《道林格雷的画像》第67章

t　us　talk　about　it　any　more；　and　dont　try　to　persuade　me　that　the　first　good　action　i　have　done　for　years；　the　first　little　bit　of　self…sacrifice　i　have　ever　known；　is　really　a　sort　of　sin。　i　want　to　be　better。　i　am　going　to　be　better。　tell　me　something　about　yourself。　what　is　going　on　in　town？　i　have　not　been　to　the　club　for　days。〃
〃the　people　are　still　discussing　poor　basils　disappearance。〃
〃i　should　have　thought　they　had　got　tired　of　that　by　this　time；〃　said　dorian；　pouring　himself　out　some　wine　and　frowning　slightly。
〃my　dear　boy；　they　have　only　been　talking　about　it　for　six　weeks；　and　the　british　public　are　really　not　equal　to　the　mental　strain　of　having　more　than　one　topic　every　three　months。　they　have　been　very　fortunate　lately；　however。　they　have　had　my　own　divorce…case　and　alan　campbells　suicide。　now　they　have　got　the　mysterious　disappearance　of　an　artist。　scotland　yard　still　insists　that　the　man　in　the　grey　ulster　who　left　for　paris　by　the　midnight　train　on　the　ninth　of　november　was　poor　basil；　and　the　french　police　declare　that　basil　never　arrived　in　paris　at　all。　i　suppose　in　about　a　fortnight　we　shall　be　told　that　he　has　been　seen　in　san　francisco。　it　is　an　odd　thing；　but　every　one　who　disappears　is　said　to　be　seen　at　san　francisco。　it　must　be　a　delightful　city；　and　possess　all　the　attractions　of　the　next　world。〃
〃what　do　you　think　has　happened　to　basil？〃　asked　dorian；　holding　up　his　burgundy　against　the　light　and　wondering　how　it　was　that　he　could　discuss　the　matter　so　calmly。
〃i　have　not　the　slightest　idea。　if　basil　chooses　to　hide　himself；　it　is　no　business　of　mine。　if　he　is　dead；　i　dont　want　to　think　about　him。　death　is　the　only　thing　that　ever　terrifies　me。　i　hate　it。〃
〃why？〃　said　the　younger　man　wearily。
〃because；〃　said　lord　henry；　passing　beneath　his　nostrils　the　gilt　trellis　of　an　open　vinaigrette　box；　〃one　can　survive　everything　nowadays　except　that。　death　and　vulgarity　are　the　only　two　facts　in　the　nineteenth　century　that　one　cannot　explain　away。　let　us　have　our　coffee　in　the　music…room；　dorian。　you　must　play　chopin　to　me。　the　man　with　whom　my　wife　ran　away　played　chopin　exquisitely。　poor　victoria！　i　was　very　fond　of　her。　the　house　is　rather　lonely　without　her。　of　course；　married　life　is　merely　a　habit；　a　bad　habit。　but　then　one　regrets　the　loss　even　of　ones　worst　habits。　perhaps　one　regrets　them　the　most。　they　are　such　an　essential　part　of　ones　personality。〃
dorian　said　nothing；　but　rose　from　the　table；　and　passing　into　the　next　room；　sat　down　to　the　piano　and　let　his　fingers　stray　across　the　white　and　black　ivory　of　the　keys。　after　the　coffee　had　been　brought　in；　he　stopped；　and　looking　over　at　lord　henry；　said；　〃harry；　did　it　ever　occur　to　you　that　basil　was　murdered？〃
lord　henry　yawned。　〃basil　was　very　popular；　and　always　wore　a　waterbury　watch。　why　should　he　have　been　murdered？　he　was　not　clever　enough　to　have　enemies。　of　course；　he　had　a　wonderful　genius　for　painting。　but　a　man　can　paint　like　velasquez　and　yet　be　as　dull　as　possible。　basil　was　really　rather　dull。　he　only　interested　me　once；　and　that　was　when　he　told　me；　years　ago；　that　he　had　a　wild　adoration　for　you　and　that　you　were　the　dominant　motive　of　his　art。〃
