The Picture of Dorian Gray August 1889, Stoddart dined with Oscar Wilde, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and T. P. Gill at the Langham Hotel, and commissioned novellas from each writer. Conan Doyle promptly submitted "The Sign of the Four" (1890) to Stoddart, but Wilde was more dilatory; Conan Doyle's second Sherlock Holmes novel was published in the February 1890 edition of "Lippincott's Monthly Magazine", yet Stoddart did not receive Wilde's manuscript for "The Picture of Dorian Gray" until 7 April 1890, nine months after having commissioned the novel from him. The literary merits of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" impressed Stoddart, but, as an editor,
The Picture of Dorian Gray (opera) Basil, Lord Henry and Dorian engage in conversation whilst Basil becomes completely absorbed in his painting, and does not stop the two from talking. Basil declares the finished painting to be his masterpiece. Dorian then laments the fact that while he will grow old, the picture will remain young forever, saying 'If it were only the other way...for that, I would give my soul.' Basil notices a change in Dorian and accuses Lord Henry of becoming a bad influence on him. Not wanting his painting to harm his friendship with Dorian and Lord Henry, Basil attempts to destroy it, but