“ If I cannot lean upon thee here, I will pass with thee, follow thee like a faithful dog through the land they call spirit. I have no one but Chios—thou art a mighty soul. In the great beyond I can look to none but thee. Oh, Chios! oh, love!'The heart of the man was melting, but his spirit remained firm.'Poor Nika! would I could help thee! Were it in my power, I would place thee in a holier sphere when thy new life comes, but such is not for me to do. I cannot assert my own destiny, much less make thine. Thou wouldst not help thyself by dying. I fear our ways lie apart. ”
Richard Short
Summary
Saronia, a novel by Richard Short, unfolds in ancient Greece, weaving together themes of spiritual devotion, love, and fate through the lives of its central characters, Nika and Chios. Set against the backdrop of sacred sites like Ephesus and Mount Coressus, the narrative examines the conflict between human desires and divine responsibility, as seen in Nika’s struggle between her affection for Chios and her role as a priestess of Diana and Hecate.
The text explores existential yearning and the burden of destiny, culminating in a resolution of personal and spiritual tension that highlights the enduring human search for meaning amidst eternal forces.
Quotes from Saronia (Richard Short)
“ I will not question with myself. Farewell, cruel Nika! Farewell, merciless girl! Thou wilt stand in thy lot at the end. I go my way, whither I know not—gloom, night, darkness envelops me. But, chaste Diana, show by thy kindly light the way—I am thine! Behold this tiny crescent graven on my hand when yet a child—true sign my loved ones were the worshippers of Ashtoreth; and now I come to thee, great Goddess Luna, Hecate, Diana, the mother of Nature, adored in Ionia!'Having passed the threshold of the house, she came down the shaded way, along the side of Mount Coressus. ”
“ The light fell full on the face of a man, who seemed as dead. And she knew it was Chios.Then came back the true nature of the woman who was destined to become great as a priestess of Diana. Old love sprang up anew. The smouldering embers of the almost dead past burst into life. Here was the man she would have loved—perhaps silently—had her course turned otherwise. Here was the man who had befriended her in deepest misery. Here was Chios lying stretched death-like before her. Should she at all hazard go within and see if he lived? Yes, by the goddess whom she worshipped she would venture! ”
