“You bet I do! I've not been able to get used to it these thirty years.” And as I stared at him, horror-struck: “Yes. I'm her husband.”

[T]he Hens all want to sit, the Primroses Polyanthuses &c crowd the Hedges; & a Rose Tree or two are quite full of Leaves.

The fact that the Yongle emperor was therefore a usurper, regicide and nepoticide (nephew-killer) made compiling the Veritable Record – or official history – of his reign a most dangerous scholarly post. The official given this ticklish task managed to survive several drafts, finally producing one that pleased his master as it omitted the dead nephew's reign altogether.

Most of the names sounded white. There was Willie Mae Jones, Leroy Washington, Roosevelt Tucker, Bessie Lou Bean, and a few other black names. But the list looked awfully pale.