Bon Mots from Mrs Bradley (Golden Age mystery sleuth by Gladys Mitchell)

[cimorene]

1. 'There’s a devil in a box in all of us, my dear Gavin. The lucky ones are those who can sit on the lid.' — The Devil's Elbow (1951)


2. ‘Your inference, although excusable, is not yet translated to the hierarchy of fact,’ said Mrs. Bradley mildly. — The Devil's Elbow (1951)


3. Dame Beatrice ate because, without food, life becomes precarious. — The Nodding Canaries (1961)


4. ‘What did you make of him?’ asked Laura, when they were in the car and were heading for Harrogate.
   
   ‘Perspicuous, honest, well-balanced, kindly, courageous and the possessor of a sense of humour, child.’
   
   ‘Sounds like God’s gift to an undeserving universe.’
   
   ‘I do not quibble with your postulation.’
   
   — The Nodding Canaries (1961)


5. 'We shall do better to leave well alone, and the cadavers where they are, for the present.' — A Hearse on May-Day (1972)


6. 'I’m not an authority on piping or stabbing, let alone a combination of the two.' — My Bones Will Keep (1962)