Henry．Dorian was excited and his eyes were shining．

　　'Harry，'he began，'I'm discovering life．I'm doing everything that you told me to do．I'm in love！'

　　'Who are you in love with？'asked Lord Henry，calmly．

　　'With an actress．'

　　'Oh，everybody's in love with an actress at some time in their lives，'said Lord Henry．

　　'No，Harry，this is different．She's wonderful！Her name's Sybil Vane，and one day she'll be a very famous actress．She really is extraordinarily clever．'

　　'My dear boy，'said Lord Henry in his lazy voice，'no woman is extraordinarily clever．Women have nothing to say，but they say it beautifully．There are only five women in London who can give you real conversation．But tell me about your wonderful actress．How long have you known her？'

　　'Harry！I'll tell you all about her，but you must promise not to laugh．'

　　Lord Henry listened and smiled．Dorian had discovered an old，dirty theatre in a poor street in London．He had gone in to look for adventure，but had found love，he told Lord Henry．The play had been Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet．

　　'Romeo was a fat old man with a terrible voice，but Juliet！Oh，Harry，she was about seventeen，with dark brown hair and a face like a flower．She was the loveliest girl that I'd ever seen in my life，and her voice was like music．I love her，Harry．She's everything to me．Every night I go to see her in different plays and she's always wonderful．'

　　'That's the reason，I suppose，why you never have dinner with me now，'said Lord Henry．

　　'But Harry，you and I see each other every day—we always have lunch together，'said Dorian in surprise．'I have to go and see Sybil in the theatre every night．You and Basil must come with me to see her．Then you can see yourself how wonderful she is．Come tomorrow．'

　　'Very well，my dear Dorian，we'll come and watch your Juliet．But you'll be in love many times，you know—this is only the beginning．'

　　After Dorian had gone，Lord Henry smiled to himself．How amusing it was to watch this young man，he thought．He was very different now from the frightened boy in Basil Hallward's house．He had opened like a flower in the sun，and was learning to enjoy every pleasure in life．'And it is I，'thought Lord Henry，'who have taught him how to do this．'

　　When Lord Henry returned home that night，there was a letter for him lying on the table．It told him that Dorian Gray was going to marry Sybil Vane．

　　恋爱中的年轻人

　　“爱比艺术更美妙。”

　　6

　　一个月后的一天下午，多里安·格雷来拜访亨利勋爵。多里安神情兴奋，双眼闪光。

　　“哈里，”他开始说，“我正在发现生活，我正在做你让我去做的事情。我恋爱了！”

　　“你爱上了谁？”亨利勋爵平静地问。

　　“一个女演员。”

　　“哦，每个人在一生中的某段时间总会爱上一位女演员。”亨利勋爵说。

　　“不，哈里，这不同。她太奇妙了！她叫西比尔·文。总有一天她会成为一位名演员，她真的是太聪明了。”

　　“我亲爱的孩子，”亨利勋爵懒散地说，“没有哪个女人是异乎寻常地聪明。女人谈不出什么名堂，但是她们说得很动听。伦敦只有五个女人能和你真正地交谈。给我讲讲你的奇妙的女演员，你认识她多久了？”

　　“哈里，我要告诉你她的一切，但你得保证不嘲笑我。”

　　亨利勋爵边听边微笑着。多里安在伦敦的一条破破烂烂的街道上发现了一个又旧又脏的剧院。他告诉亨利勋爵，他进去是想找点冒险的事，但却找到了爱。上演的戏剧是莎士比亚的《罗密欧与朱丽叶》。

　　“罗密欧是一个又胖又老的男人，嗓音可怕。但是朱丽叶！哦，哈里，她大概十七岁，长着深棕色的头发，鲜花般的脸。她是我有生以来见到过的最可爱的姑娘，而且她的声音像音乐一样。我爱她，哈里，她是我的一切。每天晚上我都去看她演的各种戏剧，她总是那么出色。”

　　“我想，那就是你一直没和我共进晚餐的原因。”亨利勋爵。

　　“但是哈里，你我每天都见面——我们总是在一起共进午餐。”多里安吃惊地说，“我每天晚上都要去剧院看望西比尔。你和巴兹尔一定要和我一起去看她，然后你们自己会发现她是多么地美妙。明天就来吧。”

　　“好吧，亲爱的多里安，我们去看你的朱丽叶。但是人会恋爱许多次的——这只是个开始。”

　　多里安走后，亨利勋爵暗自好笑。观察这个年轻人真有趣，他想道。多里安和巴兹尔·霍尔沃德房子里那个被吓住的男孩已大不相同。他像一朵在阳光中绽开的花，正在学着如何享受生活的每一份快乐。“正是我，”亨利勋爵想，“教会了他这样做。”

　　那天晚上亨利勋爵回家后在桌子上发现了一封给他的信。信上说多里安·格雷要和西比尔·文结婚。