Dorian Gray left the library and began to walk up the stairs. Basil Hallward followed close behind him. They walked very quietly because it was night. The lamp made strange shadows on the wall. A strong wind moved the windows.
They reached the top of the house. Dorian Gray put the lamp on the floor. He took out his key and put it in the lock. He asked Basil Hallward if he really wanted to know the secret. Basil Hallward said yes.
Dorian Gray smiled in a cruel way. He said that Basil Hallward deserved to know everything. He told the painter that he was very important to his life. Then Dorian Gray opened the door and went inside. The air was cold and smelled of mildew (a smell that comes from old, wet things).
Basil Hallward looked around the room. It was very dusty and old. He saw a curtain on the wall. Behind the curtain was the portrait. Dorian Gray told Basil Hallward to pull the curtain back. He said that only God sees the soul, but now Basil Hallward would see it too.
Dorian Gray spoke in a cold voice. Basil Hallward thought Dorian Gray was mad. Dorian Gray did not wait. He pulled the curtain from the wall and threw it on the floor. Basil Hallward cried out in horror.
Basil Hallward saw a hideous face on the canvas. The face was grinning at him. It was a terrible version of Dorian Gray. The hair was thin and the mouth was cruel. The eyes were dirty and blue. It was the face of a satyr (a creature that is half-man and half-animal).
Basil Hallward recognized his own work. He saw the frame he designed. He saw his own name in red paint in the corner. He felt very cold. He asked what the picture meant. Dorian Gray watched him and did not feel sad.
Dorian Gray explained everything. He said that Basil Hallward taught him to be vain (thinking you are very beautiful). He said he met Lord Henry Wotton and learned about the power of youth. Then Dorian Gray made a wish that the picture would grow old instead of him.
Basil Hallward did not believe him. He said the thing was impossible. He thought the paint was bad or the room was too damp. But Dorian Gray said the picture was his soul. Basil Hallward saw the evil in the eyes of the portrait.
Basil Hallward sat in an old chair. He put his face in his hands and cried. He told Dorian Gray to pray to God for help. He said they were both being punished for their sins. Basil Hallward wanted Dorian Gray to say a prayer with him.
Dorian Gray looked at the portrait. Suddenly, he felt a lot of hatred for Basil Hallward. He felt like a wild animal. He saw a knife on top of a chest. He moved slowly and took the knife. Basil Hallward did not see him.
Dorian Gray rushed at Basil Hallward. He stabbed the knife into the man’s neck. He stabbed him many times. Basil Hallward made a small noise and his arms moved. Then he stopped moving. A pool of blood began to grow on the table.
Everything was very quiet. Dorian Gray heard the sound of blood dripping on the carpet. He went to the window and opened it. He saw a policeman in the street. He saw a hansom (a carriage pulled by a horse) at the corner. Dorian Gray felt very calm.
Dorian Gray did not look at the dead man. He took the lamp and went downstairs. He stopped because the wood made a noise. He was very careful. He went into the library and found Basil Hallward’s bag and coat.
Dorian Gray hid the bag and coat in a secret place in the wall. It was twenty minutes to two in the morning. He knew the police had no evidence against him. Everyone thought Basil Hallward was on a train to Paris.
Dorian Gray put on his coat and went outside. He waited for a few minutes. Then he rang the bell of his own house. His servant, Francis, opened the door. Francis looked very tired. Dorian Gray said he forgot his key.
Francis told Dorian Gray it was ten minutes past two. Dorian Gray asked if anyone came to the house. Francis said Basil Hallward came but left at eleven o'clock. Dorian Gray told Francis to wake him at nine o'clock the next day.
The servant went back to bed. Dorian Gray went into the library. He thought for a long time. Then he looked in a book for an address. He found the name Alan Campbell. This was the man he needed to help him.