Пропустити текст статті
“ Take that thing off the face . I wish to see it , ” he said , clutching at the door - post for support . When the farm - servant had done so , he stepped forward . A cry of joy broke from his lips . The man who had been shot in the thicket was James Vane . He stood there for some minutes looking at the dead body . As he rode home , his eyes were full of tears , for he knew he was safe . CHAPTER XIX . “ There is no use your telling me that you are going to be good , ” cried Lord Henry , dipping his white fingers into a red copper bowl filled with rose - water . “ You are quite perfect . Pray , don’t change . ” Dorian Gray shook his head . “ No , Harry , I have done too many dreadful things in my life . I am not going to do any more . I began my good actions yesterday . ” “ Where were you yesterday ? ” “ In the country , Harry . I was staying at a little inn by myself . ” “ My dear boy , ” said Lord Henry , smiling , “ anybody can be good in the country . There are no temptations there . That is the reason why people who live out of town are so absolutely uncivilized . Civilization is not by any means an easy thing to attain to . There are only two ways by which man can reach it . One is by being cultured , the other by being corrupt . Country people have no opportunity of being either , so they stagnate . ” “ Culture and corruption , ” echoed Dorian . “ I have known something of both . It seems terrible to me now that they should ever be found together . For I have a new ideal , Harry . I am going to alter . I think I have altered . ” “ You have not yet told me what your good action was . Or did you say you had done more than one ? ” asked his companion as he spilled into his plate a little crimson pyramid of seeded strawberries and , through a perforated , shell - shaped spoon , snowed white sugar upon them . “ I can tell you , Harry . It is not a story I could tell to any one else . I spared somebody . It sounds vain , but you understand what I mean . She was quite beautiful and wonderfully like Sibyl Vane . I think it was that which first attracted me to her . You remember Sibyl , don’t you ? How long ago that seems ! Well , Hetty was not one of our own class , of course . She was simply a girl in a village . But I really loved her . I am quite sure that I loved her . All during this wonderful May that we have been having , I used to run down and see her two or three times a week . Yesterday she met me in a little orchard . The apple - blossoms kept tumbling down on her hair , and she was laughing . We were to have gone away together this morning at dawn . Suddenly I determined to leave her as flowerlike as I had found her . ”
Назад Сторінка 148 з 159 Сторінка 148 з 159 Вперед Читайте далі з перекладом Створіть безкоштовний акаунт: 7 днів Pro, далі 20 перекладів слів на день або платний тариф.
