BY OBS Staffer Karolina

Chapter 10

Dorian Gray gave Victor orders to call Mrs. Leaf, the house-keeper, and to ask Mr. Hubbard, the frame-maker, for two strong men to help him. Immediately Mrs. Leaf arrived and Dorian asked her for the key to the old schoolroom. The Lady concerned that her young master would get himself dirty hesitated, but after looking for the key among many others, gave it to him. After a while, Victor arrived with Mr. Hubbard, himself, and one of his men. Thinking that it was best for Victor not to see what he was going to do, he sent him to Lord Henry with a letter and told him to wait for the answer. Dorian, minutes before, had placed a satin coverlet on the portrait, so that when the company had arrived it was already hidden from the curious eyes. Mr. Hubbard, honored to have been asked for help, told Dorian Gray about a new frame that had arrived in hopes of making a sale. But all Dorian needed was help to carry the heavy portrait to a room on the last floor of the house. With quite effort, the three men made it to the top and once there Dorian opened the door. As soon as he had entered the room he was filled with memories of his youth there, playing and studying away from the eyes of his grandfather. Such a beautiful place would be the home of his shameful portrait. The men placed the portrait in the floor and Mr. Hubbard curiously asked if he could see the painting, to what Dorian answered that it wasn’t that interesting. When the men left, Dorian locked the door and put the key in his pocket. Victor arrived later with a note from Lord Henry, a book and the news paper. Dorian wondered if Victor had asked Mr. Hubbard what they had done out of curiosity. It would be horrible to have a spy in his house. He read the news paper and found a note, marked with a red circle, that talked about Sibyl’s death. How evil from Lord Henry, he thought. He then examined the book, which after a while found fascinating and kept reading it until it was time to meet Lord Henry at the club.

Characters
Dorian Gray
Victor (Dorian’s valet)
Mrs. Leaf (Dorian’s house-keeper)
Mr. Hubbard (frame-maker)
Lord Henry
Basil Hallward
Francis (Dorian’s new valet)

Quotes

“How well he remembered it all! Every moment of his lonely childhood came back to him as he looked round. He recalled the stainless purity of his boyish life, and it seemed horrible to him that it was here the fatal portrait was to be hidden away. How little he had thought, in those dead days, of all that was in store for him!” -Narrator (When inside the room of the portrait’s new home.)

“I am so sorry, Harry, but really it is entirely your fault. That book you sent me so fascinated me that I forgot how the time was going.

Yes, I thought you would like it.

I didn’t say I liked it, Harry. I said it fascinated me. There is a great difference.

Ah, you have discovered that?” –Dorian Gray and Lord Henry

Dorian Gray had been poisoned by a book. There were moments when he looked on evil simply as a mode through which he could realize his conception of the beautiful. –Narrator

“So you think that it is only God who sees the soul, Basil? Draw that curtain back, and you will see mine.” –Dorian Gray

“Good God, Dorian, what a lesson! What an awful lesson! Pray, Dorian, pray. What is it that one was taught to say in one’s boyhood? ‘Lead us not into temptation. Forgive us our sins. Wash away our iniquities.’ Let us say that together. The prayer of your pride has been answered. The prayer of your repentance will be answered also. I worshipped you too much. I am punished for it. You worshipped yourself too much. We are both punished.” –Basil Hallward

more summaries, quotes and discussion questions here.