道林格雷的画像_奥斯卡·王尔德-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃poor　lady　brandon！　you　are　hard　on　her；　harry！〃　said　hallward　listlessly。

〃my　dear　fellow；　she　tried　to　found　a　salon；　and　only　succeeded　in　opening　a　restaurant。　how　could　i　admire　her？　but　tell　me；　what　did　she　say　about　mr。　dorian　gray？〃

〃oh；　something　like；　charming　boypoor　dear　mother　and　i　absolutely　inseparable。　quite　forget　what　he　doesafraid　he　doesnt　do　anythingoh；　yes；　plays　the　pianoor　is　it　the　violin；　dear　mr。　gray？　neither　of　us　could　help　laughing；　and　we　became　friends　at　once。〃

〃laughter　is　not　at　all　a　bad　beginning　for　a　friendship；　and　it　is　far　the　best　ending　for　one；〃　said　the　young　lord；　plucking　another　daisy。

hallward　shook　his　head。　〃you　dont　understand　what　friendship　is；　harry；〃　he　murmured〃or　what　enmity　is；　for　that　matter。　you　like　every　one；　that　is　to　say；　you　are　indifferent　to　every　one。〃

〃how　horribly　unjust　of　you！〃　cried　lord　henry；　tilting　his　hat　back　and　looking　up　at　the　little　clouds　that；　like　ravelled　skeins　of　glossy　white　silk；　were　drifting　across　the　hollowed　turquoise　of　the　summer　sky。　〃yes；　horribly　unjust　of　you。　i　make　a　great　difference　between　people。　i　choose　my　friends　for　their　good　looks；　my　acquaintances　for　their　good　characters；　and　my　enemies　for　their　good　intellects。　a　man　cannot　be　too　careful　in　the　choice　of　his　enemies。　i　have　not　got　one　who　is　a　fool。　they　are　all　men　of　some　intellectual　power；　and　consequently　they　all　appreciate　me。　is　that　very　vain　of　me？　i　think　it　is　rather　vain。〃

〃i　should　think　it　was；　harry。　but　according　to　your　category　i　must　be　merely　an　acquaintance。〃

〃my　dear　old　basil；　you　are　much　more　than　an　acquaintance。〃

〃and　much　less　than　a　friend。　a　sort　of　brother；　i　suppose？〃

〃oh；　brothers！　i　dont　care　for　brothers。　my　elder　brother　wont　die；　and　my　younger　brothers　seem　never　to　do　anything　else。〃

〃harry！〃　exclaimed　hallward；　frowning。

〃my　dear　fellow；　i　am　not　quite　serious。　but　i　cant　help　detesting　my　relations。　i　suppose　it　es　from　the　fact　that　none　of　us　can　stand　other　people　having　the　same　faults　as　ourselves。　i　quite　sympathize　with　the　rage　of　the　english　democracy　against　what　they　call　the　vices　of　the　upper　orders。　the　masses　feel　that　drunkenness；　stupidity；　and　immorality　should　be　their　own　special　property；　and　that　if　any　one　of　us　makes　an　ass　of　himself；　he　is　poaching　on　their　preserves。　when　poor　southwark　got　into　the　divorce　court；　their　indignation　was　quite　magnificent。　and　yet　i　dont　suppose　that　ten　per　cent　of　the　proletariat　live　correctly。〃

〃i　dont　agree　with　a　single　word　that　you　have　said；　and；　what　is　more；　harry；　i　feel　sure　you　dont　either。〃

lord　henry　stroked　his　pointed　brown　beard　and　tapped　the　toe　of　his　patent…leather　boot　with　a　tasselled　ebony　cane。　〃how　english　you　are　basil！　that　is　the　second　time　you　have　made　that　observation。　if　one　puts　forward　an　idea　to　a　true　englishmanalways　a　rash　thing　to　dohe　never　dreams　of　considering　whether　the　idea　is　right　or　wrong。　the　only　thing　he　considers　of　any　importance　is　whether　one　believes　it　oneself。　now；　the　value　of　an　idea　has　nothing　whatsoever　to　do　with　the　sincerity　of　the　man　who　expresses　it。　indeed；　the　probabilities　are　that　the　more　insincere　the　man　is；　the　more　purely　intellectual　will　the　idea　be；　as　in　that　case　it　will　not　be　coloured　by　either　his　wants；　his　desires；　or　his　prejudices。　however；　i　dont　propose　to　discuss　politics；　sociology；　or　metaphysics　with　you。　i　like　persons　better　than　principles；　and　i　like　persons　with　no　principles　better　than　anything　else　in　the　world。　tell　me　more　about　mr。　dorian　gray。　how　often　do　you　see　him？〃

〃every　day。　i　couldnt　be　happy　if　i　didnt　see　him　every　day。　he　is　absolutely　necessary　to　me。〃

