‘Five minutes past two? How horribly late! You must wake me at nine to-morrow. I have some work to do.’

‘All right, sir.’

‘Did any one call this evening?’

‘Mr. Hallward, sir. He stayed here till eleven, and then he went away to catch his train.’

‘Oh! I am sorry I didn’t see him. Did he leave any message?’

‘No, sir, except that he would write to you.’

‘That will do, Francis. Don’t forget to call me at nine tomorrow.’

‘No, sir.’

The man shambled down the passage in his slippers.

Dorian Gray threw his hat and coat upon the yellow marble table, and passed into the library. He walked up and down the room for a quarter of an hour, biting his lip, and thinking. Then he took the Blue Book down from one of the shelves, and began to turn over the leaves. ‘Alan Campbell, 152, Hertford Street, Mayfair.’ Yes; that was the man he wanted.

Chapter XII

At nine o’clock the next morning his servant came in with a cup of chocolate on a tray, and opened the shutters. Dorian was sleeping quite peacefully, lying on his right side, with one hand underneath his cheek. He looked like a boy who had been tired out with play, or study.