Poirot (TV Series)

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1990)

David Suchet: Hercule Poirot

Photos 

Quotes 

• Hercule Poirot : [talking to other Belgian refugees about a wildflower]  Another example of the English bucolic belief - anagallis arvensis, the scarlet pimpernel. It is believed that when this flower is open, it is a sign of a proplonged spell of fine weather. It is seldom seen open in this country.

• Lieutenant Hastings : [referring to the false beard they have discovered]  Who put it there?

  Hercule Poirot : Someone with a great deal of intelligence, Hastings. He chose to hide it in the one place where its presence would not be remarked. But we must be even more intelligent that he does not suspect us of being intelligent at all.

  Lieutenant Hastings : Absolutely.

  Hercule Poirot : And there you will be invaluable, mon ami.

• Hercule Poirot : Madame Dainty, has it ever occurred to you to organize the goods by the country of origin?

• [last lines] 

  Lieutenant Hastings : What a wonderful girl. I shall never understand women.

  Hercule Poirot : Thought so, yourself mon ami. Perhaps one day when this terrible war is ended, we shall work again together, huh? And Poirot will explain all to you.

• [Poirot is building a house of cards] 

  Lieutenant Hastings : Is this your first time in London, Poirot?

  [Poirot does not answer] 

  Lieutenant Hastings : Mrs. Inglethorpe must have been wealthy, with this beautiful house and Styles Court.

  [Poirot still does not answer] 

  Lieutenant Hastings : Are you going to be doing that all day?

  Hercule Poirot : I steady my nerves, that is all.

• Hercule Poirot : [after finding burned evidence in a fireplace]  The fire warms but it also destroys.

• Hercule Poirot : Things are moving quickly, my friend - perhaps too quickly!

• Hercule Poirot : Hastings!

  Lieutenant Hastings : Good Lord! Monsieur Poirot.

  Hercule Poirot : It is indeed, mon ami Hastings.

• Hercule Poirot : Superintendent, I beg of you to allow me to ask of Mr. Inglethorp just one question.

• Hercule Poirot : You have a good grip on this affair, Hastings.

  Lieutenant Hastings : Grasp.

  Hercule Poirot : Yes?

• Lieutenant Hastings : This is green.

  Hercule Poirot : No, it is too dark.

  Lieutenant Hastings : Good Lord!

• Hercule Poirot : Why? When? There must have been something of great importance in that case, something that would have connected the murder with the crime.

  Lieutenant Hastings : But what?

  Hercule Poirot : That I do not know.

• Lieutenant Hastings : So, we're back to square one then.

  Hercule Poirot : Not quite mon ami. We now know there is one person who did not buy the poison. Again, we have cleared away the clues manufactured, and now for the real ones.