Alfred Inglethorp Character Analysis in The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Alfred Inglethorp is Emily Inglethorp’s new husband, whom she marries about three months before the primary action of the novel takes place. With a black beard and a distinctive way of dressing, Alfred stands out in the small country town of Styles. More importantly, the other people living at Styles Court are all suspicious of him, finding it unlikely that he—as a younger man—actually loves Emily. John Cavendish tells Hastings that Alfred is clearly “fortune hunting” by marrying Emily—that is, marrying a wealthy older woman and waiting for her to die so he can take her money for himself. Right away, everyone suspects that he’s the murderer, and it’s true that he doesn’t have a very good alibi at the inquest (the initial court hearing). But Poirot senses something strange about his behavior, realizing that Alfred is trying to look guilty. He then pieces together that Alfred wants to be arrested before there’s much evidence against him, knowing the case would be too weak to convict him. Because a person can’t be tried twice for the same crime in England, Alfred—who did, indeed, poison Emily—would ensure his own freedom if he got himself arrested right away on feeble evidence. For this reason, Poirot keeps Inspector Japp from arresting Alfred, thus making time for Poirot to figure out that Alfred and Evelyn Howard worked together to murder Emily. Although Evelyn pretends to hate Alfred, the truth is that they’re in love (even though they’re cousins). Their plan was to poison Emily and then leave the country with her fortune, but Poirot ruins their scheme by discovering what they did.

Alfred Inglethorp Quotes in The Mysterious Affair at Styles

The The Mysterious Affair at Styles quotes below are all either spoken by Alfred Inglethorp or refer to Alfred Inglethorp. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

“[…] The fellow must be at least twenty years younger than she is! It’s simply barefaced fortune hunting; but there you are—she is her own mistress, and she’s married him.”

Related Characters: John Cavendish (speaker), Emily Inglethorp, Alfred Inglethorp, Captain Arthur Hastings

Page Number and Citation: 5

Explanation and Analysis:

His watchful and attentive manner never varied. From the very first I took a firm and rooted dislike to him, and I flatter myself that my first judgements are usually fairly shrewd.

Related Characters: Captain Arthur Hastings (speaker), Alfred Inglethorp, Emily Inglethorp

Related Literary Devices:

Page Number and Citation: 9

Explanation and Analysis:

“Because, mon ami, it is the law of your country that a man once acquitted can never be tried again for the same offence. Aha! But it was clever—his idea! Assuredly, he is a man of method. See here, he knew that in his position he was bound to be suspected, so he conceived the exceedingly clever idea of preparing a lot of manufactured evidence against himself. He wished to be suspected. He wished to be arrested. He would then produce his irreproachable alibi—and, hey presto, he was safe for life!”

Related Characters: Hercule Poirot (speaker), Captain Arthur Hastings, Alfred Inglethorp

Related Literary Devices:

Page Number and Citation: 200

Explanation and Analysis:

Alfred Inglethorp Character Timeline in The Mysterious Affair at Styles

The timeline below shows where the character Alfred Inglethorp appears in The Mysterious Affair at Styles. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Wealth, Inheritance, and Power Theme Icon

John doesn’t like his stepmother’s new husband, Alfred Inglethorp, who practically showed up out of nowhere. The man claimed to be a distant... (full context)

According to John, Alfred Inglethorp is just “fortune hunting” by marrying his stepmother, who’s now known as Mrs. Emily... (full context)

Suspense, Intrigue, and Secrecy Theme Icon

...his time in the war, hoping that she finds him interesting. Soon enough, though, Emily Inglethorp cuts his stories short, telling Hastings that it’s good to see him again. Hastings is... (full context)

Alfred Inglethorp’s presence seems to cast a cloud over everyone’s mood—except, that is, for Mrs. Inglethorp,... (full context)

...conversation about poison is interrupted by the arrival of Cynthia Murdock, a young woman Mrs. Inglethorp recently took in. Cynthia works as a volunteer at the local hospital and has lived... (full context)

...house’s smoking room to tell Hastings, Mary, and John what happened. Apparently, she told Emily Inglethorp what she really thinks about her new husband—namely, that Alfred Inglethorp is nothing but a... (full context)

