Later the same evening Dorian Gray was at a party. He smiled and talked and looked as young and as good-looking as ever. But his head ached and at dinner he could not eat anything. When Lord Henry asked him if he felt unwell, Dorian said that he was tired and would go home early.
At home he felt worse. Although the room was warm, his hands shook with cold. He wanted to forget for a while - to escape from the prison of his real life and to lose himself in dreams.
At midnight, in old dirty clothes, he left the house again and went to the East End of London. There he knew places where he could get opium – dark, evil places where people bought and sold the beautiful, terrible dreams of opium. He had been there many times before.
He found the house he was looking for and went into a long, low room. Men were lying on the dirty floor, a sailor was asleep on a table, and two women were drinking at the bar. As Dorian hurried up the narrow stairs, the sweet, heavy smell of opium came to meet him and he smiled in pleasure. But in the room he saw a young man who had once been his friend. He turned away and went downstairs again to drink at the bar.
One of the women spoke to him.
"Don’t talk to me," – said Dorian angrily and walked towards the door.
"I remember you! You are Prince Charming, aren’t you?" she shouted after him.
The sleeping sailor woke up when he heard these words, and as Dorian left the house the sailor hurried after him.
Dorian walked quickly along the road but as he reached a corner hands closed around his neck. A man pulled him backwards and pushed him against a wall. Dorian fought wildly and pulled the hands away. Then he saw the gun in the man’s hand.
"What do you want?" he said quickly.
"Keep quiet," said the man. "If you move I’ll shoot you."
"You’re crazy. What have I done to you?"
"You destroyed the life of Sybil Vane" answered the sailor, "and Sybil Vane was my sister. She killed herself because of you. I’ve been looking for you for years but I only knew the name she used to call you – Prince Charming. Well, tonight I heard your name and tonight you are going to die."
Dorian Gray grew sick with fear. "I never knew her. I’ve never heard of her. You are crazy," he cried. Suddenly he had an idea.
"How long ago did your sister die?" he asked.
"Eighteen years ago," James Vane replied. "Why do you ask me?"
"Eighteen years," laughed Dorian Gray. "Take me to the light and look at my face."
James vane stared at Dorian. Then he pushed him towards the light, and in the light he saw the face of a boy of twenty. This man was too young. He was not the man who had destroyed his sister’s life.
"My God!" he cried. "I nearly murdered you!"
"Go home and put that gun away before you get into trouble," said Dorian. He walked quickly away.
James Vane stared after him in horror. Then a women’s hand touched his arm.
‘Why didn’t you kill him?" she asked. "He’s evil."
"He’s not the man that I’m looking for," answered the sailor. "The man who I want must be nearly forty now. That man is only a boy."
"A boy?" The woman laughed. Her voice was hard. "It’s eighteen years since I met Prince Charming. And his pretty face hasn’t changed in all that time. It’s true, I promise you."
James Vane ran to the corner of the road but Dorian Gray disappeared.