Le Portrait de Dorian Gray

The studio was full of the rich smell of roses. When the light summer wind moved through the trees of the garden, the heavy scent of the lilac came in through the open door. Lord Henry Wotton lay on a long, soft seat in the corner of the room, smoking one cigarette after another, as he always did. From there he could just see the golden flowers of a tree in the garden, and now and then the shadows of birds flew across the long silk curtains in front of the huge window. Far away, the dull roar of London sounded like the deep note of an organ.

In the centre of the room, on a wooden stand, stood the full length portrait of a young man of extraordinary beauty. In front of it, a little distance away, sat the painter himself, Basil Hallward. Some years later his sudden disappearance caused great public excitement and gave rise to many strange stories.