Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-10-24
e
THE
PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY.
NJ OSCAR WILDE.

'No: I am going to be out of England for
six months. | intend to take "A studio in
Paris, and shut myself up till / have finished
! a great picture l have in my head. How
ever, it wasn't about myself / wanted TO
talk. Here we are at your door, Let me
come in for u moment. | have something TO
say to you"
II shall be charmed But won't you miss
your train = said Dorian Gray. languidly. as
he passed up the steps and opened the doc
with his ~latch-key.
The lamp-light struggled out through the
fog. and Hallward looked at his watch. II
have heaps of time" he answered. The
train doesn't 60 till twelve-tiftcen and it is
only Just eleven. In fact, | was on my way
20 the club 10 look for you, when ! met you.
You see, | sha'n't have any delay about
luggage, as | have sent On my heavy things.
AL ] have with me is this bag, and | can
easily get To Victoria in twenty minutes
Dorian looked at him and smiled. What
a way for a fashionable painter to travel. A
Gladstone bag, and an ulsteri Come in, or
the fog will get into the house. And mind
you don't talk about anything serious. Moth.
ing is serious nowadays. At least nothing
should be-"
Hallward shook his head. MS he entered,
and followed Dorian into the library. There
was a bright wood fire blazing in the open
hearth. The lamps were lighted, and an
open Dutch silver spirit-case stood. with
some siphons of soda-water and large cut
glass tumbleIs, on a little table.
"Iou see your servant mace me quite al
home Dorian. He gave me everything Z
wanted, including your best cigarettes. lie
In "A mnGf hngnsN.hla u.t,a klA him
much better than the Freuchman you used
to have. What has become of the French
man, by the bye"
Dorian shrugged his shoulders. II be-
lieve he married Lady Ashton's maid, and
has established her IL Paris as an English
dress-maker. AnglOmdnio is very fashion
able over there now. | hear. II seems silly
OF the French, doesn't III But do YOU
knowi-he was not at ali "A bad servant. ]
never liked him, but had nothing to com
plain about. One oftou imagines things
that are quite absurd. He was really very
devoted TO ne, and seemed quite sorry
when he went away. Havc another brandy
and soda! Or would you like hook ana
settler. ] always take hook and settler
myself. There is sure TO he some in the
next room"
Thanks, | won't have anything more"
said Hallward, taking his cap aud coat of.
and throwing them on the bag that he had
placed in the corner. "And now, my dear
fellow, ] want Ia speak 10 you seriously.
Don't frown like that. You make it so
much more difficult for me-
\ What is it all about" cried Dorian. in
his p~etulant way, fiinging himself down on
the sofa. Il hope it is not about myself.
] am tired Of myself tonight. | should like
20 be somebody else"
ut is about Yourself answered Hall
ward, in his grave, deep voice. 'and I must
say il TO YOU. ] shall only keep you half an
hour"
Dorian sighed, and lighted Il cigarette.
"lsalf an houri' he murmured.
at is not much to ask of YOU, Dorian, and
II is entirely for your own sake that | am
speaking. ] think il right that you should
know that the most dreadful things are be-
ing said about you in London--thiugs that ]
could hardly repeat TO YOU"
81 don't wish to know anything about
them. ] love scandals about other people,
but scandals about myself don't interest
me. They have not got the charm Of
novelty"
They must interest YOU, Dorian. Every
gentleman is interested in his good name.
You don't want people to talk of you as
something vile and degraded. OF course
you have your position, and your wealth,
and all that kind of thing. But position
and wealth are not everything. Mind you,
/ don't believe these umors at all. At
least, | can't believe them when | see you.
Sin is "a thing that writes itself across u
mans face. II can not be concealed. Peo-
pie talk Of secret vices. There are no such
things as secret vices. If "A wretched man
has a vice, IL shows itself in the lines of his
mouth, the droop OF his eyelids, the molding
Of his hands even. Somebody won't
mention his name, but you know him
came 10 me last year 10 have his por-
trait done. ] had never seen him before,
and had never heard anything about him,
at the time, though | have heard a good deal
since. He offered an eX~travagant price. |
refused him. There was something la the
shape Of his fingers that ! hated. | know
now that ! was quite right in what ] fancied
about him. His life is dreadful. But you,
Dorian, with your pure, bright, isnoccnt
face, and your marvellous untroubled youth
Il can't believe anything against YOU.
And yet ] see you very seldom, and YOU
never come down TO the studio now, and
when / am away from you, and | hear all
these things that people are whispering
about you, | don't know what to say. Why
Is It, Dorian, that a man like the Duke of
Berwick leaves the room Of a club when
you enter ~ Why is it that so many gen.
tlemen In London will neither 90 to your
house nor invite you to theirs! Dorian,
you dent know what is said about you. /
won't tell you that j don't want to preach
TO you. ] remember Harry saying once
that overy man who turned himself into an
amateur curate for the moment always said
that, and then broke his word. | do want
TO preach to you. ] want you TO lead such a
life as will make the world respect YOU. |
want you to get rid Of the dreadful people
you associate with. Don't shrug your
shoulders like that. Don't be Indifferent.
You have a wonderful influence. Let il be
for good, not for evil. They say that you
corrupt every one whom you become init
mate with, and that il is quite sufficient for
you to enter a house, for shame Of some kind
to follow after you. don't know whether
Il Is so or not. How should / knowl But
it II said Of you. l am told things that it
seems impossible TO doubt. Lord Gloucester
was ono Of my greatest friends at Oxford.
He showed me Il letter that his wife had
written TO him when she was dying alone in
her villa at Mentone. Your name was i'm
plicated In the most terrible confession /
ever read. l told him that it was absurd
that ! knew you thoroughly, and that you
wore incapable Of anything Of the kind.
Know youl l wonder do I know youi Be-
foro I could answer that, / should have to
see your soul"
ITO see my soul " muttered Dorian Gray,
starting up from the sofa and turning al
most white from fear.
Yes" answered Hallward, gravely, and
with infinite sorrow in his voice-''to see
your soul. But only Co can do that"
A bitter laugh Of mockery broke from the
lips Of the younger man. you shall see II
yourself, tonight! !" he cried, seizing a lamp
from the table. "Come: it is your W
handiwork. Why shouldn't YOU look at iti
You can tell the world all about it after
ward, II you choose. Nobody would believe
you. II they did believe you, they'd like
me all the better for II. ! know the age
bctter than than you do, though you will
prate about it so tendiously. Come, / tell
you. You have chartered enough about
corruption. Now you shall look on it face
70 face"