So big, complex life on land -- like vascular plants -- probably wouldn't have been possible if Tortotubus and its fungal predecessors hadn't prepared the land first.
Mathilde had too much taste to work into the conversation a prepared epigram but at the same time she was too vain not to be extremely pleased with herself.
Feeling that she must get through the matter somehow, Jo produced her manuscript and, blushing redder and redder with each sentence, blundered out fragments of the little speech carefully prepared for the occasion.