The Picture of Dorian Gray Chapter 15

 About an hour after Campbell’s departure, Dorian arrives at the home of Lady Narborough for a dinner party. Dorian finds the other guests to be dreadfully dull but is glad to hear that Lord Henry will be in attendance. The host makes conversation with Dorian and Lord Henry, as both of them discuss Dorian’s prospects for marriage.

However, while dining with Lord Henry and the other guests, Dorian is unable to eat. When he is questioned by Lord Henry, Lady Narborough suggests that perhaps Dorian is in love, a charge that he denies. Later, the women leave, so that the men can discuss politics and scandals. 

Dorian and Lord Henry discuss a party scheduled to take place at Dorian’s country estate, but the talk turns to Lord Henry questioning Dorian’s whereabouts the night before. Dorian withers slightly, and delivers a pithy, wordy response to Lord Henry, appearing defensive and offering him an alibi of Dorian's servant. Then, instead of staying to join the women upstairs, Dorian abruptly chooses to go home. 

When he arrives home, he gathers the belongings of Basil that he’d hidden, and burns them, thus concealing any evidence that Basil had ever been there. 

Next, Dorian retrieves a container of opium from a drawer. Around midnight, he dresses in the clothes of a commoner and takes a hired coach to a part of London where opium dens are proliferated.

Analysis 

Dorian’s nervousness at dinner is apparent, and while Lord Henry notices it, and even confirms it, he does not seem to care. His compassion, even for his younger protege, is not to be found. 

Meanwhile, Dorian’s new level of stress can be attributed to the realization that now he has not one, but two dreadful secrets to protect. Before it was only that of the portrait, but now he has a murder to conceal as well.