Mandeville here began to say that that reminded him of something thathappened when he was on the

But Herbert cut in with the observation that no matter what a man'ssingle and several capacities and talents might be, he is controlledby his own mysterious individuality, which is what metaphysicianscall the substance, all else being the mere accidents of the man.And this is the reason that we cannot with any certainty tell whatany person will do or amount to, for, while we know his talents andabilities, we do not know the resulting whole, which is he himself.THE FIRE-TENDER. So if you could take all the first-class qualitiesthat we admire in men and women, and put them together into onebeing, you wouldn't be sure of the result?

HERBERT. Certainly not. You would probably have a monster. Ittakes a cook of long experience, with the best materials, to make adish "taste good;" and the "taste good" is the indefinable essence,the resulting balance or harmony which makes man or woman agreeableor beautiful or effective in the world.