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sur le marbre dun escalier。
how exquisite they were！ as one read them； one seemed to be floating down the green water…ways of the pink and pearl city； seated in a black gondola with silver prow and trailing curtains。 the mere lines looked to him like those straight lines of turquoise…blue that follow one as one pushes out to the lido。 the sudden flashes of colour reminded him of the gleam of the opal…and…iris…throated birds that flutter round the tall honeybed campanile； or stalk； with such stately grace； through the dim； dust…stained arcades。 leaning back with half…closed eyes； he kept saying over and over to himself：
devant une fa？ade rose；
sur le marbre dun escalier。
the whole of venice was in those two lines。 he remembered the autumn that he had passed there； and a wonderful love that had stirred him to mad delightful follies。 there was romance in every place。 but venice； like oxford； had kept the background for romance； and； to the true romantic； background was everything； or almost everything。 basil had been with him part of the time； and had gone wild over tintoret。 poor basil！ what a horrible way for a man to die！
he sighed； and took up the volume again； and tried to forget。 he read of the swallows that fly in and out of the little cafe at smyrna where the hadjis sit counting their amber beads and the turbaned merchants smoke their long tasselled pipes and talk gravely to each other； he read of the obelisk in the place de la concorde that weeps tears of granite in its lonely sunless exile and longs to be back by the hot； lotus…covered nile； where there are sphinxes； and rose…red ibises； and white vultures with gilded claws； and crocodiles with small beryl eyes that crawl over the green steaming mud； he began to brood over those verses which； drawing music from kiss…stained marble； tell of that curious statue that gautier pares to a contralto voice； the 〃monstre charmant〃 that couches in the porphyry…room of the louvre。 but after a time the book fell from his hand。 he grew nervous； and a horrible fit of terror came over him。 what if alan campbell should be out of england？ days would elapse before he could e back。 perhaps he might refuse to e。 what could he do then？ every moment was of vital importance。
they had been great friends once； five years before almost inseparable； indeed。 then the intimacy had e suddenly to an end。 when they met in society now； it was only dorian gray who smiled： alan campbell never did。
he was an extremely clever young man； though he had no real appreciation of the visible arts； and whatever little sense of the beauty of poetry he possessed he had gained entirely from dorian。 his dominant intellectual passion was for science。 at cambridge he had spent a great deal of his time working in the laboratory； and had taken a good class in the natural science tripos of his year。 indeed； he was still devoted to the study of chemistry； and had a laboratory of his own in which he used to shut himself up all day long； greatly to the annoyance of his mother； who had set her heart on his standing for parliament and had a vague idea that a chemist was a person who made up prescriptions。 he was an excellent musician； however； as well； and played both the violin and the piano better than most amateurs。 in fact； it was music that had first brought him and dorian gray togethermusic and that indefinable attraction that dorian seemed to be able to exercise whenever he wished and； indeed； exercised often without being conscious of it。 they had met at lady berkshires the night that rubinstein played there； and after that used to be always seen together at the opera and wherever good music was going on。 for eighteen months their intimacy lasted。 campbell was always either at selby royal or in grosvenor square。 to him； as to many others； dorian gray was the type of everything that is wonderful and fascinating in life。 whether or not a quarrel had taken place between them no one ever knew。 but suddenly people remarked that they scarcely spoke when they met and that campbell seemed always to go away early from any party at which dorian gray was present。 he had changed； toowas strangely melancholy at times； appeared almost to dislike hearing music； and would never himself play； giving as his excuse； when he was called upon； that he was so absorbed in science that he had no time left in which to practise。 and this was certainly true。 every day he seemed to bee more interested in biology； and his name appeared once or twice in some of the scientific reviews in connection with certain curious experiments。
this was the man dorian gray was waiting for。 every second he kept glancing at the clock。 as the minutes went by he became horribly agitated。 at last he got up and began to pace up and down the room； looking like a beautiful caged thing。 he took long stealthy strides。 his hands were curiously cold。
the suspense became unbearable。 time seemed to him to be crawling with feet of lead； while he by monstrous winds was being swept towards the jagged edge of some black cleft of precipice。 he knew what was waiting for him there； saw it； indeed； and； shuddering； crushed with dank hands his burning lids as though he would have robbed the very brain of sight and driven the eyeballs back into their cave。 it was useless。 the brain had its own food on which it battened； and the imagination； made grotesque by terror； twisted and distorted as a living thing by pain； danced like some foul puppet on a stand and grinned through moving masks。 then； suddenly； time stopped for him。 yes： that blind； slow…breathing thing crawled no more； and horrible thoughts； time being dead； raced nimbly on in front； and dragged a hideous future from its grave； and showed it to him。 he stared at it。 its very horror made him stone。
at last the door opened and his servant entered。 he turned glazed eyes upon him。
〃mr。 campbell； sir；〃 said the man。
a sigh of relief broke from his parched lips； and the colour came back to his cheeks。
〃ask him to e in at once； francis。〃 he felt that he was himself again。 his mood of cowardice had passed away。
the man bowed and retired。 in a few moments； alan campbell walked in； looking very stern and rather pale； his pallor being intensified by his coal…black hair and dark eyebrows。
〃alan！ this is kind of you。 i thank you for ing。〃
〃i had intended never to enter your house again； gray。 but you said it was a matter of life and death。〃 his voice was hard and cold。 he spoke with slow deliberation。 there was a look of contempt in the steady searching gaze that he turned on dorian。 he kept his hands in the pockets of his astrakhan coat； and seemed not to have noticed the gesture with which he had been greeted。
