Diana of the Ephesians Author:Rita Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: mad passion. There seemed no one to question what she should or should not do, and the Idyl of the Island was the one idyl of his hitherto restrained and tempera... more »te life. He had been forced to return to England, but the next year found him again in Paros. He sought her, and was presented with their child. The introduction was like a blow in the face. He had never heard of the event, nor of her death. A Greek woman had nursed and tended the infant, and calmly awaited the return of its father, and his assumption of responsibilities. Overcome by remorse Septimus Wycherley did all that was required of him. The woman was pensioned, all arrangements for the child's education and upbringing undertaken by himself, and so matters had remained until the present. Her letter and desire to visit England had fallen like a bombshell into his household. That calm —" I do desire it," meant that she would come. Limited as had been their acquaintance the mother's character had revealed to him a singular tenacity of purpose. It was evidently a transmitted inheritance. Her child's instructors had recognized a similar quality. Diana Sal- videros (he had given her her mother's surname) was born into the world with a distinct idea of importance, and a definite intention of acclaiming it. She had learnt French and English because she meant to visit those countries. Her quickness in acquiring and speaking any language was a gift destined to be of considerable use in the future. She had also a certain aptitude for music, hampered by impatience of technique, and a furious jealousy of any better performer than herself. The Professor had never set foot in Greece again since the tragic result of his first visit had meant the further tragedy of his second. Conscience had demanded reparation, and he...« less