The few occasions where his memory faltered, Saphira was able to provide an accurate description of events.

He interpreted it carefully, improvising a little where memory faltered, since Mark had allowed him no pause between the lines.

It is possible, and fair to remark, that his memory may have faltered a generation later.

The 46-year-old from Weston, Conn., watched her mother's memory falter in her mid-50s, due to changing hormone levels.

So it is no wonder that occasionally the memory of the septuagenarian retiree falters.

More problematic were the occasional passages where Mr. Taub's memory faltered.

This fall, Gerard's vision failed, his short-term memory faltered and he began to slur his words.

Official memory can falter; official records can fail.

Soon his memory faltered, he had difficulty writing letters and eventually could barely speak.

Back at his table, when his memory faltered for a moment, he said, "I need a new brain - and I need a bourbon."