Elusive— (adjective)

Definition: Hard to find or capture.

Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elusive

Found in: “The Cottagette” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (The last page; third paragraph)

Quote: “I want to marry you, Malda, –because I love you—because you are young and strong and beautiful—because you are wild and sweet and—fragrant, and—elusive, like the wild flowers you love.

I now understand the definition of this word because Ford describes how much he cares for Malda and that she’s basically one of a kind just like the flowers she loves.