y word he uttered. He stamped his
foot upon the ground in his boyish insolent manner. He felt a terrible
joy at the thought that someone else was to share his secret, and that
the man who had painted the portrait that was the origin of all his
shame was to be burdened for the rest of his life with the hideous
memory of what he had done.

"Yes," he continued, coming closer to him, and looking steadfastly into
his stern eyes, "I shall show you my soul. You shall see the thing that
you fancy only God can see."

Hallward started back. "This is blasphemy, Dorian!" he cried. "You must
not say things like that. They are horrible, and they don't mean
anything."

"You think so?" He laughed again.

"I know so. As for what I said to you to-night, I said it for your good.
You know I have been always a staunch friend to you."

"Don't touch me. Finish what you have to say."

A twisted flash of pain shot across the painter's face. He paused for a
moment, and a wild feeling of pity came over him. After all, what right
had he to pry into the life of Dorian Gray? If he had done a tithe of
what was rumoured about him, how much he must have suffered! Then he
straightened himself up, and walked over to the fireplace, and stood
there, looking at the burning logs with their frost-like ashes and their
throbbing cores of flame.

"I am waiting, Basil," said the young man, in a hard, clear voice.

He turned round. "What I have to say is this," he cried. "You must give
me some answer to these horrible charges that are made against you. If
you tell me that they are absolutely untrue from beginning to end, I
shall believe you. Deny them, Dorian, deny them! Can't you see what I am
going through? My God! don't tell me that you are bad, and corrupt, and
shameful."

Dorian Gray smiled. There was a curl of contempt in his lips. "Come
upstairs, Basil," he said, quietly. "I keep a diary of my life from day
to day, and it never leaves the room in which it is written. I shall
show it to you if you come with me."

"I shall come with you, Dorian, if you wish it. I see I have missed my
train. That makes no matter. I can go to-morrow. But don't ask me to
read anything to-night. All I want is a plain answer to my question."

"That shall be given to you upstairs. I could not give it here. You will
not have to read long."

CHAPTER XIII

He passed out of the room, and began the ascent, Basil Hallward
following close behind. They walked softl