I love that the book brought me all the way to this:

"There was a moment's pause, and then the Empress sauntered out, a look of mild enquiry on her fine face. The Empress of Blandings was a pig who took things as they came. Her motto, like Horace's, was Nil admirari. But, cool and even aloof though she was as a general rule, she had been a little puzzled by the events of the day. "

... and it made perfect sense, and the characterization worked, and I laughed for about 10 minutes.