The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Chapter 04

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, chapter four.
I suppose you have heard the news, Basil, said Lord
Henry on the following evening, as Hollwood was shown into
a little private room at the Bristol where dinner had

(00:22):
been laid for three No, Harry, answered Holward, giving his
hat and coat to the bowing waiter. What is it?
Nothing about politics? I hope they don't interest me. There
is hardly a single person in the House of commonsworth painting,
though many of them would be the better for a

(00:43):
little whitewashing. Dorri and Gray is engaged to be married,
said Lord Henry, watching him as he spoke. Hollward turned
perfectly pale, and a curious look flashed for a moment
into his eyes, and then passed away, leaving them dull.
Dorian engaged to be married, he cried, impossible. It is

(01:07):
perfectly true to whom, to some little actress or other.
I can't believe it. Dorian is far too sensible. Dorian
is far too wise not to do foolish things now
and then, my dear Basil, marriage is hardly a thing
that one can do now and then, Harry, said Holward, smiling,

(01:29):
except in America. But I didn't say he was married.
I said he was engaged to be married. There is
a great difference. I have a distinct remembrance of being married,
but I have no recollection at all of being engaged.
I am inclined to think that I was never engaged.

(01:49):
But think of Dorian's birth and position and wealth. It
would be absurd for him to marry so much beneath him.
If you want him to marry this girl, tell him that, Basil,
he is sure to do it. Then, whenever a man
does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always for the
noblest motives. I hope the girl is good, Harry. I
don't want to see dorient eyed to some vile creature

(02:12):
who might degrade his nature and ruin his intellect. Oh,
she is more than good. She is beautiful, murmured Lord Henry,
sipping a glass of vermouth and orange bitters. Dorian says
she is beautiful, and he is not often wrong about
things of that kind. Your portrait of him has quickened

(02:33):
his appreciation of the personal appearance of other people. It
has had that excellent effect among others. We are to
see her to night. If that boy doesn't forget his appointment.
But do you approve of it? Harry asked Hollward, walking
up and down the room and biting his lip. You
can't approve of it, really, it is some silly infatuation.

(02:57):
I never approve or dis approve of anything. Now. It
is an absurd attitude to take towards life. We are
not sent into the world to air our moral prejudices.
I never take any notice of what common people say,
and I never interfere with what charming people do. If
a personality infatuates me, whatever the personality chooses to do

(03:22):
is absolutely delightful to me. Dorian Gray falls in love
with a beautiful girl who acts Shakespeare and proposes to
marry her. Why not if you went a Masslina, he
would be none the less interesting. You know. I am
not a champion of marriage. The real drawback to marriage
is that it makes one unselfish. And unselfish people are colorless,

(03:47):
They lack individuality. Still, there are certain temperaments that marriage
makes more complex. They retain their egotism and add to
it many other egos. They are forced to have more
than one life. They become more highly organized. Besides, every
experience is of value. And whatever one may say against marriage,

(04:09):
it is certainly an experience. I hope that Dory and
Gray will make this girl his wife passionately, adore her
for six months, and then suddenly become fascinated by someone else.
He would be a wonderful study. You don't mean all that, Harry.
You know you don't. If Dorian Gray's life were spoiled,

(04:29):
no one would be sorrier than yourself. You are much
better than you were. Tend to be roared, Henry laughed.
The reason we all like to think so well of
others is that we are all afraid for ourselves. The
basis of optimism is sheer terror. We think that we
are generous because we credit our neighbor with those virtues

(04:53):
that are likely to benefit ourselves. We praise the banker
that we may overdraw our account, and we find good
qualities of the highwayman in the hope that he may
spare our pockets. I mean everything I have said. I
have the greatest contempt for optimism. And as for a
spoiled life, no life is spoiled but one whose growth

(05:15):
is arrested. If you want to mar in nature, you
merely have to reform it. But here is Dorian himself.
He will tell you more than I can. Oh, my
dear Harry, my dear Basil. You both must congratulate me,
said the boy, throwing off his evening cape with his
satin lined wings, and shaking each of his friends by
the hand in turn. I have never been so happy.

(05:39):
Of course, it is sudden, all really delightful things are,
and yet it seems to me to be the one
thing I have been looking for all my life. He
was flushed with excitement and pleasure, and looked extraordinarily handsome.
I hope you will always be very happy, Dorian, said Hallward.
But I don't quite forgive you for not letting me

(06:00):
know of your engagement. You let Harry know, and I
don't forgive you for being late for dinner, broke in
Lord Henry, putting his hand on the lad's shoulder and
smiling as he spoke. Come let us sit down and
try what the new chef here is like, and then
you will tell us how it all came about. There

(06:22):
is really not much to tell, cried Dorian, as they
took their seats at the small round table. What happened
was simply this. After I left you yesterday evening, Harry,
I had some dinner at that curious Italian restaurant in
Rupert Street you introduced me to, and went down afterwards
to the theater. Sybil was playing Rosalind. Of course, the

(06:45):
scenery was dreadful and the Orlando absurd. But Sybil, oh,
you should have seen her when she came on in
her boy's dress. She was perfectly wonderful. She wore a
moss colored velvet jerkin with cinnamon sleeves, brown crosscutted hose,
a dainty little green cap with a hock's feather, cotton
new jewel, and a hooded cloak lined with dull red.

