THE+PICTURE+OF+DORIAN+GRAY

art. But you don't know what it cost me to tell you all that I havetold you.''My dear Basil,' said Dorian,'what have you told me? Only thatyou worshipped me too much. That is not even flattery.''It was not meant as flattery. And now that I have told you,something seems to have gone out of me. Perhaps you should neverput what you worship into words.''You mustn't talk about worship. It is foolish. You and I arefriends, Basil, and we will always be friends.'oYou have got Harry,'said the painter, sadly.'Oh, Harry!' laughed the young man. 'Harry spends his lifesaying and doing extraordinary things. He lives the sort of life Iwant to live. But I don't think I would go to Harry if I was introuble. I would prefer to go to you, Basil.''You wiil sit for me again?''Impossible! There is something terrible about a portrait. It has alife of its own. I will come and have tea with you instead.''.Well, goodbye then.I am sorry that you won't let me look at thepicture again. But I understand what you feel about it.'As he left the room, Dorian Gray smiled to himself. Poor Basil!How little he knew of the true reason. And now he understoodmore the painter's wild and jealous feelings, and he felt sorry. Therewas something tagíc in a friendship so corrupted by passion.He rang the bell to call his servant. He had to hide the portraitimmediately. It had been mad of him to leave it in a place where itcould be discovered bv his friends.Chapter 8 The Portrait Is Flidden'When the servant entered, Dorian Gray asked him to send Mrs Leafto him in the library. Mrs Leaf had been with his family for manyyears. He asked her for the key to the old schoolroom.38