Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie

“ Herr Schaefer pulled his hat well over his eyes and came up the steps.
‘Is this by any chance the farm of Mr Henshel?’ he asked.
The woman nodded without speaking, staring at him with wide blue eyes. Schaefer drew a deep breath of relief, and looked back at her with a measure of appreciation. He admired the Dutch, wide-bosomed type such as this. A grand creature, with her full breast and her wide hips; not young, nearer forty than thirty, fair hair just touched with grey parted simply in the middle of her wide forehead, something grand and forceful about her, like a patriarch’s wife of old. ”

“ I shrugged my shoulders, slightly annoyed.
"But console yourself, mon ami," said Poirot, calming down. "All cannot be as Hercule Poirot! I know it well."
"You really have the best opinion of yourself of anyone I ever knew!" I cried, divided between amusement and annoyance.
"What will you? When one is unique, one knows it! And others share that opinion—even, if I mistake not, Miss Mary Marvell." ”

“ We go through life like a train rushing through the darkness to an unknown destination.’
‘That’s hardly a good simile, Mrs Trent,’ said Dermot West, lifting his head for the first time and taking part in the discussion. There was a curious glitter in the clear grey eyes that shone out rather oddly from the deeply tanned face. ‘You’ve forgotten the signals, you see.’
‘The signals?’
‘Yes, green if it’s all right, and red—for danger!’
‘Red—for danger—how thrilling!’ breathed Violet Eversleigh.
Dermot turned from her rather impatiently.
‘That’s just a way of describing it, of course. Danger ahead! ”

“ Can you swim at all, Anne? Not that it matters. I can get you across. It's the wrong side for a boat——too many rocks, but the right side for swimming, and the right side for Livingstone."
"I can swim a little—farther than that. What's the danger, Harry?" For I had seen the grim look on his face. "Sharks?"
"No, you little goose. Sharks live in the sea. But you're sharp, Anne. Crocs, that's the trouble." ”

“ The charm of Egypt had laid hold of me. Not so Poirot. Dressed precisely the same as in London, he carried a small clothes-brush in his pocket and waged an unceasing war on the dust which accumulated on his dark apparel.
"And my boots," he wailed. "Regard them, Hastings. My boots, of the neat patent leather, usually so smart and shining. See, the sand is inside them, which is painful, and outside them, which outrages the eyesight. Also the heat, it causes my moustaches to become limp—but limp!" ”

“ Poirot remained placidly immovable, blinking a little out of his green cat’s eyes.
‘So you do not believe it, monsieur le docteur?’
‘No, sir, I do not,’ declared the doctor emphatically. ‘I am a scientific man, and I believe only what science teaches.’
‘Was there no science then in Ancient Egypt?’ asked Poirot softly. He did not wait for a reply, and indeed Dr Ames seemed rather at a loss for the moment. ‘No, no, do not answer me, but tell me this. What do the native workmen think?’
‘I guess,’ said Dr Ames, ‘that, where white folk lose their heads, natives aren’t going to be far behind. ”

“ Never have I seen a man more taken aback. He looked as though he had seen a ghost.
In a minute or two I was having trouble with the conductor. But I took a lofty tone.
"I am Sir Eustace Pedler's secretary," I said haughtily. "Please take me to his private car."
Suzanne and Colonel Race were standing on the rear observation platform. They both uttered an exclamation of utter surprise at seeing me.
"Hullo, Miss Anne," cried Colonel Race, "where have you turned up from? I thought you'd gone to Durban. What an unexpected person you are." ”

“ A taxi had just deposited a fare at a house farther along the street and Dermot hailed it, and drove to the Grafton Galleries.
In the door of the ballroom he stood for a minute bewildered, his head spinning. The raucous jazz music, the smiling women—it was as though he had stepped into another world.
Had he dreamt it all? Impossible that that grim conversation with his uncle should have really taken place. There was Claire floating past, like a lily in her white and silver gown that fitted sheathlike to her slenderness. She smiled at him, her face calm and serene. Surely it was all a dream. ”