...Hastings is about to point out that Mrs. Raikes is the woman Evelyn Howard accused Alfred Inglethorp of having an affair with, but John quickly cuts him off before he can... (full context)

...a hospital roughly 15 miles away. She wants him to write to her if Mrs. Inglethorp has a change of heart and expresses a desire to contact her again. Even though... (full context)

On Monday the 16th, Emily Inglethorp hosts a charity event, at which she recites a war poem. The next day, she... (full context)

...Poirot, but Cynthia already knows him—Poirot is well acquainted with the people living at Mrs. Inglethorp’s house, since Mrs. Inglethorp has treated him and his fellow Belgians very well while they’ve... (full context)

When Hastings and the others return, they find Mrs. Inglethorp in a strange mood. Cynthia asks if everything is all right, and Mrs. Inglethorp sharply... (full context)

After Mrs. Inglethorp disappears into her room to write her letters, Hastings and Cynthia decide to play tennis.... (full context)

...meets up with Cynthia, who tells him there has been a terrible argument between Emily Inglethorp and Alfred Inglethorp. Dorcas overheard the fight a little earlier and filled Cynthia in. Hastings... (full context)

Lawrence quickly follows Alfred upstairs. Meanwhile, everyone relaxes downstairs, and Hastings relishes the opportunity to simply pass the time... (full context)

After a moment, Dr. Bauerstein takes his leave. Alfred decides to walk him home, saying he has to meet an accountant in town to... (full context)

...is awakened by Lawrence Cavendish. Lawrence, who is holding a candle, tells Hastings that Emily Inglethorp is incredibly sick but seems to have locked herself in her bedroom. Hastings jumps out... (full context)

Hastings, John, and Lawrence break down Mrs. Inglethorp’s door. They find her writhing on the bed, her back arched in terrible convulsions. As... (full context)

Mrs. Inglethorp’s convulsions subside for a moment, but then they get even worse. John and Mary try... (full context)

...had been walking past Styles when he saw a car rushing out to fetch Mrs. Inglethorp’s doctor, Mr. Wilkins. He now confers with Mr. Wilkins, who arrived shortly after Mrs. Inglethorp’s... (full context)

...especially since he suspects foul play. Judging by Dr. Bauerstein’s reaction, he strongly believes Mrs. Inglethorp was poisoned. (full context)

As everyone waits for the doctors to finish, they realize Alfred Inglethorp isn’t present. Nobody knows where he is, and John notes that he’s nowhere to... (full context)

...to bring in Poirot, though he doesn’t think the case will be hard to crack: Alfred Inglethorp, he believes, is clearly to blame. Before Hastings goes to fetch Poirot, he stops... (full context)

On his way to get Poirot, Hastings encounters Alfred Inglethorp in town. Inglethorp acts devastated about his wife’s death, saying that he just heard... (full context)

Hastings leaves Alfred Inglethorp and goes to Poirot’s and explains everything that has happened. Poirot urges him to... (full context)

Poirot points out that Hastings has left out an important detail—namely, whether or not Mrs. Inglethorp ate well on the night of her death. Hastings is dumbfounded by this question and... (full context)

...comment prompts Hastings to think about how nobody really seems to care much about Mrs. Inglethorp’s death. Poirot senses what he’s thinking and revises what he has said, acknowledging that Mrs.... (full context)

Hastings still wants to know why Poirot cares about what Mrs. Inglethorp ate the night before. Poirot, for his part, reminds Hastings that he doesn’t usually like... (full context)

...a ring of keys on the floor. He discovers that one of them opens Mrs. Inglethorp’s purple dispatch case, but he doesn’t read the papers contained inside—he doesn’t have the “authority”... (full context)

...of pink wax, whereas the wax on the carpet is white. Poirot believes that Mrs. Inglethorp didn’t have a candle in the room with her, but he won’t tell Hastings what... (full context)

Before leaving Mrs. Inglethorp’s bedroom, Poirot checks the fireplace for any clues. Sure enough, he finds a small scrap... (full context)

...in the boudoir. On his way, he stops to admire some beautiful flowerbeds outside Mrs. Inglethorp’s bedroom. Hastings hurries him along by saying they have more important things to do, but... (full context)

