Портрет Дориана Грея

           Hesighed,andtookupthevolumeagain,andtriedtoforget. HereadoftheswallowsthatflyinandoutofthelittlecaféatSmyrna wheretheHadjissitcountingtheiramberbeadsandtheturbanedmerchantssmoketheirlongtasselledpipesandtalkgravelytoeachother; hereadoftheObeliskinthePlacedelaConcordethatweepstearsofgraniteinitslonelysunlessexile,andlongstobebackbythehotlotus-coveredNile, wherethereareSphinxes,androse-redibises,andwhitevultureswithgildedclaws,andcrocodiles,withsmallberyleyes,thatcrawloverthegreensteamingmud; hebegantobroodoverthoseverseswhich,drawingmusicfromkiss-stainedmarble,tellofthatcuriousstatue thatGautiercomparestoacontraltovoice,the"monstrecharmant"thatcouchesintheporphyry-roomoftheLouvre. Butafteratimethebookfellfromhishand. Hegrewnervous,andahorriblefitofterrorcameoverhim. WhatifAlanCampbellshouldbeoutofEngland? Dayswouldelapsebeforehecouldcomeback. Perhapshemightrefusetocome. Whatcouldhedothen? Everymomentwasofvitalimportance. Theyhadbeengreatfriendsonce,fiveyearsbefore—almostinseparable,indeed. Thentheintimacyhadcomesuddenlytoanend. Whentheymetinsocietynow,itwasonlyDorianGraywhosmiled; AlanCampbellneverdid. 

           Hewasanextremelycleveryoungman,thoughhehadnorealappreciationofthevisiblearts,andwhateverlittlesenseofthebeautyofpoetryhepossessedhehadgainedentirelyfromDorian. Hisdominantintellectualpassionwasforscience. AtCambridgehehadspentagreatdealofhistimeworkingintheLaboratory,andhadtakenagoodclassintheNaturalScienceTriposofhisyear. Indeed,hewasstilldevotedtothestudyofchemistry,andhadalaboratoryofhisown, inwhichheusedtoshuthimselfupalldaylong,greatlytotheannoyanceofhismother, whohadsetherheartonhisstandingforParliament,andhadavagueideathatachemistwasapersonwhomadeupprescriptions.