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 shook the windows.
They reached the top of the house. Dorian put the lamp on the floor. He took out his key and put it in the lock. He asked Basil if he really wanted to know the secret. Basil said yes.
Dorian smiled in a cruel way. He said that Basil deserved to know everything. He told the painter that he was very important to his life. Then Dorian opened the door and went inside. The air was cold and smelled of mildew.
Basil looked around the room. It was very dusty and old. He saw a curtain on the wall. Behind the curtain was the portrait. Dorian told Basil to pull the curtain back. He said that only God sees the soul, but now Basil would see it too.
Dorian spoke in a cold voice. Basil thought Dorian was mad. Dorian did not wait. He pulled the curtain from the wall and threw it on the floor. Basil cried out in horror.
Basil saw a hideous face on the canvas. The face was grinning at him. It was a terrible version of Dorian. The hair was thin and the mouth was cruel. The blue eyes were dull and evil. It was the face of a satyr.
Basil 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 watched him and did not feel sad.
Dorian explained everything. He said that Basil taught him to be vain. He said he met Lord Henry Wotton and learned about the power of youth. Then Dorian made a wish that the picture would grow old instead of him.
Basil did not believe him. He said the thing was impossible. He thought the paint was bad or the room was too damp. But Dorian said the picture was his soul. Basil saw the evil in the eyes of the portrait.
Basil sat in an old chair by the table. He put his face in his hands and cried. He told Dorian to pray to God for help. He said they were both being punished for their sins. Basil wanted Dorian to say a prayer with him.
Dorian looked at the portrait. Suddenly, he felt a lot of hatred for Basil. He felt like a wild animal. He saw a knife on top of a chest. He moved slowly and took the knife. Basil did not see him.
Dorian rushed at Basil. He stabbed the knife into the man’s neck. He stabbed him many times. Basil 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 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 at the corner. Dorian felt very calm.
Dorian did not look at the dead man. He took the lamp and went downstairs. He stopped because the wooden stairs made a noise. He was very careful. He went into the library and found Basil’s bag and coat.
Dorian 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 was on a train to Paris.
Dorian 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 said he forgot his key.
Francis told Dorian it was ten minutes past two. Dorian asked if anyone came to the house. Francis said Basil came but left at eleven o'clock. Dorian told Francis to wake him at nine o'clock the next day.
The servant went back to bed. Dorian 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.