9

　　It was long past midday when Dorian woke up．His servant brought him tea and his letters，but he did not read them．Yesterday seemed like a bad dream，but when he went downstairs，he saw the covered picture．Should he uncover it，he wondered？Had the face in the picture really changed？Did he want to know？He lit a cigarette and thought for a while．Yes，he had to know．He lifted the cover．

　　There was no mistake．The portrait had really changed．He could not explain it，could not understand it．It was impossible，but it had happened．

　　Dorian felt sick and ashamed．He did not know what to do，or what to think．Finally，he sat down and wrote a long letter to Sybil Vane．He covered page after page with wild words of love．Then，suddenly，he heard Lord Henry's voice at the door．Dorian jumped up and covered the picture．

　　'My dear boy，'said Lord Henry，as he came in．'I'm so sorry．But you must not think too much about her．'

　　'Do you mean about Sybil Vane？'asked Dorian．'There's nothing to be sorry about．I want to be good，and I'm going to be happy．I shall marry Sybil Vane．I'm not going to break my promise to her．'

　　'Marry Sybil Vane！'Lord Henry stared at Dorian．'Didn't you get my letter？'

　　'I haven't read my letters today，'said Dorian slowly．

　　Lord Henry walked across the room and took Dorian's hands in his own．'Dorian，'he said quietly，'don't be frightened—my letter told you that Sybil Vane is dead．She killed herself at the theatre last night．'

　　'No，no，that's impossible！'cried Dorian．He pulled his hands away and stared at Lord Henry with wild eyes．'This is terrible，Harry．I have murdered Sybil Vane！'

　　'She killed herself，'said Lord Henry calmly．'You didn' t murder her．She killed herself because she loved you．It's very sad，of course，but you mustn't think too much about it．You must come and have dinner with me．'

　　'Harry，listen．Last night I told her that I didn't want to see her again．But after I left her，I realized how cruel I had been．I decided to go back to her，to marry her．And now she is dead！Harry，what shall I do？You don't know the danger that I am in．'

　　'My dear Dorian，said Lord Henry．'Marriage with Sybil Vane was not for you．No，no…marriages like that are never successful．The man quickly becomes unhappy and bored．Of course，he's kind to his wife．We can always be kind to people that we're not interested in．But the woman soon discovers that her husband is bored．And then she either becomes terribly unfashionable，or wears very expensive hats that another woman's husband has to pay for．'

　　The young man walked up and down me room．'I suppose that's true，'he said unhappily．'But Harry，I don't think that I'm cruel．Do you？'

　　Lord Henry smiled．He told Dorian Gray what he wanted to hear．And then he told him clever，amusing stories about the women that he himself had loved．He said that Sybil Vane's death was a beautiful end to a love story for an actress．'The girl never really lived，'he continued，'so she never really died．Don't cry for Sybil Vane．She was less real than Juliet．'

　　After a while Dorian Gray looked up．'You have explained me to myself，Harry，'he said slowly．'How well you know me！But we won't talk of this again．It's been a wonderful lesson for me．That's all．'

　　When Lord Henry had left，Dorian uncovered the picture again．He had to choose between a good life and a bad life，he thought．But then he realized that，in fact，he had already chosen．He would stay young for ever，and enjoy every wild pleasure that life could give him．The face in the picture would grow old and ugly and unkind，but he would stay beautiful for ever．He covered the picture again，and smiled．

　　An hour later he was at Lord Henry's house，and Lord Henry was smiling at his side．

　　爱情的死亡

　　“长得漂亮比做好人要好。”

　　9

　　时间早已过了正午，多里安才醒来。仆人端来了茶并带来了信件，可是多里安没有读这些信。昨天就像一场恶梦。下楼时，他看见了被遮盖着的画像。他应该掀开它吗？他思忖道。画像的脸真的改变了吗？他想知道吗？他点燃一支烟，想了一会儿。是的，他得知道，他掀开了遮着的布。

　　没错，画像确实变了。他无法解释，也不能明白。这是不可能的，但又的确发生了。

　　多里安觉得懊丧和惭愧。他不知道该怎么做，或者该怎么想。最后，他坐下，给西比尔·文写了一封长信。他一页又一页地写满了疯狂的爱的语句。突然，他听见了门口亨利勋爵的声音。多里安跳起来，盖上了画。

　　“亲爱的，”亨利勋爵进来时说，“我非常抱歉，但你不该过多地想她。”

　　“你指的是西比尔·文吗？”多里安问。“没有什么可抱歉的。我想好好做人，我要快乐，我将娶西比尔·文，对她履行诺言。”

　　“娶西比尔·文！”亨利勋爵瞪着多里安。“你没收到我的信吗？”

　　“今天我还没有读信。”多里安慢慢地说。

　　亨利勋爵从房门处走过来，抓起多里安的双手。

　　“多里安。”他温和地说，“别怕——我在信里告诉你西比尔·文已经死了，她昨天晚上在剧院里自杀了。”

　　“不，不，不可能！”多里安喊道。他抽回双手，用发疯的眼神瞪着亨利勋爵。“这太可怕了，哈里。是我杀死了西比尔·文！”

　　“她是自杀的。”亨利勋爵平静地说，“你没有谋杀她。她自杀是因为爱你，这当然很不幸，但你不要过多地想这件事，你必须来和我共进晚餐。”

　　“哈里，听着。昨晚我告诉她我不想再见到她。但我离开她后，我意识到我是多么的残忍。我决定回到她身边，娶她。现在她死了，我该怎么办？你不知道我面临的危险。”

　　“亲爱的多里安，”亨利勋爵说，“和西比尔·文结婚不适合你。不，不……这样的婚姻从来不会成功。男的很快变得不高兴和厌倦，当然他对妻子还好，我们总会友好对待一些我们不感兴趣的人。但这个女人很快发现丈夫已经厌倦了，于是她变得要么可怕地落后于时尚，要么戴着另一个女人的丈夫给买的昂贵的帽子。”

　　年轻人在房间里来回走动。“也许你说的是真的，”他不高兴地说，“但是哈里，我不认为我很残酷，你呢？”

　　亨利勋爵一笑，他讲了些多里安·格雷爱听的话，然后又讲了他爱过的女人的聪明逗人的故事。他说西比尔·文的死是一名女演员爱情故事的美丽结局。他继续说：“这个姑娘从未真正生活过，因此她也从没真正地死。不要为西比尔·文哭泣，和朱丽叶比，她更不真实。”

　　过了一会儿多里安·格雷抬起头。“你说服了我，哈里。”他缓慢地说，“你太了解我了！我们别再谈这事了，这是我的一个极好的教训，到此为止吧。”

　　亨利勋爵走后，多里安又掀开了画像。他想他必须选择过正人君子的生活还是过不道德的生活。但他意识到他实际上已经做出了选择。他将永远年轻，享受生活给予的每一份疯狂的快乐。画像中的脸将变老、变丑、变凶，但是他将永远漂亮。他又盖上画像，露出了笑容。