道林格雷的画像_奥斯卡·王尔德-第36节

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p　prescriptions。　he　was　an　excellent　musician；　however；　as　well；　and　played　both　the　violin　and　the　piano　better　than　most　amateurs。　in　fact；　it　was　music　that　had　first　brought　him　and　dorian　gray　togethermusic　and　that　indefinable　attraction　that　dorian　seemed　to　be　able　to　exercise　whenever　he　wished　and；　indeed；　exercised　often　without　being　conscious　of　it。　they　had　met　at　lady　berkshires　the　night　that　rubinstein　played　there；　and　after　that　used　to　be　always　seen　together　at　the　opera　and　wherever　good　music　was　going　on。　for　eighteen　months　their　intimacy　lasted。　campbell　was　always　either　at　selby　royal　or　in　grosvenor　square。　to　him；　as　to　many　others；　dorian　gray　was　the　type　of　everything　that　is　wonderful　and　fascinating　in　life。　whether　or　not　a　quarrel　had　taken　place　between　them　no　one　ever　knew。　but　suddenly　people　remarked　that　they　scarcely　spoke　when　they　met　and　that　campbell　seemed　always　to　go　away　early　from　any　party　at　which　dorian　gray　was　present。　he　had　changed；　toowas　strangely　melancholy　at　times；　appeared　almost　to　dislike　hearing　music；　and　would　never　himself　play；　giving　as　his　excuse；　when　he　was　called　upon；　that　he　was　so　absorbed　in　science　that　he　had　no　time　left　in　which　to　practise。　and　this　was　certainly　true。　every　day　he　seemed　to　bee　more　interested　in　biology；　and　his　name　appeared　once　or　twice　in　some　of　the　scientific　reviews　in　connection　with　certain　curious　experiments。

this　was　the　man　dorian　gray　was　waiting　for。　every　second　he　kept　glancing　at　the　clock。　as　the　minutes　went　by　he　became　horribly　agitated。　at　last　he　got　up　and　began　to　pace　up　and　down　the　room；　looking　like　a　beautiful　caged　thing。　he　took　long　stealthy　strides。　his　hands　were　curiously　cold。

the　suspense　became　unbearable。　time　seemed　to　him　to　be　crawling　with　feet　of　lead；　while　he　by　monstrous　winds　was　being　swept　towards　the　jagged　edge　of　some　black　cleft　of　precipice。　he　knew　what　was　waiting　for　him　there；　saw　it；　indeed；　and；　shuddering；　crushed　with　dank　hands　his　burning　lids　as　though　he　would　have　robbed　the　very　brain　of　sight　and　driven　the　eyeballs　back　into　their　cave。　it　was　useless。　the　brain　had　its　own　food　on　which　it　battened；　and　the　imagination；　made　grotesque　by　terror；　twisted　and　distorted　as　a　living　thing　by　pain；　danced　like　some　foul　puppet　on　a　stand　and　grinned　through　moving　masks。　then；　suddenly；　time　stopped　for　him。　yes：　that　blind；　slow…breathing　thing　crawled　no　more；　and　horrible　thoughts；　time　being　dead；　raced　nimbly　on　in　front；　and　dragged　a　hideous　future　from　its　grave；　and　showed　it　to　him。　he　stared　at　it。　its　very　horror　made　him　stone。

at　last　the　door　opened　and　his　servant　entered。　he　turned　glazed　eyes　upon　him。

〃mr。　campbell；　sir；〃　said　the　man。

a　sigh　of　relief　broke　from　his　parched　lips；　and　the　colour　came　back　to　his　cheeks。

〃ask　him　to　e　in　at　once；　francis。〃　he　felt　that　he　was　himself　again。　his　mood　of　cowardice　had　passed　away。

the　man　bowed　and　retired。　in　a　few　moments；　alan　campbell　walked　in；　looking　very　stern　and　rather　pale；　his　pallor　being　intensified　by　his　coal…black　hair　and　dark　eyebrows。

