THE PARTI-COLOURED RIBBON The beauty and high spirit of Diana made so deep an impression on Lucian that he determined to aid her by every means in his power in searching for the assassin of her father.

As yet Denzil had reached the age of twenty-five without having been attracted in any marked degree towards woman-kind; or, to put it more precisely, he had not yet been in love.
But now it seemed that the hour which comes to all of Adam's sons had come to him; for on leaving Diana he thought of nothing else but her lovely face and charming smile, and, until he met her again, her image was never absent from his mind.
He took but a languid interest in his daily business or social pursuits, and, wrapped up in inwardly contemplating the beauties of Diana, he appeared to move amongst his fellow-men like one in a dream.

And dreamer he was, for there was no substantial basis for his passion.
Many people--particularly those without imagination--scoff at the idea that love can be born in a moment, but such is often the case, for all their ill-advised jibes.

A man may be brought into contact with the loveliest and most brilliant of women, yet remain heart-whole; yet unexpectedly a face--not always the most beautiful--will fire him with sudden fervour, even against his better judgment.

Love is not an affair of reason, to be clipped and measured by logic and calculation; but a devouring, destroying passion, impatient of restraint, and utterly regardless of common sense.