Of such insolences and attempted slights he, of course, took no notice, and in the opinion of most people his frank debonair manner, his charming boyish smile, and the infinite grace of that wonderful youth that seemed never to leave him, were in themselves a sufficient answer to the calumnies, for so they termed them, that were circulated about him.
– Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Chapter 11. After Dorian passes his twenty-fifth year, he becomes the subject of terrible rumors about his dark and sordid behavior and the bad company that he keeps. But his boyish and innocence appearance protects his reputation and most people who see him dismiss all the bad talk about him as false smears.