〃alan！　this　is　kind　of　you。　i　thank　you　for　ing。〃

〃i　had　intended　never　to　enter　your　house　again；　gray。　but　you　said　it　was　a　matter　of　life　and　death。〃　his　voice　was　hard　and　cold。　he　spoke　with　slow　deliberation。　there　was　a　look　of　contempt　in　the　steady　searching　gaze　that　he　turned　on　dorian。　he　kept　his　hands　in　the　pockets　of　his　astrakhan　coat；　and　seemed　not　to　have　noticed　the　gesture　with　which　he　had　been　greeted。

〃yes：　it　is　a　matter　of　life　and　death；　alan；　and　to　more　than　one　person。　sit　down。〃

campbell　took　a　chair　by　the　table；　and　dorian　sat　opposite　to　him。　the　two　mens　eyes　met。　in　dorians　there　was　infinite　pity。　he　knew　that　what　he　was　going　to　do　was　dreadful。

after　a　strained　moment　of　silence；　he　leaned　across　and　said；　very　quietly；　but　watching　the　effect　of　each　word　upon　the　face　of　him　he　had　sent　for；　〃alan；　in　a　locked　room　at　the　top　of　this　house；　a　room　to　which　nobody　but　myself　has　access；　a　dead　man　is　seated　at　a　table。　he　has　been　dead　ten　hours　now。　dont　stir；　and　dont　look　at　me　like　that。　who　the　man　is；　why　he　died；　how　he　died；　are　matters　that　do　not　concern　you。　what　you　have　to　do　is　this〃

〃stop；　gray。　i　dont　want　to　know　anything　further。　whether　what　you　have　told　me　is　true　or　not　true　doesnt　concern　me。　i　entirely　decline　to　be　mixed　up　in　your　life。　keep　your　horrible　secrets　to　yourself。　they　dont　interest　me　any　more。〃

〃alan；　they　will　have　to　interest　you。　this　one　will　have　to　interest　you。　i　am　awfully　sorry　for　you；　alan。　but　i　cant　help　myself。　you　are　the　one　man　who　is　able　to　save　me。　i　am　forced　to　bring　you　into　the　matter。　i　have　no　option。　alan；　you　are　scientific。　you　know　about　chemistry　and　things　of　that　kind。　you　have　made　experiments。　what　you　have　got　to　do　is　to　destroy　the　thing　that　is　upstairs　to　destroy　it　so　that　not　a　vestige　of　it　will　be　left。　nobody　saw　this　person　e　into　the　house。　indeed；　at　the　present　moment　he　is　supposed　to　be　in　paris。　he　will　not　be　missed　for　months。　when　he　is　missed；　there　must　be　no　trace　of　him　found　here。　you；　alan；　you　must　change　him；　and　everything　that　belongs　to　him；　into　a　handful　of　ashes　that　i　may　scatter　in　the　air。〃

〃you　are　mad；　dorian。〃

〃ah！　i　was　waiting　for　you　to　call　me　dorian。〃

〃you　are　mad；　i　tell　youmad　to　imagine　that　i　would　raise　a　finger　to　help　you；　mad　to　make　this　monstrous　confession。　i　will　have　nothing　to　do　with　this　matter；　whatever　it　is。　do　you　think　i　am　going　to　peril　my　reputation　for　you？　what　is　it　to　me　what　devils　work　you　are　up　to？〃

〃it　was　suicide；　alan。〃

〃i　am　glad　of　that。　but　who　drove　him　to　it？　you；　i　should　fancy。〃

〃do　you　still　refuse　to　do　this　for　me？〃

〃of　course　i　refuse。　i　will　have　absolutely　nothing　to　do　with　it。　i　dont　care　what　shame　es　on　you。　you　deserve　it　all。　i　should　not　be　sorry　to　see　you　disgraced；　publicly　disgraced。　how　dare　you　ask　me；　of　all　men　in　the　world；　to　mix　myself　up　in　this　horror？　i　should　have　thought　you　knew　more　about　peoples　characters。　your　friend　lord　henry　wotton　cant　have　taught　you　much　about　psychology；　whatever　else　he　has　taught　you。　nothing　will　induce　me　to　stir　a　step　to　help　you。　you　have　e　to　the　wrong　man。　go　to　some　of　your　friends。　dont　e　to　me。〃

