One afternoon, one month later, Dorian Gray sat in a comfortable chair. He was in the library of Lord Henry’s house. The house was in Mayfair. The room was very beautiful. The walls were made of dark oak (a type of strong wood).
There were silk rugs on the floor. On a small table, there was a small statue. Next to it was an old book. There were blue jars and flowers on the shelf above the fire. The light of the summer day came through the window.
Lord Henry was not there yet. Lord Henry was always late. He believed that being on time was a waste of time. Dorian Gray felt a little angry. He looked at the pages of a book. He heard the clock on the wall. He wanted to leave.
Finally, Dorian Gray heard a step outside. The door opened. "You are very late, Harry!" Dorian Gray said.
"I am not Harry, Mr. Gray," a woman’s voice answered.
Dorian Gray looked around quickly. He stood up. "I am sorry," Dorian Gray said. "I thought you were Lord Henry."
"You thought I was my husband," the woman said. "I am his wife. I must introduce myself. I know you from your photographs. My husband has eighteen of them."
"Eighteen, Lady Henry?" Dorian Gray asked.
"Yes, eighteen," Lady Henry said. "I saw you with him at the opera, too." She laughed in a nervous way. She had blue eyes and her hair was messy. Her clothes looked like she put them on in a hurry. She was often in love, but no one loved her back. Her name was Victoria. She loved going to church.
"We were at the opera to hear Wagner," Dorian Gray said.
"Yes, I love Wagner’s music," Lady Henry said. "The music is very loud. So, people can talk and no one hears them. Do you agree, Mr. Gray?"
Lady Henry laughed again. She played with a long knife for cutting paper. Dorian Gray smiled and shook his head. "I do not agree," Dorian Gray said. "I never talk during good music."
"Ah! That is what Harry says," Lady Henry said. "I always hear my husband’s ideas from his friends. But I do like good music. I am just afraid of it. It makes me feel too romantic (having strong feelings about love and beauty)."
Lady Henry continued talking. "I love pianists (people who play the piano). Most of them are from other countries. You must come to my parties. I do not have expensive flowers, but I invite many famous people from other countries. But here is Harry!"
Lord Henry came into the room. "Harry, I came to ask you something," Lady Henry said. "But I forget what it was. I found Mr. Gray here. We had a nice talk about music. Good-bye, Harry. Good-bye, Mr. Gray."
Lady Henry left the room. She looked like a bird that was out in the rain. She left a sweet smell in the air. Lord Henry sat on the sofa. He lit a cigarette.
"Never marry a woman with yellow hair, Dorian," Lord Henry said.
"Why, Harry?" Dorian Gray asked.
"Because they are too sentimental (showing too much emotion)," Lord Henry said. "Never marry at all. Men marry because they are tired. Women marry because they are curious. Both people are disappointed."
"I do not think I will marry," Dorian Gray said. "I am too much in love. I am doing what you told me to do. I follow all your ideas."
"Who do you love?" Lord Henry asked after a short time.
"I love an actress," Dorian Gray said. He turned red.
Lord Henry moved his shoulders. "That is not very interesting," Lord Henry said.
"You would think it is interesting if you saw her," Dorian Gray said.
"Who is she?" Lord Henry asked.
"Her name is Sibyl Vane," Dorian Gray said.
"I never heard of her," Lord Henry said.
"No one knows her yet," Dorian Gray said. "But they will. She is a genius (a person who is very, very talented)."
"My dear boy, women are never geniuses," Lord Henry said. "Women are decorative. They never have anything important to say. But they say it in a pretty way. Tell me, how long have you known her?"
"I have known her for three weeks," Dorian Gray said.
"Where did you meet her?" Lord Henry asked.
"I will tell you, Harry," Dorian Gray said. "But you must be kind. You made me want to know everything about life. After I met you, I wanted to see the world. One night, I went out to find an adventure. I walked into a poor part of London."
Dorian Gray continued his story. "I found a small, ugly theatre. A large man stood at the door. He was a Jew (a person from a specific religious and cultural group). He wore a dirty shirt with a big diamond. He asked me to buy a ticket for a private box. I paid him. I do not know why I did it."
"Do not say this is the greatest romance of your life," Lord Henry said. "Say it is your first romance. You will always be in love."
"Do you think I am a shallow person?" Dorian Gray asked angrily.
"No," Lord Henry said. "I think you are deep. People who love only once are the shallow people. Loyalty is just a lack of imagination. Please, tell me more of your story."
