THE+PICTURE+OF+DORIAN+GRAY

'Very well. I shall be here at eleven,' said Dorian.'Good-night,H.arry.'Chapter 13 'To Kill the Past'It was a lovely night. He walked home, with his coat on his arm,smoking his cigarette. Two young men in evening dress passed him.He heard one of them whisper to the other,'That is Dorian Gray' .FIe remembered how pleased he used to be when he was stared ator talkecl about. FIe was tired of hearing his own name now.'!7hen he reached home, he found his servant waiting up for him.He sent him to bed, and threw himself down on rhe sofa in thelibrary. He began to think about some of the things that LordHenry had said to hirn.'W'asit really true that one could never change? There had been atime when he had been good and innocent. He had corrupredhimself, and become a terrible influence on others. He had even gotpleasure from this corruption. Yet his soul had once been the purestof all.'W'as all that gone? Was there no hope for him?In one terrible moment of passion, he had asked to stay youngfor all time. All his failure had been because of that. He had notbeen punished, but perhaps punishment was what he had needed.Punishment cleaned the soul.The mirror that Lord Henry had given to him, so many years agonow was standing on the table. He picked it up, remembering thathorrible night when he had firsr noticed the change in the picture.Once, someone who had loved him passionately had written him amad letter. It had ended with these words: 'The world is changedbecause you are made of gold.' He repeated them to himselfand suddeniy realized that he hated his own beaury. Throwing themirror on the floor, he broke the glass into little pieces with his foot.It was his beaury that had spoiled him.61