# ■ 16

You're going to be good？'said Lord Henry．'Don't tell me that．You're wonderful as you are．Please don't change．'His long， white fingers played with a flower on the table．It was spring in London，and the two friends were having dinner at Lord Henry's house．

Dorian Gray shook his head．'No，Harry， I've done too many terrible things in my life， and I'm going to change． I began my good life yesterday， in the country．'

My dear boy，'smiled Lord Henry．'Everybody can be good in the country．There's nothing to do in the country， so it's impossible to do anything bad．But tell me， how did you begin your good life？'

There was a girl in a village． A very beautiful girl， an honest，country girl．She loved me， and was ready to come away with me yesterday， but I said no． I refused to destroy her young life，and I've left her as honest as I found her．'

Lord Henry laughed．'You've left here with a broken heart， you mean．How can she be happy now with a country boy，after she has known you？'

Don't，Harry！'cried Dorian．'Can you never be serious？I'm sorry that I told you now．Let's talk about other things．What's been happening in London？'

Oh，people are still discussing poor Basil and how he disappeared．I don't know why， because there are plenty of other things that they can talk about—my wife has run away with another man， Alan Campbell has killed himself…'

What do you think has happened to Basil？'asked Dorian slowly．

I've no idea，'answered Lord Henry．'The English police report that Basil went to Paris on the midnight train on the ninth of November， but the French police say that he never arrived in Paris at all．If Basil wants to hide himself， I really don't care．And if he's dead，I don't want to think about him．Death is the only thing that really frightens me—I hate it．'

Harry，don't people say that… that Basil was murdered？'said Dorian．

Some of the newspapers say so，'replied Lord Henry，'but who would want to murder poor Basil？He wasn't clever enough to have enemies．'

What will you say， Harry， if I tell you that I murdered Basil？'asked Dorian．He watched his friend carefully．

Lord Henry smiled．'No，my dear Dorian， murder wouldn't please you．You like a different kind of pleasure．And you should never do anything that you cannot talk about after dinner．'He lifted his coffee cup．'What happened to the fine portrait that Basil painted of you？I haven't seen it for years． Didn't you tell me that it was stolen？What a pity！'

Oh，I never really liked it，'said Dorian．'I prefer not to think about it．'

For a while the two men were silent．Then the older man lay back in his chair and looked at Dorian with half-closed eyes．'Tell me how you have kept your youth and your wonderful beauty，Dorian．You must have some secret．I'm only ten years older than you，and I look like an old man．But you haven't changed since the day when I first met you．What a wonderful life you've had！'

Yes，'said Dorian slowly，'it's been wonderful，Harry，but I'm going to change it now． You don't know everything about me．'

His friend smiled．'You cannot change to me， Dorian．You and I will always be friends．'

Dorian stood up．'I'm tired tonight， Harry． I must go home．I'll see you at lunch tomorrow．Goodnight．'

At the door he stopped for a moment and looked back， but then he turned and went out without another word．

■ 16

“你要做好人？”亨利勳爵說。“別跟我說那話，你一直很好，請別改變。”他又長又白的手指玩弄著桌上的一朵花。時值倫敦的春季，這兩個好友正在亨利勳爵家吃晚飯。

多裡安·格雷搖搖頭。“不，哈里，我一生中做了太多可怕的事情，我要改變。我昨天開始當好人了，在鄉下。”

“親愛的孩子，”亨利勳爵微笑著，“每個人在鄉下都會很好。在鄉下沒任何事情做，所以不可能做任何壞事。可是告訴我，你怎麼開始當好人的？”

“村裡有個姑娘，一個非常漂亮、純真的鄉下姑娘。她愛我，昨天願意和我走，但是我拒絕了。我不願意毀了她年輕的生活，於是我離開了她，她還像我剛發現時一樣地純真。”

亨利勳爵笑著。“你離開她，她心已經碎了。她認識你後，現在又怎麼能高高興興地和鄉下男孩在一起呢？”

“別說了，哈里！”多裡安喊道。“你從不會認真點嗎？我後悔告訴了你。咱們談些別的事，倫敦近來發生了什麼事？”

“哦，人們仍在談論可憐的巴茲爾是怎麼失蹤的。我不知道為什麼還在談論，因為還有許多其它事可以供他們議論——比如我妻子和另外一個男人私奔了，艾倫·坎貝爾自殺了……”

“你認為巴茲爾發生了什麼事？”多裡安慢慢地問。

“我不知道。”亨利勳爵回答。“英國警方說巴茲爾於11月9日乘午夜的火車去了巴黎，可是法國警方說他根本就沒抵達巴黎。如果巴茲爾想隱藏起來，我真的不在乎。如果他死了，我不想再想他。死是唯一讓我害怕的事情——我恨死亡。”

“哈里，人們沒說……巴茲爾是被謀殺的嗎？”多裡安說。

“有些報紙這麼說。”亨利勳爵回答。“可是誰想殺害可憐的巴茲爾？他沒聰明到能給自己樹敵。”

“你會說什麼，哈里，如果我告訴你是我殺了巴茲爾？”多裡安問，他仔細地觀察他的朋友。

亨利勳爵一笑。“不，親愛的多裡安，殺人不會讓你高興，你喜歡與這不同的快樂，而且你決不會做晚飯後你不能談論的事情。”他端起咖啡：“巴茲爾給你畫的那幅精美畫像怎麼樣了？我好多年沒看見它了。你是不是告訴過我畫像被偷了？多可惜啊！”

“哦，我從沒真正喜歡過它。”多裡安說，“我寧願不想起它。”

有一會兒兩個人都沒說話。過後年長些的那位靠在椅背上，用半睜的眼睛看著多裡安。“告訴我你是怎麼保持青春和美貌的，多裡安。你一定有個祕密。我只比你大10歲，卻看起來像個老人。可從我看見你的第一天起，你一點也沒變，你的生活太妙了！”

“是的，”多裡安緩慢地說，“是太妙了，哈里。可我要改變這種生活。並不是我的每件事情你都知道。”

他的朋友笑了，“對我來說，你變不了，多裡安。你和我將永遠是朋友。”

多裡安站起身，“今晚我累了，哈里，我得回家了。明天午飯時見，晚安。”

在門邊他停了片刻，回頭看了看，就轉身出去了，一句話沒說。