The picture of Dorian Grey - The Young man in love
Dorian turned his face away from her. ‘But I loved you for your art – because you
were a wonderful actress,’ he said. His voice was hard. ‘You have killed my
love. Without an art, you are nothing. I never want to see you again.’
Sybil’s face was white with fear. ‘You’re not serious, are you, Dorian?’
she asked. She touched his arm with her small, gentle hand. ‘Don’t touch
me!’ he shouted angrily. He pushed her away and she fell to the floor and lay
there like a broken bird. ‘Dorian, please, don’t leave me,’ she cried. ‘
I love you better than anything in the world. Don’t leave me!’
Dorian Gray looked down at her with his beautiful eyes. There was no love or gentleness
in his face. ‘I’m going,’ he said at last. ‘I don’t wish to be unkind,
but I don’t want to see you again.’ Without another word he left her.
All night he walked through the streets of London. When morning came, he went home.
When he entered his house, he saw the portrait of himself that Basil Hallward
had painted. There was something different about it, he thought. The face had
changed – there was something unkind and cruel about the mouth. It was very
strange. He picked up a mirror and looked at his own face, and then looked again
at the face in the portrait. Yes, it was
different. What did this change mean? Suddenly he remembered his wish in Basil
Hallward’s house… his wish that he could stay young but the picture could
grow old.
