21
Harry," he said. "Dorian Gray is merely to me a motive in art. He is never more present in my work, than when no image of him is there. He is simply a suggestion, as I have said, of a new manner. I see him in the curves of curtain lines, in the loveliness and the subtleties of certain colours. That is all."
"Then why won't you exhibit his portraitpicture?"
"Because I have put into it all the extraordinary romance of which, of course, I have never dared to speak to him. He knows nothing about it, he will never know anything about it. But the world mightwould guess it, and where there is merely love, they would see something evil, where there is gossip, they would suggest something vile, I will not bare my soul to their shallow prying eyes. My heart shall never be put under their microscope.not be made their mockery. There is too much of myself in the thing,it, Harry, too much of myself!"
"Poets are not so scrupulous as you are. They know how useful passion is for publication. Nowadays a broken heart will run to many editions."
"I hate them for it. An artist should create beautiful things, but should put nothing of his own life into them. We live in an age when
