“He was very much a man of moods, possibly owing to what is styled the artistic temperament. I have never seen, myself, why the possession of artistic ability should be supposed to excuse a man from a decent exercise of self-control.”

“I have always noticed that these artists and writers are very unbalanced”

“You're a man milliner, Poirot. I never notice what people have on.""You should join a nudist colony”

“As you yourself have said, what other explanation can there be?'Poirot stared straight ahead of him. 'That is what I ask myself,' he said. 'That is what I never cease to ask myself.”

“Human curiosity. Such a very interesting thing. Think of what we owe to it throughout history. It is said to be usually associated with the cat. Curiosity killed the cat. But I should say really that the Greeks were the inventors of curiosity.”

“Life can be very terrible," he said. "One needs much courage.""To kill oneself? yes, I suppose one does.""Also to live," said Poirot, "one needs courage.”

“But no artist, I now realize, can be satisfied with art alone. There is a natural craving for recognition which cannot be gain-said.”