The Picture of Dorian Gray——15

A week later Dorian Gray was at his house in the country,where he had invited Lord Henry and several other friends.Among them was the pretty Lady Monmouth and her much older husband.Lady Monmouth was amusing and clever,and seemed to like Dorian Gray very much.One afternooe,as they laughed and talked together during tea,Dorian went out of fetch a flower for Lady Monmouth's dress.Lord Henry smiled at Lady Monmouth.
'I hope you're not in love with Dorian,my dear.He's very dangerous.'
She laughed.'Oh,men are much more interesting when they're dangerous.'
Just then they heard the sound of a heavy fall.Lord Henry ran out of the room and found Dorian lying unconscious on the floor.When Dorian opened his eyes,Lord Henry said,'My dear Dorian,you must take care of yourself.You're not well.'
Dorian stood up slowly.'I'm all right,Harry.I'm all right.'
As he dressed for dinner in his room,Dorian remembered what he had seen and cold fear ran through him like a knife.He had seen a face watching him at the window and he had recognized it.It was the face of James Vane.
The next day he did not leave the house.In fact,for most of the day he stayed in the room,sick with fear.Every time he closed his eyes,he saw again the sailor's face.He tried to tell himself that he had dreamt it.Yes,it was impossible.Sybil Vane's brother did not know his name,and was probably on his ship at sea.No,of course he had not seen James Vane's face at the window.
But the fear stayed with him,dream or no dream.
Two days passed and Dorian grew less afraid.On the third day,a clear,bright winter morning,Dorian joined his friends on a shooting-party.With Lady Monmouth by his side,he walked to the edge of the forest where the men were shooting at birds and small animals.The cold air and the sounds and smells of the forest filled Dorian with happiness.Suddenly one of the men shot into the trees near them.There were two cries in the morning air-the cry of an animal and the cry of a man,both in pain.
There were shouts and calls from the mean,and then a man's body was pulled from the trees.Dorian turned away in horror.Bad luck seemed to follow him everywhere.
People began to walk back towards the house.Lord Henry came over to tell Dorian that the man was dead.
Dorian shook his head.'Oh,Harry,'he said to slowly.'I feel that something terrible is going to happen to some of us-to me,perhaps.'
Lord Henry laughed at this idea.'What could happen to you,Dorian?You have everything in the world that a man can want.Forget about this accident.It was just accident-not murder.'Then he added with a smile,'But it would be very interesting to meet a person who had murdered so mebody.'
'What a terrible thing to say!'cried Lady Monmouth.'Don't you agree,Mr Gray?Mr Gray!Are you ill again?Your face is so white!'
Dorian smiled and tried to speak calmly.'It's nothing'he said quietly.'But please excuse me.I think I must go and lie down.'
Upstairs in his room Dorian's body shook with fear like a leaf in the wind.He felt that he could not stay another night in the house.Death walked there in the sunlight.He decided to return immediately to London and to visit his doctor.His servant came to pack his clothes,and while he was doing this,he told Dorian that the dead man was a sailor,but no one knew his name.
'A sailor!'criedn Dorian.He jumped to his feet.A wild hope filled him'I must see the body at once.'
He hurried to the house where the body lay,and when he uncovered the face of the dead man,he saw that it was James Vane.He cried with happiness,and knew that now he was safe.