Pagina 477 di 490

"It is because I am going to be good," he answered, smiling. "I

am a little changed already."

"You cannot change to me, Dorian," said Lord Henry. "You and I

will always be friends."

"Yet you poisoned me with a book once. I should not forgive that.

Harry, promise me that you will never lend that book to any one.

It does harm."

"My dear boy, you are really beginning to moralize. You will soon

be going about like the converted, and the revivalist, warning

people against all the sins of which you have grown tired. You

are much too delightful to do that. Besides, it is no use. You

and I are what we are, and will be what we will be. As for being

poisoned by a book, there is no such thing as that. Art has no

influence upon action. It annihilates the desire to act. It is

superbly sterile. The books that the world calls immoral are

books that show the world its own shame. That is all. But we

won't discuss literature. Come round to-morrow. I am going to

ride at eleven. We might go together, and I will take you to

lunch afterwards with Lady Branksome. She is a charming woman,

and wants to consult you about some tapestries she is thinking of

buying. Mind you come. Or shall we lunch with our little duchess?

She says she never sees you now. Perhaps you are tired of Gladys?

I thought you would be.