# ■ 6

One afternoon，a month later，Dorian Gray visited Lord Henry．Dorian was excited and his eyes were shining．

Harry，'he began，'I'm discovering life．I'm doing everything that you told me to do．I'm in love！'

Who are you in love with？'asked Lord Henry，calmly．

With an actress．'

Oh，everybody's in love with an actress at some time in their lives，'said Lord Henry．

No，Harry，this is different．She's wonderful！Her name's Sybil Vane，and one day she'll be a very famous actress．She really is extraordinarily clever．'

My dear boy，'said Lord Henry in his lazy voice，'no woman is extraordinarily clever．Women have nothing to say，but they say it beautifully．There are only five women in London who can give you real conversation．But tell me about your wonderful actress．How long have you known her？'

Harry！I'll tell you all about her，but you must promise not to laugh．'

Lord Henry listened and smiled．Dorian had discovered an old，dirty theatre in a poor street in London．He had gone in to look for adventure，but had found love，he told Lord Henry．The play had been Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet．

Romeo was a fat old man with a terrible voice，but Juliet！Oh，Harry，she was about seventeen，with dark brown hair and a face like a flower．She was the loveliest girl that I'd ever seen in my life，and her voice was like music．I love her，Harry．She's everything to me．Every night I go to see her in different plays and she's always wonderful．'

That's the reason，I suppose，why you never have dinner with me now，'said Lord Henry．

But Harry，you and I see each other every day—we always have lunch together，'said Dorian in surprise．'I have to go and see Sybil in the theatre every night．You and Basil must come with me to see her．Then you can see yourself how wonderful she is．Come tomorrow．'

Very well，my dear Dorian，we'll come and watch your Juliet．But you'll be in love many times，you know—this is only the beginning．'

After Dorian had gone，Lord Henry smiled to himself．How amusing it was to watch this young man，he thought．He was very different now from the frightened boy in Basil Hallward's house．He had opened like a flower in the sun，and was learning to enjoy every pleasure in life．'And it is I，'thought Lord Henry，'who have taught him how to do this．'

When Lord Henry returned home that night，there was a letter for him lying on the table．It told him that Dorian Gray was going to marry Sybil Vane．

■ 6

一個月後的一天下午，多裡安·格雷來拜訪亨利勳爵。多裡安神情興奮，雙眼閃光。

“哈里，”他開始說，“我正在發現生活，我正在做你讓我去做的事情。我戀愛了！”

“你愛上了誰？”亨利勳爵平靜地問。

“一個女演員。”

“哦，每個人在一生中的某段時間總會愛上一位女演員。”亨利勳爵說。

“不，哈里，這不同。她太奇妙了！她叫西比爾·文。總有一天她會成為一位名演員，她真的是太聰明瞭。”

“我親愛的孩子，”亨利勳爵懶散地說，“沒有哪個女人是異乎尋常地聰明。女人談不出什麼名堂，但是她們說得很動聽。倫敦只有五個女人能和你真正地交談。給我講講你的奇妙的女演員，你認識她多久了？”

“哈里，我要告訴你她的一切，但你得保證不嘲笑我。”

亨利勳爵邊聽邊微笑著。多裡安在倫敦的一條破破爛爛的街道上發現了一個又舊又髒的劇院。他告訴亨利勳爵，他進去是想找點冒險的事，但卻找到了愛。上演的戲劇是莎士比亞的《羅密歐與朱麗葉》。

“羅密歐是一個又胖又老的男人，嗓音可怕。但是朱麗葉！哦，哈里，她大概十七歲，長著深棕色的頭髮，鮮花般的臉。她是我有生以來見到過的最可愛的姑娘，而且她的聲音像音樂一樣。我愛她，哈里，她是我的一切。每天晚上我都去看她演的各種戲劇，她總是那麼出色。”

“我想，那就是你一直沒和我共進晚餐的原因。”亨利勳爵。

“但是哈里，你我每天都見面——我們總是在一起共進午餐。”多裡安吃驚地說，“我每天晚上都要去劇院看望西比爾。你和巴茲爾一定要和我一起去看她，然後你們自己會發現她是多麼地美妙。明天就來吧。”

“好吧，親愛的多裡安，我們去看你的朱麗葉。但是人會戀愛許多次的——這只是個開始。”

多裡安走後，亨利勳爵暗自好笑。觀察這個年輕人真有趣，他想道。多裡安和巴茲爾·霍爾沃德房子裡那個被嚇住的男孩已大不相同。他像一朵在陽光中綻開的花，正在學著如何享受生活的每一份快樂。“正是我，”亨利勳爵想，“教會了他這樣做。”

那天晚上亨利勳爵回家後在桌子上發現了一封給他的信。信上說多裡安·格雷要和西比爾·文結婚。