ould not change places, Harry. Don't laugh
like that. I am telling you the truth. The wretched peasant who has just
died is better off than I am. I have no terror of Death. It is the
coming of Death that terrifies me. Its monstrous wings seem to wheel in
the leaden air around me. Good heavens! don't you see a man moving
behind the trees there, watching me, waiting for me?"

Lord Henry looked in the direction in which the trembling gloved hand
was pointing. "Yes," he said, smiling, "I see the gardener waiting for
you. I suppose he wants to ask you what flowers you wish to have on the
table to-night. How absurdly nervous you are, my dear fellow! You must
come and see my doctor, when we get back to town."

Dorian heaved a sigh of relief as he saw the gardener approaching. The
man touched his hat, glanced for a moment at Lord Henry in a hesitating
manner, and then produced a letter, which he handed to his master. "Her
Grace told me to wait for an answer," he murmured.

Dorian put the letter into his pocket. "Tell her Grace that I am coming
in," he said, coldly. The man turned round, and went rapidly in the
direction of the house.

"How fond women are of doing dangerous things!" laughed Lord Henry. "It
is one of the qualities in them that I admire most. A woman will flirt
with anybody in the world as long as other people are looking on."

"How fond you are of saying dangerous things, Harry! In the present
instance you are quite astray. I like the Duchess very much, but I don't
love her."

"And the Duchess loves you very much, but she likes you less, so you are
excellently matched."

"You are talking scandal, Harry, and there is never any basis for
scandal."

"The basis of every scandal is an immoral certainty," said Lord Henry,
lighting a cigarette.

"You would sacrifice anybody, Harry, for the sake of an epigram."

"The world goes to the altar of its own accord," was the answer.

"I wish I could love," cried Dorian Gray, with a deep note of pathos in
his voice. "But I seem to have lost the passion, and forgotten the
desire. I am too much concentrated on myself. My own personality has
become a burden to me. I want to escape, to go away, to forget. It was
silly of me to come down here at all. I think I shall send a wire to
Harvey to have the yacht got ready. On a yacht one is safe."

"Safe from what, Dorian? You are in some trouble. Why not tell me what
it is? You know I would help you."

"I can't tell you, Ha