“Many homicidal lunatics are very quiet, unassuming people. Delightful fellows.”

“It's like all those quiet people, when they do lose their tempers they lose them with a vengeance.”

“People who can be very good can be very bad too.”

“It's so much nicer to be a secret and delightful sin to anybody than to be a feather in his cap.”

“To all those who lead monotonous lives in the hope that they may experience at second hand the delights and dangers of adventure.[author's dedication]”

“I am not mad. I am eccentric perhaps--at least certain people say so; but as regards my profession. I am very much as one says, 'all there.”

“You know, Emily was a selfish old woman in her way. She was very generous, but she always wanted a return. She never let people forget what she had done for them - and, that way she missed love.”