In the house Basil Hallward stood in front of the portrait
of Dorian Gray. 'It's finished,' he said. He wrote his name
in the corner of the picture.
Lord Henry studied the picture carefully. 'Yes,' he said.
'It's your best work. It's excellent. Mr Gray, come and look
at yourself.'
Dorian looked at the picture for a long time. He smiled as
he saw the beautiful face in front of him, and for a moment
he felt happy. But then he remembered Lord Henry's words.
'How long', he thought, 'will I look like the picture?
Time will steal my beauty from me. I will grow old, but the
picture will always be young.' And his heart grew cold with
fear.
'Don't you like it, Dorian?' asked Basil at last.
'Of course he likes it,' said Lord Henry. 'It's a very fine
work of art. I'd like to buy it myself.'
'It's not mine to sell, Harry. The picture is Dorian's.'
'I wish,' cried Dorian suddenly, 'I wish that I could always
stay young and that the picture could grow old.'
Lord Henry laughed. 'I don't think you would like that,
Basil, would you?'
'No, I wouldn't like it at all,' agreed Basil with a smile. '
Dorian turned, his face red and angry. 'Yes, you like your
art better than your friends,' he said to Basil. 'How long will
you like me? Only while I'm beautiful, I suppose. Lord Henry
is right. Youth is the most important thing in the world. Oh,
why did you paint this picture? Why should it stay young
while I grow old? I wish the picture could change, and I could
stay as I am. I would give anything, yes, anything, for that.'
He hid his face in his hands.
'Dorian, Dorian!' said Basil unhappily. 'Don't talk like
that. You're my dearest friend.' He turned to Lord Henry.
'What have you been teaching him?' he asked angrily. 'Why
didn't you go away when I asked you?'
Lord Henry smiled. 'It's the real Dorian Gray - that's all.'
Basil turned and walked quickly over to the portrait. 'It's
my best work, but now I hate it. I will destroy it now, before
it destroys our friendship.' He picked up a long knife.
But Dorian was there before him. 'No, Basil, don't! You
can't destroy it. That would be murder!'
'So,' said Basil coldly, 'you've decided that you like the
portrait after all.""
'Like it?' said Dorian. 'I'm in love with it. I cannot live
without it.'
Later, during tea, Lord Henry invited Basil and Dorian to go
with him to the theatre that night. Basil refused, but Dorian
was happy to accept.
'Stay and have dinner with me, Dorian," said Basil, but no,
Dorian preferred to go to the theatre with Lord Henry.
As the door closed behind Dorian and Lord Henry, Basil
turned back to the picture. 'I shall stay here with the real
Dorian Gray,' he said sadly to himself.