Dorian Gray stayed inside the house the next day. He felt a very strong fear of death. He felt hunted. He shook when the wind moved the curtains. He thought he saw the face of the sailor at the window again.
Perhaps the face was only in his imagination. In the real world, bad people were not always punished for their crimes. Dorian told himself that James Vane was not there. The servants had not seen any strangers near the house. James had probably gone away on a ship.
Dorian thought his young face was a mask. This mask saved him from James. But Dorian still felt a lot of guilt. He remembered how he killed Basil Hallward. This memory made him very afraid. When Lord Henry Wotton came to see him, Dorian was crying.
On the third day, Dorian finally went outside. The winter air was fresh and smelled like pine trees. He felt better and he wanted to enjoy life again. He decided his fears were not real. He felt silly for being so afraid.
After breakfast, Dorian walked in the garden with the Duchess of Monmouth. Then he drove a carriage to meet a shooting party. The sky was blue and the grass was white with frost. There was a thin layer of ice on the lake.
Dorian saw Sir Geoffrey Clouston near a wood. Sir Geoffrey Clouston was the brother of the Duchess of Monmouth. Dorian walked with him. Dorian liked the sounds of the forest and the noise of the guns. He felt free and happy.
Suddenly, a hare jumped out of the grass. The animal was very fast. Sir Geoffrey Clouston raised his gun. Dorian liked the beauty of the animal. "Do not shoot it, Geoffrey!" Dorian cried. "Let it live."
Sir Geoffrey Clouston laughed and fired his gun. They heard two screams. One scream was from the animal in pain. The other scream was from a man. "I hit a beater!" Sir Geoffrey Clouston cried.
The men ran into the trees. They pulled a dead body out of the bushes. Dorian looked away in horror. He felt that bad luck followed him everywhere. The man was dead. Many people came to look at the body.
Lord Henry put a hand on Dorian’s shoulder. Lord Henry said they must stop shooting for the day. Dorian said he wanted to stop forever. He felt the accident was a bad omen. He felt that something terrible was coming for him.
Lord Henry laughed at Dorian. Lord Henry said there are no such things as omens. He said Dorian had a perfect life and everything he wanted. Dorian said he would change places with anyone. He was terrified of death.
Dorian saw a man moving behind the trees. He pointed at the man with a shaking hand. Lord Henry smiled and said it was only the gardener. The gardener gave Dorian a letter from the Duchess of Monmouth. Dorian put the letter in his pocket.
Dorian told Lord Henry that he wanted to escape. He wanted to go away on his yacht. He felt like his own life was a burden. He would feel safe on a boat. Lord Henry asked if Dorian was in trouble, but Dorian did not answer.
The Duchess of Monmouth arrived and talked to them. She said Sir Geoffrey Clouston was very upset. She asked why Dorian wanted to save the animal. Dorian said it was just a whim. Then Dorian felt sick again. He went to his room to lie down.
Dorian decided to leave Selby Royal. He did not want to sleep there another night. He thought the place was full of death. He told his valet to pack his bags for London. He wrote a note to Lord Henry.
A man came to the door. It was the head-keeper of the woods. Dorian took out his money. He wanted to give money to the family of the dead man. The keeper said they did not know the man. The man was not a local worker.
"He looks like a sailor, sir," the keeper said. Dorian dropped his pen. His heart beat very fast. The keeper said the man was tattooed. The man also had a gun in his pocket.
Dorian stood up quickly. He felt a sudden hope. He asked where the body was. The keeper said the body was in a stable at the Home Farm. Dorian went to the stables and got his horse.
Dorian rode his horse very fast down the road. He reached the farm and went into the building. A candle was burning near the body. A piece of cloth covered the man’s face. Dorian was shaking.
Dorian asked a farm worker to take the cloth off the face. Dorian looked at the man. He cried out with joy. The man who died in the woods was James. Dorian was finally safe.