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37
…"Never marry at all, Dorian. Men marry because they are
tired; women, because they are curious: both are disappointed."
"I don't think I will marry sometime. I am too much in love. That
is one of your aphorisms. I am putting it into practice, as I do every-
thing that you say."
"Who are you in love with?" asked Lord Henry after a pause.
"With an actress," said Dorian Gray.
"That is a rather commonplace debut.
1
"
"You would not say so if you saw her, Harry."
"Who is she?"
"Her name is Sibyl Vane."
"Never heard of her."
"No one has. People will some day, however. She is a genius."
"My dear boy, no woman is a genius. Women are decorative, but
never genius. They never have anything to say, but they say it beauti-
fully."
"Harry, how can you?"
"My dear Dorian, it is quite true. I am analysing women at pre-
sent, so I ought to know. There are only five women in London who
can give you real conversation. However, tell me about your genius.
How long have you known her?"
"About three weeks."
"And where did you meet her?"
"I will tell you, Harry, if you promise not to laugh. Well, one
evening about seven o'clock, I was walking around. I felt that there was
something special for me in this grey monstrous London. Soon I lost
my way in a labyrinth of dark streets. About half-past eight I saw an
old dirty theatre.
"Well, I found myself seated in a terrible little box and looked
around. The gallery and pit
were full, but the two rows in the stalls
were quite empty. I think there was not a person in the dress-circle. It
was very depressing. I began to wonder what on earth I should do when
I saw the play-bill. What do you think the play was, Harry? It was Ro-
meo and Juliet. I felt sorry for its great writer. There was a dreadful
2
orchestra. The sounds of a cracked piano nearly drove me away, but at
last the curtain went up and the play began.
38
"Romeo was a fat old man with a terrible voice, and a figure like
a beer-barrel
3
. Mercutio was almost as bad. But Juliet! Harry, imagine
a girl, about seventeen years of age, with a little, flowerlike face, a
small Greek head with dark-brown hair, eyes that were violet wells of
passion, lips that were like the petals of a rose. She was the loveliest
thing I had ever seen in my life.
"You said to me once that only beauty could fill your eyes with
tears.
I tell you, Harry, I could hardly see this girl because tears came
across me. And her voice – I never heard such a voice. It was like mu-
sic. Harry, I do love her. She is everything to me in life. Night after
night I go to see her play. I have seen her in every age and in every cos-
tume.
"Ordinary women – I am not interested in them. They ride in the
park in the morning, and chatter at tea-parties in the afternoon. They
have their stereotyped smile and their fashionable manner. There is no
mystery in them. But an actress! How different an actress is! Harry!
why didn't you tell me that the only thing worth loving is an actress?"
"Because I have loved many of them, Dorian. But when did you
first speak to Miss Sibyl Vane?"
"The third night. I threw her some flowers, and she looked at me.
"Oh, she was so shy and so gentle
4
. There is something of a child
about her. Her eyes opened wide when I told her what I thought of her
performance. She didn't know about her power. I think we were both
rather nervous. At last she said to me, «You look like a prince. I must
call you Prince Charming
5
.”
"Upon my word, Dorian, Miss Sibyl knows how to pay compli-
ments."
"You don't understand her, Harry. She knows nothing of life.
She
lives with her mother, a tired woman. Harry, Sibyl is the only thing I
care about. What is it to me where she came from? From her little head
to her little feet, she is beautiful. Every night of my life I go to see her
act, and every night she is more wonderful."
"And what do you want to do?" said Lord Henry at last.
"I want you and Basil to come with me some night and see her
act. You will see her genius. Then we must get her out of that terrible
…"Never marry at all, Dorian. Men marry because they are "Romeo was a fat old man with a terrible voice, and a figure like tired; women, because they are curious: both are disappointed." a beer-barrel3. Mercutio was almost as bad. But Juliet! Harry, imagine "I don't think I will marry sometime. I am too much in love. That a girl, about seventeen years of age, with a little, flowerlike face, a is one of your aphorisms. I am putting it into practice, as I do every- small Greek head with dark-brown hair, eyes that were violet wells of thing that you say." passion, lips that were like the petals of a rose. She was the loveliest "Who are you in love with?" asked Lord Henry after a pause. thing I had ever seen in my life. "With an actress," said Dorian Gray. "You said to me once that only beauty could fill your eyes with "That is a rather commonplace debut.1" tears. "You would not say so if you saw her, Harry." I tell you, Harry, I could hardly see this girl because tears came "Who is she?" across me. And her voice – I never heard such a voice. It was like mu- "Her name is Sibyl Vane." sic. Harry, I do love her. She is everything to me in life. Night after "Never heard of her." night I go to see her play. I have seen her in every age and in every cos- "No one has. People will some day, however. She is a genius." tume. "My dear boy, no woman is a genius. Women are decorative, but "Ordinary women – I am not interested in them. They ride in the never genius. They never have anything to say, but they say it beauti- park in the morning, and chatter at tea-parties in the afternoon. They fully." have their stereotyped smile and their fashionable manner. There is no "Harry, how can you?" mystery in them. But an actress! How different an actress is! Harry! "My dear Dorian, it is quite true. I am analysing women at pre- why didn't you tell me that the only thing worth loving is an actress?" sent, so I ought to know. There are only five women in London who "Because I have loved many of them, Dorian. But when did you can give you real conversation. However, tell me about your genius. first speak to Miss Sibyl Vane?" How long have you known her?" "The third night. I threw her some flowers, and she looked at me. "About three weeks." "Oh, she was so shy and so gentle4. There is something of a child "And where did you meet her?" about her. Her eyes opened wide when I told her what I thought of her "I will tell you, Harry, if you promise not to laugh. Well, one performance. She didn't know about her power. I think we were both evening about seven o'clock, I was walking around. I felt that there was rather nervous. At last she said to me, «You look like a prince. I must something special for me in this grey monstrous London. Soon I lost call you Prince Charming5.” my way in a labyrinth of dark streets. About half-past eight I saw an "Upon my word, Dorian, Miss Sibyl knows how to pay compli- old dirty theatre. ments." "Well, I found myself seated in a terrible little box and looked "You don't understand her, Harry. She knows nothing of life. She around. The gallery and pit were full, but the two rows in the stalls lives with her mother, a tired woman. Harry, Sibyl is the only thing I were quite empty. I think there was not a person in the dress-circle. It care about. What is it to me where she came from? From her little head was very depressing. I began to wonder what on earth I should do when to her little feet, she is beautiful. Every night of my life I go to see her I saw the play-bill. What do you think the play was, Harry? It was Ro- act, and every night she is more wonderful." meo and Juliet. I felt sorry for its great writer. There was a dreadful2 "And what do you want to do?" said Lord Henry at last. orchestra. The sounds of a cracked piano nearly drove me away, but at "I want you and Basil to come with me some night and see her last the curtain went up and the play began. act. You will see her genius. Then we must get her out of that terrible 37 38
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