〃alan；　it　was　murder。　i　killed　him。　you　dont　know　what　he　had　made　me　suffer。　whatever　my　life　is；　he　had　more　to　do　with　the　making　or　the　marring　of　it　than　poor　harry　has　had。　he　may　not　have　intended　it；　the　result　was　the　same。〃

〃murder！　good　god；　dorian；　is　that　what　you　have　e　to？　i　shall　not　inform　upon　you。　it　is　not　my　business。　besides；　without　my　stirring　in　the　matter；　you　are　certain　to　be　arrested。　nobody　ever　mits　a　crime　without　doing　something　stupid。　but　i　will　have　nothing　to　do　with　it。〃

〃you　must　have　something　to　do　with　it。　wait；　wait　a　moment；　listen　to　me。　only　listen；　alan。　all　i　ask　of　you　is　to　perform　a　certain　scientific　experiment。　you　go　to　hospitals　and　dead…houses；　and　the　horrors　that　you　do　there　dont　affect　you。　if　in　some　hideous　dissecting…room　or　fetid　laboratory　you　found　this　man　lying　on　a　leaden　table　with　red　gutters　scooped　out　in　it　for　the　blood　to　flow　through；　you　would　simply　look　upon　him　as　an　admirable　subject。　you　would　not　turn　a　hair。　you　would　not　believe　that　you　were　doing　anything　wrong。　on　the　contrary；　you　would　probably　feel　that　you　were　benefiting　the　human　race；　or　increasing　the　sum　of　knowledge　in　the　world；　or　gratifying　intellectual　curiosity；　or　something　of　that　kind。　what　i　want　you　to　do　is　merely　what　you　have　often　done　before。　indeed；　to　destroy　a　body　must　be　far　less　horrible　than　what　you　are　accustomed　to　work　at。　and；　remember；　it　is　the　only　piece　of　evidence　against　me。　if　it　is　discovered；　i　am　lost；　and　it　is　sure　to　be　discovered　unless　you　help　me。〃

〃i　have　no　desire　to　help　you。　you　forget　that。　i　am　simply　indifferent　to　the　whole　thing。　it　has　nothing　to　do　with　me。〃

〃alan；　i　entreat　you。　think　of　the　position　i　am　in。　just　before　you　came　i　almost　fainted　with　terror。　you　may　know　terror　yourself　some　day。　no！　dont　think　of　that。　look　at　the　matter　purely　from　the　scientific　point　of　view。　you　dont　inquire　where　the　dead　things　on　which　you　experiment　e　from。　dont　inquire　now。　i　have　told　you　too　much　as　it　is。　but　i　beg　of　you　to　do　this。　we　were　friends　once；　alan。〃

〃dont　speak　about　those　days；　dorianthey　are　dead。〃

〃the　dead　linger　sometimes。　the　man　upstairs　will　not　go　away。　he　is　sitting　at　the　table　with　bowed　head　and　outstretched　arms。　alan！　alan！　if　you　dont　e　to　my　assistance；　i　am　ruined。　why；　they　will　hang　me；　alan！　dont　you　understand？　they　will　hang　me　for　what　i　have　done。〃

〃there　is　no　good　in　prolonging　this　scene。　i　absolutely　refuse　to　do　anything　in　the　matter。　it　is　insane　of　you　to　ask　me。〃

〃you　refuse？〃

〃yes。〃

〃i　entreat　you；　alan。〃

〃it　is　useless。〃

the　same　look　of　pity　came　into　dorian　grays　eyes。　then　he　stretched　out　his　hand；　took　a　piece　of　paper；　and　wrote　something　on　it。　he　read　it　over　twice；　folded　it　carefully；　and　pushed　it　across　the　table。　having　done　this；