Poirot asks Dorcas if she’s sure that Mrs. Inglethorp was arguing with her husband. Dorcas is confident in this regard, asking who else it... (full context)

Dorcas notes that Mrs. Inglethorp probably put the piece of paper she’d been holding into her purple dispatch case. Moving... (full context)

Next, Poirot interviews Annie, a younger servant at Styles. Annie knows about the letters Mrs. Inglethorp wrote the previous night—specifically, who they were addressed to, since she was the one who... (full context)

...and that it might have gotten into the cocoa, though she served it to Mrs. Inglethorp anyway. Hastings becomes incredibly excited, thinking that he and Poirot have found the cause of... (full context)

Before they leave the boudoir, Poirot goes over to Alfred Inglethorp’s writing desk. It’s locked, but he manages to open it with one of the... (full context)

Hastings recognizes the handwriting on the envelope as Mrs. Inglethorp’s and wonders if she was in the midst of some kind of “demoniacal possession.” Before... (full context)

Poirot takes samples from each of the five coffee cups (Mr. Inglethorp doesn’t drink coffee), tasting them as he goes. As he does this, a look of... (full context)

...is a sign of politeness or a sign that nobody cares that much about Mrs. Inglethorp’s death. Alfred Inglethorp, in fact, is the only person who seems stricken by guilt, but... (full context)

Mrs. Inglethorp’s lawyer, Mr. Wells, arrives at Styles. John invites Poirot and Hastings to meet with him... (full context)

Poirot asks Mr. Wells if the letter that Mrs. Inglethorp wrote to him contained anything of importance, but the lawyer says that it simply asked... (full context)

Even if Mrs. Inglethorp’s most recent will was fair to both her sons, Poirot points out that it must... (full context)

John Cavendish and Mr. Wells are about to search through Mrs. Inglethorp’s papers to see if she happened to have made a new will, but Poirot saves... (full context)

...gardener, Manning, arrives he answers Poirot’s questions, explaining that he was planting begonias when Emily Inglethorp came to the window and asked the other gardener to go into town to obtain... (full context)

Mr. Wells realizes that Emily Inglethorp wanted him to come to the house that morning to make the new will she’d... (full context)

...detective helping them investigate the case, she wonders why they need anyone to investigate at all—Alfred Inglethorp, she believes, clearly murdered Emily. She asks them if they’ve already taken him to... (full context)

...still doesn’t see why he needs much assistance, since it’s so obvious to her that Alfred Inglethorp is the murderer. Still, Poirot presses on. He says he specifically needs her help... (full context)

...and Hastings meet up with John Cavendish and Mr. Wells again. They go to Mrs. Inglethorp’s bedroom to look through her purple dispatch case. Poirot pulls out the key that he... (full context)

Hastings runs into Mary Cavendish outside the room and asks if Alfred and Evelyn have interacted. She, for her part, doesn’t care if they encounter each other—in... (full context)

...if it’s a good idea to tell the whole household that somebody broke into Emily Inglethorp’s bedroom and forced open the dispatch case. Poirot agrees that maybe it’s not the best... (full context)

...the way back to town, Poirot explains that Mr. Wells and John Cavendish opened Emily Inglethorp’s writing desk and found yet another will, this one from just before her marriage. The... (full context)

...come inside. Because the begonias right outside the boudoir were newly planted, he knew Mrs. Inglethorp must have summoned the gardeners yesterday afternoon. When Hastings admires his friend and admits that... (full context)

...of the dispatch case’s keys was missing—it was just a guess. The key on Mrs. Inglethorp’s keyring that opened the dispatch case was very shiny, suggesting to him that it was... (full context)

...named Mr. Mace sprinting toward the building. When he arrives, he frantically asks if Mrs. Inglethorp was poisoned by strychnine. Poirot answers in a low voice that Hastings can’t hear, and... (full context)

...consider: first, that the weather yesterday was extremely warm and pleasant, and second, that Mr. Inglethorp has a black beard and wears distinctive clothes and glasses. Hastings is bewildered, but Poirot... (full context)

For his part, Poirot says he owes a lot to Mrs. Inglethorp, since she was kind to Belgian refugees like himself. With this in mind, he will... (full context)

