Gladys Mitchell > Quotes

“Daphne, who, of course, is full of the milk of human kindness and drips it about rather after the manner of a punctured cocoanut — that is to say, where it is neither expected nor desired.”
― Gladys Mitchell, The Saltmarsh Murders

“What about Kost, sir? He’s a foreigner, you know.” “Yes,” said the inspector, allowing to pass unchallenged the usual English implication that foreigners are always either lunatics or criminals or both, “but the motive?”
― Gladys Mitchell, The Longer Bodies: A Mrs. Bradley Mystery

“She wants to see the children before she dies,” pronounced his wife. “Poor thing. I expect she’s very lonely and unhappy right out there in the country. Write back quickly, dear, and tell her how very welcome she is.” “I’d better tip the boys the wink to be civil to her,” said Godfrey, pursuing a different train of thought. “Her money’s got to be left somewhere, and she was never one to be fond of cats.”
― Gladys Mitchell, The Longer Bodies: A Mrs. Bradley Mystery

“Well,” continued Hilary, “it felt like somebody’s face! You know when you play water polo, and you push a chap’s face with your foot—” “What sort of water polo do you play, for heaven’s sake?” asked Richard Cowes.”
― Gladys Mitchell, The Longer Bodies: A Mrs. Bradley Mystery

“Charles James Sinclair Redsey, who, like Mr Milne's Master Morrison, was commonly known as Jim, sat on the arm of one of the stout, handsome, leather-covered armchairs in the library of the Manor House at Wandles Parva, and kicked the edge of the sheepskin rug.”
― Gladys Mitchell, The Mystery of a Butcher's Shop

“Look here, Mrs. Bradley," he said. "I feel a pretty frightful bounder telling you all this about the poor girl, but I think some woman ought to know about it. On Wednesday night, yes, last night, Eleanor came into my bedroom at about half-past twelve and--and wanted to stay there! I thought it was a ghost at first. I had terrible difficulty in getting rid of her. In fact, I had to get out of bed and shove her outside and lock the door. Choice, isn't it?"
...
"Of course you will lock your door tonight," she said.
"You bet I shall," Bertie said fervently, "and nothing short of the house catching fire is going to persuade me to open it.”
― Gladys Mitchell, A Speedy Death

“replaced the cigarette, took a plate of kidneys and bacon from the maid, and accepted a piece of bread from a plate proffered by Hilary.”
― Gladys Mitchell, The Longer Bodies: A Mrs. Bradley Mystery

“oleaginous”
― Gladys Mitchell, The Dancing Druids

“John MacKechnie’s Gaelic Without Groans”
― Gladys Mitchell, The Whispering Knights

“Tom pulled at my hand. He wanted to go to church. He was taken sometimes by June, and always embarrassed us by singing very loudly, with no tune whatsoever, out of the hymn book held upside down. Keith had once reversed the hymn book for him, but Tom had responded to this with a howl of protest which brought all the congregation’s eyes to our pew. Tom knew which was right way up, and preferred the other. Sometimes he would sing by himself in the middle of the minister’s prayers. People enjoyed that, I think. Extempore prayers are often long. “Half”
― Gladys Mitchell, The Rising of the Moon

“The Police Are Continuing Their Investigation,” he said, with capital letters in his voice.”
― Gladys Mitchell, Speedy Death

“But, whereas bricklayers’ trowels are hard to come by, the humble fish-slice resides in every well-conducted home,’ said Mrs. Bradley, hooting with mirth.”
― Gladys Mitchell, A Speedy Death

“I am bubbled, I’m bubbled, O how I am troubled! Bamboozled and bit, my distresses are doubled!” John Gay”
― Gladys Mitchell, Convent on Styx

“Richard, having modestly but effectually scored the minimum number for the purpose, was in process of deciding whether a green or a canary-coloured Fluffy Hussy should be his boon companion for the rest of the day.”
― Gladys Mitchell, The Longer Bodies: A Mrs. Bradley Mystery

“It is a humiliating fact that at nineteen the keenest sorrows have a habit of yielding, with uncanny readiness, to the soothing effects of excitement and a change of scene. It is a sound instinct, after all, which takes the rejected lover to the wilds to shoot hippopotami and lions. Even the female of the species—not of hippopotami and lions—can obtain a considerable amount of balm from driving along the Great North Road at eighty miles an hour.”
― Gladys Mitchell, Hangman's Curfew

“said Mrs Bradley, looking like a benevolent alligator and then suddenly screeching like a slightly demented macaw.”
― Gladys Mitchell, Death Comes at Christmas

“eyeing him with the maternal anxiety of a boa-constrictor which watches its young attempting to devour their first donkey.”
― Gladys Mitchell, Death Comes at Christmas

“rampole isn’t here and nobody knows when she’ll be back,”
― Gladys Mitchell, The Twenty-Third Man

“but her gaze, although reminiscent of a serpent’s unwinking watchfulness, was urbane.”
― Gladys Mitchell, Death Comes at Christmas

“You wouldn’t be going away for Christmas, sir, I take it?” Hugh was a kind-hearted man. “I begin to perceive your drift, Ethel,” he said. “I could go to my London club, if that would suit the convenience of the staff. Er—what amount of licence is customary on these occasions?” “Christmas Day and come back the morning after Boxing Day would be appreciated, sir, I’m sure. Not that we had it with Mr. Paul, but us thought you might be different.”
― Gladys Mitchell, The Man Who Grew Tomatoes

“Mrs. Bradley herself kept out of the invalid’s way for almost the whole of the fortnight. This was partly for the invalid’s sake, but largely for her own.”
― Gladys Mitchell, Hangman's Curfew

“There are several advanced classes in the university of liars. Golfers and fishermen rank very high in the sporting grades,”
― Gladys Mitchell, The Longer Bodies: A Mrs. Bradley Mystery

“When he had disconnected the pump and tested the tyre with thumb and forefinger, he stood the bicycle upright against the side of the house and replied tersely: “Brighton. Club test. By the way, did my white sweater get washed last week?” “How should I know?” said Celia. “I don’t look after your things. Better go and ask Mum.”
― Gladys Mitchell, The Longer Bodies: A Mrs. Bradley Mystery