(07:08):
She never seemed to me more exquisite. She had all
the delicate grace of that Tanagra figurine that you have
in your study, Basil, her hair clustered round her face
like dark leaves round a pale rose. As for her acting, well,
you will see her to night. She is simply a

(07:29):
born artist. I sat in the dingy box, absolutely enthralled.
I forgot I was in London, and in the nineteenth century.
I was away with my love in a forest that
no man had ever seen. After the performance was over,
I went behind and spoke to her as we were
sitting together. Suddenly there came a look into her eyes

(07:50):
that I had never seen there before. My lips moved
towards hers. We kissed each other. I I can't describe
to you what I felt at that moment. It seemed
to me that all my life had been narrowed to
one perfect point of rose colored joy. She trembled all
over and shook like a white narcissus. Then she flung

(08:13):
herself on her knees and kissed my hands. I feel
that I should not tell you all of this, but
I can't help it. Of course, our engagement is a
dead secret. She has not even told her own mother.
I don't know what my guardians will say. Old Radley
is sure to be furious, but I don't care. I
shall be of age in less than the year, and
then I can do what I like. I have been right, Basil,

(08:36):
haven't I to take my love out of poetry and
to find my wife in Shakespeare's place? Lips that Shakespeare
taught to speak have whispered their secret in my ear.
I have had the arms of Rosalind around me and
kissed Juliet on the mouth. Yes, Dorian I suppose you
were right, said Hollward. Slowly. Have you seen her to day,

(09:02):
asked Lord Henry. Dorian shook his head. I left her
in the forest of Arden. I shall find her in
an orchard in Verona. Lord Henry sipped his champagne in
a meditative manner. At what particular point did you mention
the word marriage, Dorian? And what did she say in answer?

(09:26):
Perhaps you forgot all about it, my dear Harry. I
did not treat it as a business transaction, and I
did not make a formal proposal. I told her that
I loved her, and she said she was not worthy
to be my wife. Not worthy. Why the whole world
is nothing to me compared to her. We men are

(09:47):
wonderfully practical, murmured Lord Henry, much more practical than we
are in situations of that kind. We often forget to
say anything about marriage, and they always remind us. Hollwood
laid his hand upon his arm. Don't Harry, you have
annoyed Dorian. He is not like other men. He would

(10:11):
never bring misery upon any one. His nature is far
too fine for that, Lord Henry looked across the table.
Dorian is never annoyed with me, he answered, I asked
the question for the best reason possible, for the only
reason indeed that excuses one asking any question curiosity. I

(10:31):
have a theory that it always happens that women propose
to us, and not we who propose to the women,
except of course, in middle class life. But then the
middle classes are not modern. Dorrian Gray laughed and tossed
his head. You are quite incorrigible, Harry, but I don't mind.

(10:53):
It is impossible to be angry with you. When you
see Sybil Vane, you will feel that the man who
could wrong her would be a beast without a heart.
I cannot understand how anyone can wish to shame what
he loves. I love Sybil Vain. I wish to place
her on a pedestal of gold, and to see the
world worship the woman who is mine. What is marriage

(11:17):
an irrevocable vow, And it is an irrevocable vow that
I want to take. Her trust makes me faithful. Her
belief makes me good. When I am with her, I
regret all that you have taught me. I become different
from what you have known me to be. I am changed,
And the mere touch of Sybil vain's hands makes me

(11:39):
forget you and all your wrong, fascinating, poisonous, delightful theories.
You will always like me, Dorian said, Lord Henry. Will
you have some coffee? You fellows way to bring coffee,
and fine fine champagne and some cigarettes. No, no, no,

(12:00):
don't mind the cigarettes. I have some basil. I can't
allow you to smoke cigars. You must have a cigarette.
A cigarette is a perfect type of a perfect pleasure.
It is exquisite and it leaves one unsatisfied. What more
can one want? Yes, Dorian, you will always be fond
of me. I represent to you all the sins you

(12:21):
have never had the courage to commit. What nonsense you talk, Harry,
cried Dorian Gray, lighting a cigarette from a fire breathing
silver dragon that the waiter had placed on the table.
Let us go down to the theater. When you see Sybil,
you will have a new ideal of life. She will

(12:42):
represent something to you that you have never known. I
have known everything, said Lord Henry, with a sad look
in his eyes. But I am always ready for a
new emotion. I am afraid there is no such thing
for me at any rate. Still, your wonderful girl, may

(13:05):
thrill me. I love acting. It is so much more
real than life. Let us go, Dorian, you will come
with me. I am so sorry, Basil, but there is
only room for two in the Brome. You must follow
us in a hansom. They got up and put on
their coats, sipping their coffee. Standing Allward was silent and preoccupied.

(13:28):
There was a gloom over him. He could not bear
this marriage, and yet it seemed to him to be
better than many other things it might have happened. After
a few moments they all passed downstairs. He drove off
by himself, as had been arranged, and watched the flashing
lights of the little brom in front of him. A

(13:49):
strange sense of loss came over him. He felt that
Dorrian Gray would never again be to him all that
he had been in the past. His eyes darkened, and
the crowded, flaring streets became blurred to him. When the
cab drew up at the doors of the theater, it
seemed to him that he had grown years older. End

(14:12):
of chapter four of the Picture of Dorrian Gray by
Oscar Wilde