The Picture of Dorian Gray Chapter 17

A week later, at a house party, Dorian is talking to Lord Henry and Gladys, the Duchess of Monmouth. Lord Henry has decided to rename anything with an awful name, and they get onto the subject of what names mean. Lord Henry reminds Dorian that he used to be called Prince Charming, and Dorian quickly tells him not to remind him of that. They talk about love; When Gladys expresses mock sadness when Dorian says he feels like he is always in love with someone else, Lord Henry says, "Difference of object does not alter singleness of passion. It merely intensifies it. We can have in life but one great experience at best, and the secret of life is to reproduce that experience as often as possible." Chapter 17, pg. 223 Dorian says that Lord Henry is right; when prompted to answer whether it makes him happy, he says that he is not looking for happiness, he is looking for pleasure. He leaves to get Gladys a flower, and Lord Henry and Gladys chat some more about her flirtation with Dorian.

They are interrupted by the sound of a fall, and see that Dorian has fainted. He insists that he is alright but would rather not be alone, so he goes down to dinner with everyone. He recalls what made him faint: he saw James looking at him through the window.