Pagina 28 de 490

"Ah, my dear Basil, that is exactly why I can feel it. Those who

are faithful know only the trivial side of love: it is the

faithless who know love's tragedies." And Lord Henry struck a

light on a dainty silver case and began to smoke a cigarette with

a self-conscious and satisfied air, as if he had summed up the

world in a phrase. There was a rustle of chirruping sparrows in

the green lacquer leaves of the ivy, and the blue cloud-shadows

chased themselves across the grass like swallows. How pleasant it

was in the garden! And how delightful other people's emotions

were!-much more delightful than their ideas, it seemed to him.

One's own soul, and the passions of one's friends-those were the

fascinating things in life. He pictured to himself with silent

amusement the tedious luncheon that he had missed by staying so

long with Basil Hallward.