That evening, at half-past eight, Dorian Gray went to Lady Narborough’s house. He wore beautiful clothes with purple flowers on his coat. Dorian felt very nervous, but he looked calm. He was playing a part like an actor.
Lady Narborough was a very clever woman. Her husband was dead, and her daughters were married. Now, Lady Narborough loved French books and French food. Dorian was one of her favorite friends.
The party was a little boring. Lady Narborough’s daughter and her husband were there. They lived in the country and went to bed early. Dorian did not want to sit near them.
Lady Narborough was angry because Lord Henry Wotton was late. But then, Lord Henry arrived at the house. He said he was sorry for being late. Dorian felt better when his friend arrived.
At dinner, Dorian could not eat any food. He was not hungry. But he drank a lot of champagne. He felt very thirsty and drank quickly. Lord Henry watched him and felt worried.
Lady Narborough and Lord Henry talked about a woman with many husbands. Lord Henry said the woman was very interesting. He told many funny stories. Dorian laughed, but he was still thinking about the dead man.
Lady Narborough told Lord Henry that he was a bad man. Lord Henry smiled at her. He joked that what she said about him was completely true. Everyone at the table laughed at his words.
Dorian said that life was a big disappointment. Lady Narborough was surprised to hear this. She told Dorian that he looked very good and kind. She wanted to find a nice wife for him.
After dinner, the men talked about politics in another room. Dorian sat next to Lord Henry. Lord Henry asked Dorian about last night. He asked if Dorian went home early.
Dorian felt a sudden fear. He told Lord Henry that he went for a walk. He said he went home at half-past two in the morning. Dorian was angry because Lord Henry asked questions.
Dorian told Lady Narborough that he was tired. He did not go upstairs with the other guests. He left the house and went home. He felt a lot of terror again.
At home, Dorian locked the library door. He opened a secret place in the wall. He took out Basil Hallward’s coat and bag. He threw them into the big fire.
The smell of the burning leather was terrible. Dorian felt sick and faint. He waited for forty-five minutes until everything was gone. Then he washed his hands with a special liquid.
Dorian looked at a large, beautiful cabinet. He opened a secret drawer in the wood. He found a small, black Chinese box. Inside the box was a green paste.
Dorian looked at the clock. It was twenty minutes to twelve. He felt cold, but the room was hot. He went to his bedroom and changed his clothes. He wore simple, common clothes now.
At midnight, Dorian walked out of his house. He found a hansom. He gave the driver an address that was far away. The address was near the river.
The driver did not want to go so far. Dorian gave the man a sovereign. He promised another coin if the man drove fast. The horse moved quickly toward the river.