“ Number Four leapt forward, his voice harsh and menacing.
“Succeeded, has it?” he snarled. “Do you realise that before many minutes have passed you will be dead—dead?”
“Yes,” said Achille Poirot gravely. “I realise that. It is you who do not realise that a man may be willing to purchase success by his life. There were men who laid down their life for their country in the war. I am prepared to lay down mine in the same way for the world.” ”

“ You may think me a foolish, credulous woman, but, Monsieur Poirot, I am afraid. Supposing that the spirit of the dead King is not yet appeased? Perhaps to you I seem to be talking nonsense—’
‘No, indeed, Lady Willard,’ said Poirot quickly. ‘I, too, believe in the force of superstition, one of the greatest forces the world has ever known.’
I looked at him in surprise. I should never have credited Poirot with being superstitious. But the little man was obviously in earnest. ”

“ It was a great diamond.
"The Star of the East," gasped Lord Yardly. "But I don't understand———"
"No?" said Poirot. "It makes no matter. Believe me, it was necessary for the diamond to be stolen. I promised you that it should be preserved to you, and I have kept my word. You must permit me to keep my little secret. Convey, I beg of you, the assurances of my deepest respect to Lady Yardly, and tell her how pleased I am to be able to restore her jewel to her. ”

“ I was still wrapped in that strange dream feeling of exaltation that had succeeded my troubled night. Very strongly implanted in me was the feeling that I had come home.... Home! And yet I had never been here before—or had I in dreams?
We walked from the train to the hotel, a big white building closely wired against mosquitoes. There were no roads, no houses. We went out on the stoep and I uttered a gasp. There, half a mile away, facing us, were the Falls. I've never seen anything so grand and beautiful—I never shall.
"Anne, you're fey," said Suzanne, as we sat down to lunch. ”

“ What do you want of me, M. Poirot? You are a terrible man. You hunted me from London. Now, I suppose, you will tell our wonderful Madame Olivier about me, and hunt me from Paris? We poor Russians, we must live, you know.”
“It is more serious than that, madame,” said Poirot, watching her. “I propose to enter the villa next door, and release M. Halliday, if he is still alive. I know everything, you see.” ”

“ Nadina laughed softly. "You need suppose nothing of the sort. I am not a fool. The diamonds are in a safe place where no one will dream of looking for them."
"I never thought you a fool, my dear lady, but may I venture to suggest that you are somewhat foolhardy? The 'Colonel' is not the type of man to take kindly to being blackmailed, you know."
"I am not afraid of him," she laughed. "There is only one man I have ever feared—and he is dead." ”

“ The Inspector paused triumphantly.
“What do you think of that, gentlemen?”
“I think,” said Poirot, “that it appears a clear case—of a surprising clearness, in fact. This Biggs, or Grant, he must be a man very very foolish and uneducated, eh?”
“Oh, he is that—a rough, common sort of follow. No idea of what a footprint may mean.”
“Clearly he reads not the detective fiction! Well, Inspector, I congratulate you. We may look at the scene of the crime. Yes?”
“I’ll take you there myself this minute. I’d like you to see those footprints.” ”

“ It is only a matter of waiting. If you will look at the name of Robinson in the telephone directory, you will realize that a fair-haired Mrs. Robinson was pretty sure to come along sooner or later. Then what will happen? The avenger arrives. He knows the name, he knows the address. He strikes! All is over, vengeance is satisfied, and Miss Elsa Hardt has escaped by the skin of her teeth once more. By the way, Hastings, you must present me to the real Mrs. Robinson—that delightful and truthful creature! What will they think when they find their flat has been broken into! We must hurry back. ”

“ Not often in a life-time does a man stand on the edge of eternity, but when I spoke those words in that East End cellar I was perfectly certain that they were my last words on earth. I braced myself for the shock of those black, rushing waters beneath, and experienced in advance the horror of that breath-choking fall.
But to my surprise a low laugh fell on my ears. I opened my eyes. Obeying a sign from the man on the divan, my two jailers brought me back to my old seat facing him.
“You are a brave man, Captain Hastings,” he said. “We of the East appreciate bravery. ”