CHAPTER XVIII.
關燈
小
中
大
ne.Thisunfortunateaccidenthasupsetme.Ihaveahorriblepresentimentthatsomethingofthekindmayhappentome.”
“Whatnonsense!”
“Ihopeitis,butIcan’thelpfeelingit.Ah!hereistheduchess,lookinglikeArtemisinatailor-madegown.Youseewehavecomeback,Duchess.”
“Ihaveheardallaboutit,Mr.Gray,”sheanswered.“PoorGeoffreyisterriblyupset.Anditseemsthatyouaskedhimnottoshootthehare.Howcurious!”
“Yes,itwasverycurious.Idon’tknowwhatmademesayit.Somewhim,Isuppose.Itlookedtheloveliestoflittlelivethings.ButIamsorrytheytoldyouabouttheman.Itisahideoussubject.”
“Itisanannoyingsubject,”brokeinLordHenry.“Ithasnopsychologicalvalueatall.NowifGeoffreyhaddonethethingonpurpose,howinterestinghewouldbe!Ishouldliketoknowsomeonewhohadcommittedarealmurder.”
“Howhorridofyou,Harry!”criedtheduchess.“Isn’tit,Mr.Gray?Harry,Mr.Grayisillagain.Heisgoingtofaint.”
Doriandrewhimselfupwithaneffortandsmiled.“Itisnothing,Duchess,”hemurmured“mynervesaredreadfullyoutoforder.Thatisall.IamafraidIwalkedtoofarthismorning.Ididn’thearwhatHarrysaid.Wasitverybad?Youmusttellmesomeothertime.IthinkImustgoandliedown.Youwillexcuseme,won’tyou?”
Theyhadreachedthegreatflightofstepsthatledfromtheconservatoryontotheterrace.AstheglassdoorclosedbehindDorian,LordHenryturnedandlookedattheduchesswithhisslumberouseyes.“Areyouverymuchinlovewithhim?”heasked.
Shedidnotanswerforsometime,butstoodgazingatthelandscape.“IwishIknew,”shesaidatlast.
Heshookhishead.“Knowledgewouldbefatal.Itistheuncertaintythatcharmsone.Amistmakesthingswonderful.”
“Onemayloseone’sway.”
“Allwaysendatthesamepoint,mydearGladys.”
“Whatisthat?”
“Disillusion.”
“Itwasmydébutinlife,”shesighed.
“Itcametoyoucrowned.”
“Iamtiredofstrawberryleaves.”
“Theybecomeyou.”
“Onlyinpublic.”
“Youwouldmissthem,”saidLordHenry.
“Iwillnotpartwithapetal.”
“Monmouthhasears.”
“Oldageisdullofhearing.”
“Hasheneverbeenjealous?”
“Iwishhehadbeen.”
Heglancedaboutasifinsearchofsomething.“Whatareyoulookingfor?”sheinquired.
“Thebuttonfromyourfoil,”heanswered.“Youhavedroppedit.”
Shelaughed.“Ihavestillthemask.”
“Itmakesyoureyeslovelier,”washisreply.
Shelaughedagain.Herteethshowedlikewhiteseedsinascarletfruit.
Upstairs,inhisownroom,DorianGraywaslyingonasofa,withterrorineverytinglingfibreofhisbody.Lifehadsuddenlybecometoohideousaburdenforhimtobear.Thedreadfuldeathoftheunluckybeater,shotinthethicketlikeawildanimal,hadseemedtohimtopre-figuredeathforhimselfalso.HehadnearlyswoonedatwhatLordHenryhadsaidinachancemoodofcynicaljesting.
Atfiveo’clockheranghisbellforhisservantandgavehimorderstopackhisthingsforthenight-expresstotown,andtohavethebroughamatthedoorbyeight-thirty.HewasdeterminednottosleepanothernightatSelbyRoyal.Itwasanill-omenedplace.Deathwalkedthereinthesunlight.Thegrassoftheforesthadbeenspottedwithblood.
ThenhewroteanotetoLordHenry,tellinghimthathewasgoinguptotowntoconsulthisdoctorandaskinghimtoentertainhisguestsinhisabsence.Ashewasputtingitint
