I live now on borrowed time, waiting in the anteroom for the summons that will inevitably come. And then - I go on to the next thing, whatever it is. One doesn't, luckily, have to bother about that.

I know nothing about pistols and revolvers, which is why I usually kill off my characters with a blunt instrument or better with poisons. Besides, poisons are neat and clean and really exciting... I do not think I could look a really ghastly mangled body in the face. It is the means that I am interested in. I do not usually describe the end, which is often a corpse.

To rush into explanations is always a sign of weakness.

One knows so little. When one knows more it is too late.

... evil was, perhaps, necessarily always more impressive than good.

Good advice is always certain to be ignored, but that's no reason not to give it.

Never tell all you know—not even to the person you know best.