〃yes： it is a matter of life and death； alan； and to more than one person。 sit down。〃
campbell took a chair by the table； and dorian sat opposite to him。 the two mens eyes met。 in dorians there was infinite pity。 he knew that what he was going to do was dreadful。
after a strained moment of silence； he leaned across and said； very quietly； but watching the effect of each word upon the face of him he had sent for； 〃alan； in a locked room at the top of this house； a room to which nobody but myself has access； a dead man is seated at a table。 he has been dead ten hours now。 dont stir； and dont look at me like that。 who the man is； why he died； how he died； are matters that do not concern you。 what you have to do is this〃
〃stop； gray。 i dont want to know anything further。 whether what you have told me is true or not true doesnt concern me。 i entirely decline to be mixed up in your life。 keep your horrible secrets to yourself。 they dont interest me any more。〃
〃alan； they will have to interest you。 this one will have to interest you。 i am awfully sorry for you； alan。 but i cant help myself。 you are the one man who is able to save me。 i am forced to bring you into the matter。 i have no option。 alan； you are scientific。 you know about chemistry and things of that kind。 you have made experiments。 what you have got to do is to destroy the thing that is upstairs to destroy it so that not a vestige of it will be left。 nobody saw this person e into the house。 indeed； at the present moment he is supposed to be in paris。 he will not be missed for months。 when he is missed； there must be no trace of him found here。 you； alan； you must change him； and everything that belongs to him； into a handful of ashes that i may scatter in the air。〃
〃you are mad； dorian。〃
〃ah！ i was waiting for you to call me dorian。〃
〃you are mad； i tell youmad to imagine that i would raise a finger to help you； mad to make this monstrous confession。 i will have nothing to do with this matter； whatever it is。 do you think i am going to peril my reputation for you？ what is it to me what devils work you are up to？〃
〃it was suicide； alan。〃
〃i am glad of that。 but who drove him to it？ you； i should fancy。〃
〃do you still refuse to do this for me？〃
〃of course i refuse。 i will have absolutely nothing to do with it。 i dont care what shame es on you。 you deserve it all。 i should not be sorry to see you disgraced； publicly disgraced。 how dare you ask me； of all men in the world； to mix myself up in this horror？ i should have thought you knew more about peoples characters。 your friend lord henry wotton cant have taught you much about psychology； whatever else he has taught you。 nothing will induce me to stir a step to help you。 you have e to the wrong man。 go to some of your friends。 dont e to me。〃
〃alan； it was murder。 i killed him。 you dont know what he had made me suffer。 whatever my life is； he had more to do with the making or the marring of it than poor harry has had。 he may not have intended it； the result was the same。〃
〃murder！ good god； dorian； is that what you have e to？ i shall not inform upon you。 it is not my business。 besides； without my stirring in the matter； you are certain to be arrested。 nobody ever mits a crime without doing something stupid。 but i will have nothing to do with it。〃
〃you must have something to do with it。 wait； wait a moment； listen to me。 only listen； alan。 all i ask of you is to perform a certain scientific experiment。 you go to hospitals and dead…houses； and the horrors that you do there dont affect you。 if in some hideous dissecting…room or fetid laboratory you found this man lying on a leaden table with red gutters scooped out in it for the blood to flow through； you would simply look upon him as an admirable subject。 you would not turn a hair。 you would not believe that you were doing anything wrong。 on the contrary； you would probably feel that you were benefiting the human race； or increasing the sum of knowledge in the world； or gratifying intellectual curiosity； or something of that kind。 what i want you to do is merely what you have often done before。 indeed； to destroy a body must be far less horrible than what you are accustomed to work at。 and； remember； it is the only piece of evidence against me。 if it is discovered； i am lost； and it is sure to be discovered unless you help me。〃
〃i have no desire to help you。 you forget that。 i am simply indifferent to the whole thing。 it has nothing to do with me。〃
〃alan； i entreat you。 think of the position i am in。 just before you came i almost fainted with terror。 you may know terror yourself some day。 no！ dont think of that。 look at the matter purely from the scientific point of view。 you dont inquire where the dead things on which you experiment e from。 dont inquire now。 i have told you too much as it is。 but i beg of you to do this。 we were friends once； alan。〃
〃dont speak about those days； dorianthey are dead。〃
〃the dead linger sometimes。 the man upstairs will not go away。 he is sitting at the table with bowed head and outstretched arms。 alan！ alan！ if you dont e to my assistance； i am ruined。 why； they will hang me； alan！ dont you understand？ they will hang me for what i have done。〃
〃there is no good in prolonging this scene。 i absolutely refuse to do anything in the matter。 it is insane of you to ask me。〃
〃you refuse？〃
〃yes。〃
〃i entreat you； alan。〃
〃it is useless。〃
the same look of pity came into dorian grays eyes。 then he stretched out his hand； took a piece of paper； and wrote something on it。 he read it over twice； folded it carefully； and pushed it across the table。 having done this； he got up and went over to the window。
campbell looked at him in surprise； and then took up the paper； and opened it。 as he read it； his face became ghastly pale and he fell back in his chair。 a horrible sense of sickness came over him。 he felt as if his heart was beating itself to death in some empty hollow。
after two or three minutes of terrible silence； dorian turned round and came and stood behind him； putting his hand upon his shoulder。
〃i am so sorry for you； alan；〃 he murmured； 〃but you leave me no alternative。 i have a letter written already。 here it is。 you see the address。 if you dont help me； i must send it。 if you dont help me； i will send it。 you know what the result will be。 but you are going to help me。 it is impossible for you to refuse now。 i tried to spare you。 you will do me the justice to admit that。 you were stern； harsh； offensive。 you treated me as no man has ever dared to treat m