Home > Work > The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot, #1)
61 " If you people only knew how fatally easy it is to poison someone by mistake, you wouldn’t joke about it.” -- Cynthia Murdoch "
― Agatha Christie , The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot, #1)
62 " Not so. Voyons! One fact leads to another—so we continue. Does the next fit in with that? A merveille! Good! We can proceed. This next little fact —no! Ah, that is curious! There is something missing—a link in the chain that is not there. We examine. We search. And that little curious fact, that possibly paltry little detail that will not tally, we put it here!” He made an extravagant gesture with his hand. “It is significant! It is tremendous! "
63 " If the fact will not fit the theory, let the theory go. "
64 " Yet he had a certain charm of manner, and I fancied that, if one really knew him well, one could have a deep affection for him. "
65 " Ah, my friend, one may live in a big house and yet have no comfort. "
66 " Fire in her eyes, ice in her voice. I did not wonder that the blood rose to John’s face in a crimson tide. "
67 " If you are doubly burdened, first by acute shyness, and secondly by only seeing the right thing to do or say twenty-four hours later, what can you do? Only write about quick-witted men and resourceful girls, whose reactions are like greased lightning! "
68 " If the fact will not fit the theory—let the theory go. "
69 " Date troppo corda alla fantasia. La fantasia è un'ottima serva, ma una pessima padrona. La spiegazione più semplice quasi sempre si rivela esatta. "
70 " Poirot was an extraordinary-looking little man. He was hardly more than five feet four inches, but carried himself with great dignity. His head was exactly the shape of an egg, and he always perched it a little on one side. His moustache was very stiff and military. The neatness of his attire was almost incredible; I believe a speck of dust would have caused him more pain than a bullet wound. "
71 " You see,” he said sadly, “you have no instincts.” “It was intelligence you were requiring just now,” I pointed out. “The two often go together,” said Poirot enigmatically. "
72 " Burnt corks they use mostly—though ’tis messy getting it off again. Miss Cynthia was a Negress once, and, oh, the trouble she had. "
73 " Poor Emily was never murdered until he came along. "
74 " We had reached Leastways Cottage, and Poirot ushered me upstairs to his own room. He offered me one of the tiny Russian cigarettes he himself occasionally smoked. I was amused to notice that he stowed away the used matches most carefully in a little china pot. My momentary annoyance vanished. "
75 " Poirot was een buitenissig mannetje. Hoewel amper een meter zestig lang, maakte hij door houding en optreden een waardige indruk. Hij had een eivormig hoofd, dat hij altijd een beetje schuin hield, en een stug, kortgeknipt snorretje. Zijn kleding was tot in de puntjes verzorgd: volgens mij zou een pluisje op zijn pak hem meer pijn doen dan een schotwond. Toch was deze typische dandy die nu, zoals ik tot mijn spijt zag, erg hinkte, in zijn tijd een van de meest gevierde leden van het Belgische politiekorps geweest. Als detective had hij zich onderscheiden door zijn enorme flair en hij had indertijd successen geoogst met het oplossen van enkele van de meest raadselachtige gevallen. "
76 " qualified as a doctor but "
77 " will be public property very soon, so if Mr. Cavendish does not object ——” “Not at all,” interpolated "
78 " Now there is no murder without a motive."-- Hercule Poirot "
79 " I think that I have more diplomacy than you give me credit for.""My friend," besought Poirot, "I implore you, do not enrage yourself! Your help has been of the most invaluable. It is but the extremely beautiful nature that you have, which made me pause.""Well," I grumbled, a little mollified. "I still think you might have given me a hint. "
80 " John flung the match into an adjacent flower bed, a proceeding which was too much for Poirot's feelings. He retrieved it, and buried it neatly. "