# ■ 15

A week later Dorian Gray was at his house in the country，where he had invited Lord Henry and several other friends．Among them was the pretty Lady Monmouth and her much older husband．Lady Monmouth was amusing and clever，and seemed to like Dorian Gray very much． One afternoon，as they laughed and talked together during tea，Dorian went out to fetch a flower for Lady Monmouth's dress．Lord Henry smiled at Lady Monmouth．

I hope you're not in love with Dorian，my dear．He's very dangerous．'

She laughed．'Oh，men are much more interesting when they're dangerous．'

Just then they heard the sound of a heavy fall．Lord Henry ran out of the room and found Dorian lying unconscious on the floor．When Dorian opened his eyes， Lord Henry said，'My dear Dorian， you must take care of yourself． You're not well．'

Dorian stood up slowly．'I'm all right， Harry．I'm all right．'

As he dressed for dinner in his room，Dorian remembered what he had seen and cold fear ran through him like a knife．He had seen a face watching him at the window and he had recognized it．It was the face of James Vane．

The next day he did not leave the house．In fact， for most of the day he stayed in his room， sick with fear．Every time he closed his eyes， he saw again the sailor's face． He tried to tell himself that he had dreamt it．Yes，it was impossible．Sybil Vane's brother did not know his name，and was probably on his ship at sea． No，of course he had not seen James Vane's face at the window．

But the fear stayed with him， dream or no dream．

Two days passed and Dorian grew less afraid． On the third day，a clear，bright winter morning，Dorian joined his friends on a shooting-party．With Lady Monmouth by his side， he walked to the edge of the forest where the men were shooting at birds and small animals．The cold air and the sounds and smells of the forest filled Dorian with happiness．Suddenly one of the men shot into the trees near them． There were two cries in the morning air—the cry of an animal and the cry of a man，both in pain．

There were shouts and calls from the men， and then a man's body was pulled from the trees． Dorian turned away in horror． Bad luck seemed to follow him everywhere．

People began to walk back towards the house． Lord Henry came over to tell Dorian that the man was dead．

Dorian shook his head．'Oh， Harry，'he said slowly，'I feel that something terrible is going to happen to some of us—to me，perhaps．'

Lord Henry laughed at this idea．'What could happen to you，Dorian？You have everything in the world that a man can want．Forget about this accident． It was just an accident—not murder．'Then he added with a smile，'But it would be very interesting to meet a person who had murdered somebody．'

What a terrible thing to say！'cried Lady Monmouth．'Don't you agree， Mr Gray？ Mr Gray！ Are you ill again？Your face is so white！'

Dorian smiled and tried to speak calmly．'It's nothing，'he said quietly．'But please excuse me． I think I must go and lie down．'

Upstairs in his room Dorian's body shook with fear like a leaf in the wind． He felt that he could not stay another night in the house．Death walked there in the sunlight．He decided to return immediately to London and to visit his doctor． His servant came to pack his clothes，and while he was doing this，he told Dorian that the dead man was a sailor， but no one knew his name．

A sailor！'cried Dorian．He jumped to his feet．A wild hope filled him．'I must see the body at once．'

He hurried to the house where the body lay，and when he uncovered the face of the dead man， he saw that it was James Vane．He cried with happiness，and knew that now he was safe．

■ 15

一星期後在鄉下的家裡，多裡安邀請了亨利勳爵和其他幾個朋友。他們中間有可愛的蒙茅斯夫人和比她大得多的丈夫。蒙茅斯夫人風趣、聰明，並且似乎很喜歡多裡安·格雷。一天下午，他們邊喝茶邊說笑時，多裡安出去給蒙茅斯夫人的衣服摘朵花。亨利勳爵對蒙茅斯夫人笑了。

“我希望你沒有愛上多裡安，親愛的。他很危險。”

她笑道：“哦，男人危險時更有趣。”

正在這時他們聽見了重重的跌倒聲。亨利勳爵跑出房間發現多裡安不醒人事，躺在地上。多裡安睜開眼時，亨利勳爵說：“親愛的多裡安，你必須多留心自己，你的氣色不好。”

多裡安慢慢站起身。“我沒事，哈里，我很好。”

當他在自己的房間穿晚宴裝時，多裡安想起了剛才看見的，於是冰冷的恐懼感像一把刀一樣劃過他的全身。他看見了一張臉在窗戶邊注視他。他認識這張臉，是詹姆斯·文的。

第二天他沒有出門。實際上，他多半天都呆在屋裡，他被嚇壞了。每次閉上眼睛他都會看見水手的臉。他告誡自己那只是他做的夢。是的，那不可能。西比爾·文的哥哥不知道他的名字，或許他正在海上的船上。不，他當然沒有在窗邊看見詹姆斯·文的臉。

可是不管是不是夢，恐懼一直伴隨著他。

兩天以後多裡安不太害怕了。第三天，一個晴朗的冬日的早晨，多裡安參加了朋友的狩獵聚會。蒙茅斯夫人陪在一旁，他走向樹林邊，男人們在那兒射殺鳥和小動物。清涼的空氣、打獵聲和樹林的氣息讓多裡安非常高興。突然一個人朝他們附近的林子裡射擊，清晨的空氣裡傳來兩聲喊叫——一聲是動物的叫，一聲是人的，都叫得很痛苦。

男人們喊了起來，一個人被抬出了樹林。多裡安害怕地轉過身，似乎每到一地惡運都跟著他。

人們開始朝房子走去，亨利勳爵走來告訴多裡安那個人死了。

多裡安搖動著頭。“哦，哈里，”他慢慢地說，“我覺得某件可怕的事情要發生在我們某些人身上——可能要發生在我身上。”

亨利勳爵覺得這個想法可笑。“你會發生什麼事，多裡安？你擁有一個男人想得到的世界上的任何東西，忘掉這事吧，這只不過是一次意外——不是謀殺。”然後他笑著又補充一句：“可是要是遇上了一個殺過人的人倒是很有趣。”

“你說的太可怕了！”蒙茅斯夫人嚷道。“你同意嗎，格雷先生？格雷先生！你又病了嗎？你的臉真白！”

多裡安一笑，努力鎮靜地說，“沒什麼。”他輕聲說，“請原諒我，我想我必須回去躺一躺。”

在樓上的房間，多裡安的身體像風中的一片葉子在恐懼地發抖。他感覺在屋裡一夜也不能多呆，死亡正在陽光裡漫步。他決定馬上回倫敦去看醫生。僕人來給他收拾衣物，一邊收拾一邊告訴多裡安死了的人是一個水手，可是沒人知道他的名字。

“一個水手！”多裡安叫道。他跳起來，一陣瘋狂的希望充斥著他。“我要馬上看那具屍體。”

他快步趕到死屍停放的房間，掀開死人臉上的布，他看到的是詹姆斯·文。他知道現在安全了，他高興地叫了起來。

■ The Picture

■ 畫像

“一張沒有心的臉。”