〃i　was　very　fond　of　basil；〃　said　dorian　with　a　note　of　sadness　in　his　voice。　〃but　dont　people　say　that　he　was　murdered？〃
〃oh；　some　of　the　papers　do。　it　does　not　seem　to　me　to　be　at　all　probable。　i　know　there　are　dreadful　places　in　paris；　but　basil　was　not　the　sort　of　man　to　have　gone　to　them。　he　had　no　curiosity。　it　was　his　chief　defect。〃
〃what　would　you　say；　harry；　if　i　told　you　that　i　had　murdered　basil？〃　said　the　younger　man。　he　watched　him　intently　after　he　had　spoken。
〃i　would　say；　my　dear　fellow；　that　you　were　posing　for　a　character　that　doesnt　suit　you。　all　crime　is　vulgar；　just　as　all　vulgarity　is　crime。　it　is　not　in　you；　dorian；　to　mit　a　murder。　i　am　sorry　if　i　hurt　your　vanity　by　saying　so；　but　i　assure　you　it　is　true。　crime　belongs　exclusively　to　the　lower　orders。　i　dont　blame　them　in　the　smallest　degree。　i　should　fancy　that　crime　was　to　them　what　art　is　to　us；　simply　a　method　of　procuring　extraordinary　sensations。〃
〃a　method　of　procuring　sensations？　do　you　think；　then；　that　a　man　who　has　once　mitted　a　murder　could　possibly　do　the　same　crime　again？　dont　tell　me　that。〃
〃oh！　anything　bees　a　pleasure　if　one　does　it　too　often；〃　cried　lord　henry；　laughing。　〃that　is　one　of　the　most　important　secrets　of　life。　i　should　fancy；　however；　that　murder　is　always　a　mistake。　one　should　never　do　anything　that　one　cannot　talk　about　after　dinner。　but　let　us　pass　from　poor　basil。　i　wish　i　could　believe　that　he　had　e　to　such　a　really　romantic　end　as　you　suggest；　but　i　cant。　i　dare　say　he　fell　into　the　seine　off　an　omnibus　and　that　the　conductor　hushed　up　the　scandal。　yes：　i　should　fancy　that　was　his　end。　i　see　him　lying　now　on　his　back　under　those　dull…green　waters；　with　the　heavy　barges　floating　over　him　and　long　weeds　catching　in　his　hair。　do　you　know；　i　dont　think　he　would　have　done　much　more　good　work。　during　the　last　ten　years　his　painting　had　gone　off　very　much。〃
dorian　heaved　a　sigh；　and　lord　henry　strolled　across　the　room　and　began　to　stroke　the　head　of　a　curious　java　parrot；　a　large；　grey…plumaged　bird　with　pink　crest　and　tail；　that　was　balancing　itself　upon　a　bamboo　perch。　as　his　pointed　fingers　touched　it；　it　dropped　the　white　scurf　of　crinkled　lids　over　black；　glasslike　eyes　and　began　to　sway　backwards　and　forwards。
〃yes；〃　he　continued；　turning　round　and　taking　his　handkerchief　out　of　his　pocket；　〃his　painting　had　quite　gone　off。　it　seemed　to　me　to　have　lost　something。　it　had　lost　an　ideal。　when　you　and　he　ceased　to　be　great　friends；　he　ceased　to　be　a　great　artist。　what　was　it　separated　you？　i　suppose　he　bored　you。　if　so；　he　never　forgave　you。　its　a　habit　bores　have。　by　the　way；　what　has　bee　of　that　wonderful　portrait　he　did　of　you？　i　dont　think　i　have　ever　seen　it　since　he　finished　it。　oh！　i　remember　your　telling　me　years　ago　that　you　had　sent　it　down　to　selby；　and　that　it　had　got　mislaid　or　stolen　on　the　way。　you　never　got　it　back？　what　a　pity！　it　was　really　a　masterpiece。　i　remember　i　wanted　to　buy　it。　i　wish　i　had　now。　it　belonge