“It is as if Quincey has replaced the sun in my universe and it is around him that I spin.”

“I have tried many times to express my feelings, but at each attempt, I find myself tongue-tied.”

“Yesterday, when you said you told everyone, what did you mean?""Everyone important, I guess. I mean, I didn't rush out to inform my mailman or anything.""Oh, he knows," Nate said offhandedly."Oh. Okay," I said, thrown. "Well, I guess I can cross him off the list.”

“Whether it was the power of suggestion or whether her eyes really hadn't deceived her, I began noticing too that my face was occasionally going rogue the rest of the afternoon, smiling when I had little reason to smile. Maybe my facial nerves were developing a neurological condition; I resolved to keep a close eye on it.”

“My formula for life is very simple: in the morning, wake up; at night, go to sleep. In between I try and occupy myself as best I can.”

“I see a dude who looks like a meth addict across the street; I'm going to assume that's what this fiancée thief looked like, right? I mean, obviously, the only reason she would have left you for anyone else is if she suddenly lost her mind and got struck blind on top of it. Pretty action-packed, your wedding day."I looked at him askance. "I don't think that's quite her version of events.""Yeah, well," said Nate, "she's not here, so I'm just going to have to go with my version.""I could buy into that," I said, after a moment's consideration."Excellent," he said, grinning. "Then you're going to love next week's installment in which he develops spontaneous alopecia.”

“I will admit that I wanted to shout for standing on the top of a scaffold in front of a good new wall always goes to my head. It is a sensation something between that of an angel let out of his cage into a new sky and a drunkard turned loose in a royal cellar.And after all, what nobler elevation could you find in this world than the scaffold of a wall painter? No admiral on the bridge of a new battleship designed by the old navy, could feel more pleased with himself than Gulley, on two planks, forty feet above dirt level, with his palette table beside him, his brush in his hand, and the draught blowing up his trousers; cleared for action.”