...person is having an affair with Mrs. Raikes. Hastings comes away feeling angry at Mr. Inglethorp for disrespecting Mrs. Inglethorp so blatantly. (full context)

At the inquest, Dr. Bauerstein explains that Mrs. Inglethorp’s death seemed to be the result of strychnine poisoning. However, he notes that strychnine acts... (full context)

One of the people on the jury points out that Mrs. Inglethorp’s pharmacist could have accidentally put too much strychnine in her tonic. But then Dorcas is... (full context)

...Cavendish about an argument she overheard on Tuesday the 17th (the last day before Mrs. Inglethorp’s death). Suddenly, Mary becomes sheepish and hesitant. It occurs to Hastings that she’s stalling for... (full context)

...but she doesn’t have much to say—even though her room is right next to Mrs. Inglethorp’s, she didn’t hear the commotion and only woke up when Mary Cavendish came to get... (full context)

...Mr. Mace (the pharmacist) to present evidence. He admits to having sold strychnine to Mr. Inglethorp on Monday—the day before Mrs. Inglethorp’s death. Mr. Inglethorp claimed to need the poison to... (full context)

...their good graces. It’s only natural, then, that Mr. Mace bent the rules for Mr. Inglethorp, who even signed his name in a small book—a requirement for anyone buying strychnine. Mr.... (full context)

Mr. Inglethorp takes the stand. He denies everything that has been leveled against him. His mood is... (full context)

As Mr. Inglethorp fails to provide a suitable alibi, Poirot shifts in his seat. “Does this imbecile of... (full context)

When the examiner asks Inglethorp if he poured his wife’s coffee and took it to her, he says that he... (full context)

...gushes about Poirot’s brilliant detective work. He then suggests that the case is quite clear: Alfred Inglethorp is obviously the murderer. When Poirot voices his skepticism, though, Japp listens to him.... (full context)

...Hastings at Styles, Japp and Summerhaye take their leave. Poirot then complains about how stupidly Alfred Inglethorp answered questions during the inquest. He insists that the evidence against Alfred is “too... (full context)

Poirot doesn’t think Alfred Inglethorp actually bought strychnine from Mr. Mace. After all, Mr. Mace is relatively new in... (full context)

...go to Styles with the Scotland Yard detectives. Poirot gathers everyone in the house. Addressing Alfred Inglethorp, he suggests that the man doesn’t seem to quite comprehend how much trouble he’s... (full context)

Because Alfred won’t speak about his whereabouts on Monday afternoon, Poirot does so for him. He says... (full context)

Japp is grateful to Poirot for preventing him from arresting Alfred Inglethorp, which he now believes would have been a mistake. Alfred, for his part, says... (full context)

After discussing Alfred’s innocence, Japp asks to be shown to Mrs. Inglethorp’s bedroom. On the way out of... (full context)

...that Dr. Bauerstein’s presence at Styles on Tuesday evening changes everything. They already know that Alfred Inglethorp poured Mrs. Inglethorp’s coffee but then set it down. The presence of yet another... (full context)

...his own, and Hastings admits that he finds something fishy about Evelyn Howard’s hatred for Alfred Inglethorp. He doesn’t necessarily suspect that she killed Emily Inglethorp, but he makes a weak... (full context)

...Poirot drops off a sample of the cocoa he took from the saucepan in Mrs. Inglethorp’s bedroom. When Hastings reminds him that Dr. Bauerstein already tested the cocoa, Poirot says he... (full context)

Poirot asks Evelyn Howard if she really still thinks Alfred Inglethorp killed Emily. She says she does, but then Poirot rephrases the question to suggest... (full context)

...has attracted to the family. He also expresses distress about the murderer’s identity—if it’s not Alfred Inglethorp, he says, then it must be somebody else in the house. As soon as... (full context)

...poisoning. Hastings takes a moment and then suggests that the coffee wasn’t what killed Mrs. Inglethorp. Instead, Bauerstein must have poisoned her cocoa, which is why Poirot took it to be... (full context)

...the same thing. He also suddenly remembers the conversation he overheard between Mary and Mrs. Inglethorp, thinking that maybe Mrs. Inglethorp found out about her feelings for Bauerstein and threatened to... (full context)

