Cruelty? Had he been cruel? It was the girl’s fault, not his. He had dreamed of her as a great artist, had given his love to her because he had thought her great. Then she had disappointed him. She had been shallow and unworthy. And yet a feeling of infinite regret came over him as he thought of her lying at his feet sobbing like a little child.
– Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Chapter 7. Dorian reflects on his treatment of Sibyl and wonders whether he has been cruel to her. But he immediately dismisses this, takes no responsibility and puts the blame for the destruction of the relationship on Sibyl. Yet amid his callousness he momentarily finds his moral compass as a "feelings of infinite regret" comes over him at the memory of Sibyl sobbing at his feet like a child.