The Picture of Dorian Gray Chapter 5

Sibyl Vane tells her mother, Mrs. Vane, how happy she is now that she has found her Prince Charming. Mrs. Vane says that Sibyl must only think of her acting, since they are still so in debt to Mr. Isaacs, who owns the theatre; Sibyl, carried away with the idea of love, thinks: "She was free in her prison of passion. Her prince, Prince Charming, was with her. She had called on Memory to remake him. She had sent her soul to search for him, and it had brought him back. His kiss burned again upon her mouth. Her eyelids were warm with his breath." Chapter 5, pg. 69 Surely Mrs. Vane must have loved Sibyl's father like this; Mrs. Vane thinks that if this young man is rich, then things might work out, and embraces her daughter. Sibyl's younger brother, James, who is about to leave for Australia, enters. He asks Sibyl to go on a walk with him, since he will not see her for a long time. His mother tells him that he is to make a fortune and then come back to London, but he does not want to see London ever again. Sibyl goes to get ready for the walk. While she is gone, James asks his mother to take care of Sibyl; he has heard that a young man has been visiting her. Mrs. Vane assures him that the man might be rich, but she will watch over Sibyl anyway.

Outside, the passers-by stare at James and Sibyl because he is so clumsy and heavy, and she so refined and beautiful. She talks through her fantasies of what James will find in Australia: love, adventure, treasure. He does not listen to her; instead he thinks about the rumors he has heard about this new man. He tells her this, and she goes on about how wonderful he is, and that he is coming to the theatre tonight: "Oh! How I shall play it! Fancy, Jim, to be in love ad play Juliet! To have him sitting there! To play for his delight I am afraid I may frighten the company, frighten or enthrall them. To be in love is to surpass oneself." Chapter 5, pg. 76

He tells her that the man's intentions must be bad, and she tells him that he needs to fall in love so he can understand. While they are sitting down, Dorian Gray passes in a carriage, but she points him out too late for James to see him. He says, "I wish I had [seen him], for as sure as there is a God in heaven, if he ever does you any wrong, I shall kill him." Chapter 5, pg. 78 Sibyl gets mad at him for saying this, and assures him that her Prince Charming will love her forever. James, still filled with jealousy and rage, walks her home, and they say a tearful goodbye. He has dinner with Mrs. Vane, and asks her about his father; she tells him they were not married, and that he was a gentleman who was not free. He tells her he worries about Sibyl's gentleman too. He repeats his vow to kill him if he does her any wrong, which Mrs. Vane understands because of the melodrama of the statement, and he drives away.