...talk to Hastings afterwards, so they go for a walk. She tells him that Mrs. Inglethorp promised to leave her money—but she didn’t do it, and now Cynthia doesn’t know what... (full context)

...suspected John, even though Poirot implies that John was an obvious potential culprit—after all, if Alfred Inglethorp wasn’t the one whom people overheard arguing with Emily Inglethorp, then it must have... (full context)

...Mr. Philips says that John was having an affair with Mrs. Raikes and that Emily Inglethorp confronted him about his infidelity on the afternoon before her death. Mr. Philips also claims... (full context)

...the same vial of strychnine Mr. Mace sold to the person he thought was Mr. Inglethorp was later found by Jimmy Japp in John Cavendish’s bedroom. He also found a monocle... (full context)

...day, the prosecution presents more evidence, including a strip of “blotting paper” found in Emily Inglethorp’s checkbook—a close study of the paper shows that it still bears the hint of some... (full context)

...shake once: when Poirot straightened out the trinkets on the mantelpiece after discovering that Emily Inglethorp’s dispatch case had been forced open. As soon as he reminds Poirot of this moment,... (full context)

...in the London household, announcing that he has something important to say. He even invites Alfred Inglethorp, who has been staying nearby. When they’re all gathered, he reminds them of three... (full context)

...over the bedside table—and Hastings heard nothing at all. Mary, then, was actually inside Mrs. Inglethorp’s bedroom when the table fell. Poirot suggests that Mary was looking for something in Emily’s... (full context)

...destroyed the will—the only person who could have done that, Mary chimes in, is Mrs. Inglethorp herself. Hastings can’t believe his ears. He is once again flabbergasted and voices his utter... (full context)

Poirot says that Emily Inglethorp had two conversations on Tuesday the 17th in which she used very similar language, as... (full context)

...5:00. Knowing that she had no stamps in her desk, Poirot believes she broke into Alfred’s locked desk to borrow some, at which point she found the piece of paper that... (full context)

...realized that there should have been yet another cup (including the broken one in Mrs. Inglethorp’s room). There was, in other words, a missing coffee cup. Furthermore, all of the coffee... (full context)

...which Lawrence later found in a brass vase. Mary Cavendish, Poirot explains, drugged both Emily Inglethorp and Cynthia so that she could sneak into their rooms at night. (full context)

As soon as she realized that Mrs. Inglethorp had been poisoned, Mary thought she herself accidentally killed the old woman. She therefore hid... (full context)

...coffee. But Poirot stops him. The coffee, he says, was not drugged. After all, Emily Inglethorp didn’t even drink the coffee, since it spilled all over the carpet when she set... (full context)

As Poirot reads aloud, Alfred Inglethorp stands. “You devil! How did you get it?” he yells before lunging at Poirot,... (full context)

Sitting with Hastings several days after Evelyn Howard and Alfred Inglethorp have been arrested, Poirot says that he didn’t tell his friend what he was... (full context)

...that he never thought John Cavendish was guilty. He also notes that he didn’t want Alfred to be arrested in the beginning—not because he thought he was innocent, but because he... (full context)

Poirot also explains that he discovered that Alfred Inglethorp never had a romantic relationship with Mrs. Raikes. Rather, John Cavendish was the one... (full context)

...Poirot explains, was for Emily to take her final—fatal—dose of medicine on Monday evening. Therefore, Alfred purposefully went to a public space far from Styles Court on that day, and the... (full context)

When Emily Inglethorp realized she didn’t have any stamps, Poirot says, she opened Alfred’s writing desk using a... (full context)

After the murder, Alfred must have realized that Emily had taken the incriminating letter he wrote to Evelyn. He... (full context)

While everyone suspected Alfred, Poirot says, Evelyn went around planting false evidence. For example, she slipped the vial of... (full context)

As soon as Lawrence saw the unbolted door, he crushed the coffee cup in Emily Inglethorp’s room because he remembered that Cynthia had gone upstairs with Emily that night. He hoped... (full context)

Alfred Inglethorp Character Analysis

Alfred Inglethorp Quotes in The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Chapter 1: I Go to Styles Quotes

Chapter 13: Poirot Explains Quotes

Alfred Inglethorp Character Timeline in The Mysterious Affair at Styles