- Lady Mont: [Referring to a pain in her side] I don't know whether it's flatulence or the hand of God.
- Lady Mont: I've often thought I'd like to be a goat, a he-goat for preference, so as not to be milked.
- Lady Mont: If I had my way, I wouldn't let a man marry a girl unless they could both prove they had no individuality at all.
- Tony Croom: You realise of course that I love you.
- Claire Corven: Yes.
- Tony Croom: But you don't love me?
- Claire Corven: I'm a respectable married woman, Tony.
- [first lines]
- Tony Croom: It's devastating, things coming to an end.
- Claire Corven: Sometimes it's more devastating things beginning. You never told me why they call you Tony when your name's James.
- Tony Croom: That is why. But you haven't said a word about yourself, Claire.
- Claire Corven: I don't like people who discuss their private lives.
- David Dornford: Do you realise, today this pound note is only worth 14 shillings?
- Benjy: I'll give you 14 shillings for it, guv'nor!
- Gen. Charwell: I remember there was a part of Colombo they used to call 'the Fort'. Do they still call it that?
- Claire Corven: The Fort? It's still there.
- Gen. Charwell: And the bazaar?
- Claire Corven: Yes, the bazaar's still there.
- Gen. Charwell: Does it still smell?
- Claire Corven: Yes, it still smells.
- Gen. Charwell: That's where I got my typhoid.
- Dinny Cherrell: [recommending Claire's skills as a private secretary] She can type, speak French and German, be nice to people and be rude to people!
- Claire Corven: Didn't we come if the Gold Standard while I was away? What is the Gold Standard exactly?
- David Dornford: Is what you want to be on when you're off and off when you're on.
- Dinny Cherrell: Was it as bad at that?
- Claire Corven: Worse. He was more brutal than I could tell you.
- Sir Gerald Corven: Do you want me to divorce you?
- Claire Corven: You've no reason.
- Sir Gerald Corven: Ha! So you say!
- Claire Corven: And mean.