- During a raging storm, a baby is washed up on shore on an island in Greece and is adopted by the wealthy Stanhopes, who name her Lorelei. Eighteen years later, Lorelei invites her school friends to spend their vacation at her villa. One of her guests, Julie, is insanely jealous of her. One day, disenchanted society fop Gerald Waldron sails by on his yacht, accompanied by his social-climbing friend Hartley Royce. Seeing Lorelei and her friends swimming, they decide to go ashore. Both Gerald and Hartley fall in love with Lorelei, and Julie rages, finding herself relegated to Hartley. Together Hartley and Julie plot to separate the lovers. Informed by Hartley that her lover has a sweetheart in every port, Lorelei becomes wary of Gerald, and when he follows her one night, she jumps from a cliff to escape his advances. Frantic, Gerald searches the grottos for her, and when he eventually finds her, the two sail for America together.
- In the night a terrific storm arises off a strange island and a ship is cast furiously about, sending forth rockets in an appeal for help. As the sun begins to appear, fishermen start drawing in their nets. The rocky shore is strewn with wreckage among which the old beachcomber, Haji, is picking up driftwood. As Wellington Stanhope and his wife, who lives in the Grecian villa, come down to the beach, the fishermen have opened their nets and discovered a tiny blonde child. Haji mutters and looks across the sea. The Stanhopes take the child and try to resuscitate her, and when the tiny girl opens her eyes, they conclude God has sent this little one to fill the void in their hearts. Fourteen years later Sybil has blossomed into womanhood. Her school chums are spending their vacation at the villa. Julie, a cold, calculating girl, is jealous of Sybil. They go to a nearby island where they start undressing behind rocks, preparatory to going in swimming. Sybil takes their bathing suits. The girls don sea-weed and chase Sybil, then start playing ukuleles and dancing. They are seen by Gerald Waldron, who, bored with society, has found a means of escape on his yacht, but has been unable to escape Hartley Royce, who finds Gerald's money much to his liking. The boys find that there is no such island noted on the map and figure that they have made a discovery. Gerald says it is an enchanted island and over yonder sits Lorelei and her sirens. Destruction or not, he is going to Lorelei. Hartley determines to go back also. Gerald and Hartley fall in love with Sybil; Julie rages and finds herself relegated to Hartley. A fortnight goes by. Julie and Hartley plot to separate the lovers. Julie insinuates that Sybil is not the daughter of the Stanhopes. Hartley tells Sybil not to worry about Gerald, who has a sweetheart in every port. It is Sybil's eighteenth birthday and a celebration is in progress. After telling Julie her plan, Sybil slips away to go for Haji, to induce her to tell the fortunes of the young people. Julie informs Hartley, who follows Sybil. She tries to elude him, but he gains and passionately catches her in his arms. She rushes to the top of a cliff, and though she warns him, he rushes toward her and she jumps into the sea. After several moments of horror, he picks up her cloak which has been washed to shore, and returns to the villa. Gerald is frantic. After hours of fruitless searching the dawn finds him hopeless and exhausted. He has heard Haji saying Sybil came from the sea and has gone back to the sea; that she is the spirit of the Greek sculptor, who, lured by the sirens, left his wife and child, and the wife drowning herself and the child, cursed the land and water "until true love shall reign again." Gerald and Hartley start out to find the girl, each in a different direction, and to each is accorded a series of startling adventures, which end with the sailing of Sybil and Gerald for America.
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