Nicole

“Softly unbolting the door, he stuck the cat’s head round the edge and ejaculated a piercing "Miaow."

The Scotland Yard inspector, who was standing outside with another man, jumped in spite of himself.”
― Agatha Christie, The Adventure of the Cheap Flat: A Short Story

“She came at once, after saying pleasantly to Mr Renfield: 'Good-bye, and I hope I may see you often, under auspices pleasanter to yourself’, to which, to my astonishment, he replied: 'Good-bye, my dear. I pray God I may never see your sweet face again. May He bless and keep you!”
― Bram Stoker, Dracula

“Such a one is encased, is he not, in an armour—such an armour! The armour of the crusaders was nothing to it—an armour of arrogance, of pride, of complete self-esteem. This armour, it is in some ways a protection, the arrows, the everyday arrows of life glance off it. But there is this danger; Sometimes a man in armour might not even know he was being attacked. He will be slow to see, slow to hear—slower still to feel.”
― Agatha Christie, Dead Man's Mirror: a Hercule Poirot Short Story

“Oh, very well,” he said,”let her come in, by all means, but just wait a minute till I tidy up the place.”
His method of tidying was peculiar, he simply swallowed all the flies and spiders in the boxes before I could stop him. It was quite evident that he feared, or was jealous of, some interference. When he had got through his disgusting task, he said cheerfully, “Let the lady come in,”
― Bram Stoker, Dracula