〃how　extraordinary！　i　thought　you　would　never　care　for　anything　but　your　art。〃

〃he　is　all　my　art　to　me　now；〃　said　the　painter　gravely。　〃i　sometimes　think；　harry；　that　there　are　only　two　eras　of　any　importance　in　the　worlds　history。　the　first　is　the　appearance　of　a　new　medium　for　art；　and　the　second　is　the　appearance　of　a　new　personality　for　art　also。　what　the　invention　of　oil…painting　was　to　the　venetians；　the　face　of　antinous　was　to　late　greek　sculpture；　and　the　face　of　dorian　gray　will　some　day　be　to　me。　it　is　not　merely　that　i　paint　from　him；　draw　from　him；　sketch　from　him。　of　course；　i　have　done　all　that。　but　he　is　much　more　to　me　than　a　model　or　a　sitter。　i　wont　tell　you　that　i　am　dissatisfied　with　what　i　have　done　of　him；　or　that　his　beauty　is　such　that　art　cannot　express　it。　there　is　nothing　that　art　cannot　express；　and　i　know　that　the　work　i　have　done；　since　i　met　dorian　gray；　is　good　work；　is　the　best　work　of　my　life。　but　in　some　curious　wayi　wonder　will　you　understand　me？his　personality　has　suggested　to　me　an　entirely　new　manner　in　art；　an　entirely　new　mode　of　style。　i　see　things　differently；　i　think　of　them　differently。　i　can　now　recreate　life　in　a　way　that　was　hidden　from　me　before。　a　dream　of　form　in　days　of　thoughtwho　is　it　who　says　that？　i　forget；　but　it　is　what　dorian　gray　has　been　to　me。　the　merely　visible　presence　of　this　ladfor　he　seems　to　me　little　more　than　a　lad；　though　he　is　really　over　twenty　his　merely　visible　presenceah！　i　wonder　can　you　realize　all　that　that　means？　unconsciously　he　defines　for　me　the　lines　of　a　fresh　school；　a　school　that　is　to　have　in　it　all　the　passion　of　the　romantic　spirit；　all　the　perfection　of　the　spirit　that　is　greek。　the　harmony　of　soul　and　body　how　much　that　is！　we　in　our　madness　have　separated　the　two；　and　have　invented　a　realism　that　is　vulgar；　an　ideality　that　is　void。　harry！　if　you　only　knew　what　dorian　gray　is　to　me！　you　remember　that　landscape　of　mine；　for　which　agnew　offered　me　such　a　huge　price　but　which　i　would　not　part　with？　it　is　one　of　the　best　things　i　have　ever　done。　and　why　is　it　so？　because；　while　i　was　painting　it；　dorian　gray　sat　beside　me。　some　subtle　influence　passed　from　him　to　me；　and　for　the　first　time　in　my　life　i　saw　in　the　plain　woodland　the　wonder　i　had　always　looked　for　and　always　missed。〃

〃basil；　this　is　extraordinary！　i　must　see　dorian　gray。〃

hallward　got　up　from　the　seat　and　walked　up　and　down　the　garden。　after　some　time　he　came　back。　〃harry；〃　he　said；　〃dorian　gray　is　to　me　simply　a　motive　in　art。　you　might　see　nothing　in　him。　i　see　everything　in　him。　he　is　never　more　present　in　my　work　than　when　no　image　of　him　is　there。　he　is　a　suggestion；　as　i　have　said；　of　a　new　manner。　i　find　him　in　the　curves　of　certain　lines；　in　the　loveliness　and　subtleties　of　certain　colours。　that　is　all。〃

〃then　why　wont　you　exhibit　his　portrait？〃　asked　lord　henry。

〃because；　without　intending　it；　i　have　put　into　it　some　expression　of　all　this　curious　artistic　idolatry；　of　which；　of　course；　i　have　never　cared　to　speak　to　him。　he　knows　nothing　about　it。　he　shall　never　know　anything　about　it。　but　the　world　might　guess　it；　and　i　will　not　bare　my　soul　to　their　shallow　prying　eyes。　my　heart　shall　never　be　put　under　their　microscope。　there　is　too　much　of　myself　in　the　thing；　harrytoo　much　of　myself！〃

〃poets　are　not　so　scrupulous　as　you　are。　they　know　how　useful　passion　is　for　publication。　nowadays　a　broken　heart　will　run　to　many　editions。〃

〃i　hate　them　for　it；〃　cried　hallward。　〃an　artist　should　create　beautiful　things；　but　should　put　nothing　of　his　own　life　into　them。　we　live　in　an　age　when　men　treat　art　as　if　it　were　meant　to　be　a　form　of　autobiography。　we　have　lost　the　abstract　sense　of　beauty。　some　day　i　will　show　the　world　what　it　is；　and　for　that　reason　the　world　shall　never　see　my　portrait　of　dorian　gray。〃

〃i　think　you　are　wrong；　basil；　but　i　wont　argue　with　you。　it　is　only　the　intellectually　lost　who　ever　argue。　tell　me；　is　dorian　gray　very　fond　of　you？〃

the　painter　considered　for　a　few　moments。　〃he　likes　me；〃　he　answered　after　a　pause；　〃i　know　he　likes　me。　of　course　i　flatter　him　dreadfully。　i　find　a　strange　pleasure　in　saying　things　to　him　that　i　know　i　shall　be　sorry　for　having　said。　as　a　rule；　he　is　charming　to　me；　and　we　sit　in　the　studio　and　talk　of　a　thousand　things。　now　and　then；　however；　he　is　horribly　thoughtless；　and　seems　to　take　a　real　delight　in　giving　me　pain。　then　i　feel；　harry；　that　i　have　given　away　my　whole　soul　to　some　one　who　treats　it　as