Портрет Дориана Грея
Chapter 10
Itwasremarked,however,thatsomeofthosewhohadbeenmostintimatewithhimappeared,afteratime,toshunhim. Womenwhohadwildlyadoredhim,andforhissakehadbravedallsocialcensureandsetconventionatdefiance,wereseentogrowpallidwithshameorhorrorifDorianGrayenteredtheroom.
Yetthesewhisperedscandalsonlyincreased,intheeyesofmany,hisstrangeanddangerouscharm. Hisgreatwealthwasacertainelementofsecurity. Society,civilisedsocietyatleast,isneververyreadytobelieveanythingtothedetrimentofthosewhoarebothrichandfascinating. Itfeelsinstinctivelythatmannersareofmoreimportancethanmorals,and,initsopinion,thehighestrespectabilityisofmuchlessvaluethanthepossessionofagoodchef. And,afterall,itisaverypoorconsolationtobetoldthatthemanwhohasgivenoneabaddinner,orpoorwine,isirreproachableinhisprivatelife. Eventhecardinalvirtuescannotatoneforhalf-coldentrées,asLordHenryremarkedonce,inadiscussiononthesubject;andthereispossiblyagooddealtobesaidforhisview. Forthecanonsofgoodsocietyare,orshouldbe,thesameasthecanonsofart. Formisabsolutelyessentialtoit. Itshouldhavethedignityofaceremony,aswellasitsunreality,andshouldcombinetheinsincerecharacterofaromanticplaywiththewitandbeautythatmakesuchplaysdelightfultous. Isinsinceritysuchaterriblething? Ithinknot. Itismerelyamethodbywhichwecanmultiplyourpersonalities.
Such,atanyrate,wasDorianGray’sopinion. HeusedtowonderattheshallowpsychologyofthosewhoconceivetheEgoinmanasathingsimple,permanent,reliable,andofoneessence.
