Oscar Wilde
By chapter
Chapter 2 · 17:31 - 18:01
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Why? Because you have the most marvelous youth, and youth is the one thing worth having. I don't feel that, Lord Henry. No, you don't feel it now. Some day, when you are old and wrinkled and ugly, when thought has seared your forehead with its lines and passion branded your lips with its hideous fires, you will feel it. You will feel it terribly
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Till I have my first wrinkle, I suppose. I know now that when one loses one's good looks, whatever they may be, he loses everything. Your picture has taught me that. Lord Henry Wotton is perfectly right. Youth is the only thing worth having. When I find that I am growing old, I shall kill myself
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"They become you." "Only in public." "You would miss them," said Lord Henry. "I will not part with a petal." "Monmouth has ears." "Old age is dull of hearing. Has he never been jealous? I wish he had been." He glanced about as if in search of something. "What are you looking for?" she inquired.
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Life has everything in store for you, Dorian. There is nothing that you, with your extraordinary good looks, will not be able to do. But suppose, Harry, I become haggard and, and old and, and wrinkled. What then? Ah, then, said Lord Henry, rising to go, then, my dear Dorian, you would have to fight for your victories. As it is, they are brought to you.
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Lord Henry laughed. The reason we all like to think so well of others is that we are all afraid of ourselves. The basis of optimism is sheer terror. We think that we are generous because we credit our neighbor with the possession of those virtues that are likely to be a benefit to us. We praise the banker that we may overdraw our accounts, and we find good qualities in the highwayman in the hope that he may spare our pockets.
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"Ah! I have talked quite enough for to-day," said Lord Henry, smiling. "All I want now is to look at life. You may come and look at it with me, if you care to." End of chapter three
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"Oh, she is better 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 his appreciation of the personal appearance of other people. It has had that excellent effect, amongst others. We are to see her to-night, if that boy doesn't forget his appointment."
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It seems to me to be simply like a wonderful ending to a wonderful play. It has all the terrible beauty of a Greek tragedy, a tragedy in which I took a great part, but by which I have not been wounded. It is an interesting question, said Lord Henry, who found an exquisite pleasure in playing on the lad's unconscious egotism. An extremely interesting question.
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Lord Henry laughed. [laughs] "And what is that?" he asked. "I will tell you," said Hallward, but an expression of perplexity came over his face. "I am all expectation, Basil," continued his companion, glancing at him. "Oh, there is really very little to tell, Harry," answered the painter; "and I am afraid you will hardly understand it. Perhaps you will hardly believe it.
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"I said, Harry, I said it fascinated me. There is a great difference." "Ah! You have discovered that," murmured Lord Henry. And they passed into the dining-room. End of chapter 10