8

　　As they waited for Dorian Gray the next night，Lord Henry and Basil Hallward discussed Sybil Vane．Basil had not been happy at the news of Dorian's marriage plans．

　　'An actress！'he had cried．'But Dorian is a gentleman，the grandson of Lord Kelso．He can't marry an actress．'

　　'Why not？'Lord Henry had said coolly．'He'll love her wildly for six months，and then suddenly he'll be in love with another woman．It will be very amusing to watch．'

　　But when Dorian arrived and told the story of his love，Basil became a little happier．'You're right，'he told Dorian．'The woman that you love must be wonderful．I can see already that she's changed you．'

　　'Yes，'said Dorian happily，'yes，Sybil has changed me．From this moment I shall be good．I'll never listen again，Harry，to your dangerous ideas about life and pleasure．'

　　Lord Henry smiled．'Ah，'he said，'when we are happy，we are always good，but when we are good，we are not always happy．'

　　Basil Hallward shook his head at this，but Dorian laughed．'You cut life to pieces with your clever words，Harry．'

　　The theatre was crowded and noisy，but when Sybil Vane appeared，everyone became silent．She was one of the most beautiful girds that Lord Henry had ever seen．'Lovely！Lovely！'he said softly．

　　But although Sybil looked beautiful，her voice sounded unnatural．She spoke Juliet's words，but there was no feeling in them．Her voice was lovely，but it took away all the life from the words People in the theatre began talking loudly，and after half an hour Lord Henry stood up and put on his coat．

　　'She's very beautiful，Dorian，but she's not an actress，'he said．'Let's go．'

　　'I think that Miss Vane must be ill，'added Basil．'We'll come another night．'

　　Dorian did not look at them．'Go away．I want to be alone，'he said miserably，and as his friends left， he covered his face with his hands．

　　When the play came to its painful end，Dorian went to see Sybil．

　　'I wasn't a very good Juliet tonight，'she said，and looked at him with love in her eyes．

　　'You were terrible，'said Dorian coldly．'My friends were bored．I was bored．I suppose you were ill．'

　　She did not seem to hear him．'Dorian，'she cried，'before I knew you，the theatre was my only life．I thought that it was all true．I knew nothing but shadows，and I thought that they were real．But you've taught me the difference between art and life．How can I pretend to be Juliet—to feel Juliet's love，when I know now what true love is？'

　　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 your 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．The idea was impossible，of course．But why did the face in the picture have that cruel，unkind mouth？

　　Cruel！Had he been cruel to Sybil Vane？He remembered her white，unhappy face as she lay at his feet．But she had hurt him，too．No，Sybil Vane was nothing to him now．

　　But the picture watched him，with its beautiful face and its cruel smile．It had taught him to love his own beauty．Would it also teach him to hate his own heart，his own soul？No，he would go back to Sybil Vane．He would marry her，try to love her again．Poor child！How cruel he had been to her！They would be happy together．

　　He covered the picture and quickly left the room．

　　8

　　第二天晚上，在等多里安·格雷时，亨利勋爵和巴兹尔·霍尔沃德谈论着西比尔·文。巴兹尔对多里安要结婚的打算并不感到高兴。

　　“一个演员！”他叫道，“可多里安是一位绅士，是凯尔索勋爵的外孙子。他不能娶一个演员。”

　　“为什么不能？”亨利勋爵冷谈地说，“他会疯狂地爱她6个月，然后会突然爱上另一个女人，观察这些多有趣。”

　　多里安来了，他讲述了他的恋爱故事，巴兹尔高兴了一点儿。“你是对的。”他告诉多里安。“你爱上的女人一定非常出色。我已经能看出她改变了你。”

　　“是的，”多里安高兴地说，“西比尔改变了我。从现在开始我要好好做人，再不听哈里关于人生和享受的危险的思想。”

　　亨利勋爵一笑，“啊，”他说，“当我们幸福时，我们总是好人，可当我们是好人时，我们不总是幸福。”

　　巴兹尔·霍尔沃德对此话摇摇头，而多里安笑道：“你聪明的言辞把生活切成了碎片，哈里。”

　　剧院里又拥挤又嘈杂，可是当西比尔·文一出现，每个人都安静了下来。她是亨利勋爵见过的最漂亮的姑娘之一。“漂亮！真漂亮！”他轻声地说。

　　虽然西比尔看起来非常美丽，但是她的嗓音听着不自然。她念着朱丽叶的台词，但是丝毫没有感情。她的嗓音很动听，可话语里全无生活气息。剧院里的人开始大声谈话。半小时后亨利勋爵站起身穿上了外套。

　　“她非常漂亮，多里安。但是她算不上一名演员。”他说道，“咱们走吧。”

　　“我想文小姐一定是病了。”巴兹尔说，“我们改天晚上再来。”

　　多里安没有看他们。“走吧，我想一个人呆会儿。”他痛苦地说。朋友离开时，他用手捂住了脸。

　　戏终于痛苦地结束了，多里安去看望西比尔。

　　“今晚我没演好朱丽叶。”她说，用充满爱意的眼神看着多里安。

　　“你真糟糕。”多里安冷酷地说，“我的朋友觉得乏味，我也觉得乏味，我想你可能病了。”

　　她似乎没听见他说的话。“多里安，”她高声说，“在我认识你以前，剧院是我唯一的生活。我认为剧院演的都是真的。除了扮演的影子似的人物外我一无所知，我认为这些影子是真实的。可是你已经教会我如何区分艺术和生活的不同，当我现在知道什么是真正的爱的时候，我怎么能装成是朱丽叶——感受朱丽叶的爱？”

　　多里安转过脸，不再看她。“可是我爱你是因为你的艺术——因为你曾是名出色的演员，”他说，他的话很严厉。“你扼杀了我的爱。没有你的艺术，你就变得毫无价值。我再不想见到你。”

　　西比尔的脸因恐惧变得苍白。“你不是当真的，是吗，多里安？”她问。她用小巧、柔软的手按着他的胳膊。

　　“别碰我！”他生气地喊。他一把推开她，她跌倒在地，像一只衰弱的小鸟倒在那里。

　　“多里安，请别离开我。”她哭喊道，“我爱你甚过世界上的任何东西，别离开我！”

　　多里安·格雷用漂亮的双眼俯视着她。他的脸上没有爱或者温柔。“我要走了。”他最后说，“我不想对你不好，但我不想再见到你。”他没有多说一句话就离她而去。

　　他在伦敦的街道上走了一夜，清晨才回家。进屋后，他看见了巴兹尔·霍尔沃德给他画的肖像。画像有点不一样了，他想。脸变了——嘴显得不和善，而且有点残酷。真奇怪。

　　他拿起一个镜子看着自己的脸，然后又看着画像中的脸。是不同了，这种改变意味着什么呢？

　　突然他记起了在巴兹尔·霍尔沃德家许的愿……他希望自己永远年轻，只是画像会变老。这种想法当然是不可能的。可是为什么画像中的脸有那么一张残酷不仁慈的嘴呢？

　　残酷！他对西比尔·文残酷了吗？他想起了西比尔倒在他脚下时的那张苍白、痛苦的脸。但是她也伤害了他呀。不，西比尔·文现在对他毫无价值了。

　　但是画像在注视他，面孔漂亮，笑容却很冷酷。画像教会了他去爱自己的美貌，它也将教他恨自己的心、自己的灵魂吗？不，他要回到西比尔·文那里。他要娶她，要努力再去爱她。可怜的孩子！他曾对她是多么的残酷！他们在一起会幸福的。