Pagina 382 van 490

"Your life? Good heavens! what a life that is! You have gone from

corruption to corruption, and now you have culminated in crime.

In doing what I am going to do-what you force me to do-it is not

of your life that I am thinking."

"Ah, Alan," murmured Dorian with a sigh, "I wish you had a

thousandth part of the pity for me that I have for you." He

turned away as he spoke and stood looking out at the garden.

Campbell made no answer.

After about ten minutes a knock came to the door, and the servant

entered, carrying a large mahogany chest of chemicals, with a

long coil of steel and platinum wire and two rather curiously

shaped iron clamps.

"Shall I leave the things here, sir?" he asked Campbell.

"Yes," said Dorian. "And I am afraid, Francis, that I have

another errand for you. What is the name of the man at Richmond

who supplies Selby with orchids?"

"Harden, sir."