Is she but a lovely face you seek?
Is she but a lofty mind?
Is she but a beautiful soul ?" "Maybe she is all these, though no one only, and more besides," I answered.
"It is well," she replied, "but have you in your heart no image of her you seek?
Else how should you know her should you some day come to meet her ?" "I have no image of her," I said.

"I cannot picture her; but I shall know her, know her inerrably as these your wood children find out each other untaught, as the butterfly that has never seen his kindred knows his painted mate, passing on the wing all others by.

Only when the lark shall mate with the nightingale, and the honey-bee and the clock-beetle keep house together, shall I wed another maid.

Fair maybe she will not be, though fair to me.

Wise maybe she will not be, though wise to me.