"I sat in a small, dirty box," Dorian Gray said. "The theatre was ugly. It looked like an old cake. People were eating nuts and drinking ginger-beer. I felt sad. Then I looked at the play-bill. The play was Romeo and Juliet."
"I thought it would be a bad play," Lord Henry said. "I think old plays are not good for us now."
"This play was good enough for us," Dorian Gray said. "I did not like the idea of Shakespeare in a dirty place. But I waited. The actors were not good. Romeo was a fat, old man. But then I saw Juliet! Harry, she was only seventeen. She was the most beautiful girl I ever saw."
Dorian Gray’s eyes filled with tears. "Her voice was wonderful. It sounded like music. I love her, Harry. Every night I go to see her act. One night she is one character. The next night she is another character. She is not like ordinary women. Ordinary women are boring. But an actress is different!"
"I have loved many actresses, Dorian," Lord Henry said.
"I wish I did not tell you about her," Dorian Gray said.
"You had to tell me," Lord Henry said. "You will always tell me everything. Now, tell me about your relationship with Sibyl Vane."
Dorian Gray stood up. His face was red. "Harry! Sibyl Vane is sacred (very special and holy)!"
"Only sacred things are worth touching," Lord Henry said. "But why are you angry? Do you know her?"
"Of course I know her," Dorian Gray said. "The man at the theatre offered to introduce me. I was angry at him. I told him Juliet died hundreds of years ago. He thought I was crazy."
"I am not surprised," Lord Henry said.
"The next night, I went back," Dorian Gray said. "The man was very polite to me. He loved Shakespeare. He told me he lost all his money because of Shakespeare."
"That is a good way to lose money," Lord Henry said. "But when did you speak to Sibyl Vane?"
"The third night," Dorian Gray said. "I went behind the stage. She was so shy and gentle. She is like a child. She does not know how powerful she is. She called me 'Prince Charming'."
"She knows how to give compliments," Lord Henry said.
"You do not understand her," Dorian Gray said. "She knows nothing about real life. She lives with her mother. Her mother is a tired woman. Sibyl Vane is the only thing I care about. She is divine."
"Is that why you do not eat dinner with me now?" Lord Henry asked.
"We eat lunch together every day," Dorian Gray said. "But I must go to see Sibyl Vane act every night. I need to be near her."
"Can you eat dinner with me tonight?" Lord Henry asked.
"No," Dorian Gray said. "Tonight she is a character named Imogen. Tomorrow she is Juliet."
"When is she Sibyl Vane?" Lord Henry asked.
"Never," Dorian Gray said.
"I congratulate you," Lord Henry said.
"You are being mean!" Dorian Gray cried. "I love her. I want you and Basil Hallward to come with me. You must see her act. We must help her leave that small theatre. I will make her famous."
"What night shall we go?" Lord Henry asked.
"Let us go tomorrow," Dorian Gray said. "She plays Juliet tomorrow."
"Okay," Lord Henry said. "We will meet at eight o'clock. I will tell Basil Hallward."
"Please, let’s meet at half-past six," Dorian Gray said. "We must be there for the first act. I have not seen Basil Hallward for a week. He gives me too much good advice."
Lord Henry smiled. "People give away what they need for themselves," he said. "Basil Hallward is a good man. But he is a bit boring. He puts all his talent into his paintings. He has nothing left for his life."
"Maybe that is true," Dorian Gray said. "Now I must go. Imogen is waiting for me. Do not forget about tomorrow. Good-bye."
Dorian Gray left the room. Lord Henry began to think. He was very interested in Dorian Gray. He liked to study people. He thought of life like a science experiment. He wanted to see how Dorian Gray changed.
Lord Henry felt happy. He knew his words changed Dorian Gray. He felt like he created this new Dorian Gray. Dorian Gray was living a fast life. He was young and beautiful. Lord Henry wanted to watch him.
Lord Henry thought about the soul and the body. He thought they were a mystery. He thought that psychology (the study of how the mind works) was very interesting. He wanted to use the scientific method to study Dorian Gray's feelings.
Dorian Gray’s love for Sibyl Vane was a strange thing. Lord Henry thought Dorian Gray was curious about new experiences. Sometimes, we think we are studying other people, but we are really studying ourselves.
Lord Henry sat and dreamed. His servant came into the room. The servant told Lord Henry it was time to dress for dinner. Lord Henry looked out at the sunset. The sky was a soft red color. He thought about Dorian Gray’s life. He wondered how it would end.
When Lord Henry came home late that night, he saw a telegram (a short, printed message sent by wire). It was from Dorian Gray. The message said that Dorian Gray was engaged to marry Sibyl Vane.