A woman knows the face of the man she loves as a sailor knows the open sea.

This is a very interesting comparison Honore de Balzak has made. It basically explains the connection that exists between a woman and the man she is in love with. To a woman her lover’s face is the most familiar thing ever, it’s her closest thing, and she would recognize it in the middle of a crowd, as she knows his face as well as a sailor knows the open sea.