Could [verb]

That ugly fellow who swore at me the day before was in the boat, and I c-could understand him.

And Glora and Alan—in our present size-could doubtless disembark safely.

If only she could summon him from the moonlight out there; if only she were a witch-could see him, know where he was, what doing!

He was all innuendo and strange hints and whispered secrets, and I-could-if-I-woulds.

Anthony said you-could hear Emmy's tongue striking the roof of her-mouth all thee time.

She was awfully shocked,—or pretended to be,—and wrote me a very O-dear-how-could-you note about it.

There is at times an “I-could-if-I-would” air about him which is rather disconcerting.

There was one of those you-could-have-heard-a-pin-drop silences.

He might go and tell Willy all about it; he would ask him to interfere-could he catch that train?

These are (Paul says) lima beans Munchausen, and here we have could-be asparagus.