How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from The Maltese Falcon.
Quote #4
BRIGID: Mr. Spade, you don't think I had anything to do with the death of Mr. Archer?
SPADE: Did you?
BRIGID: No.
SPADE: That's good.
This is another weird instance where Spade believes Brigid. She's like a contestant on a reality show who lies all the time…yet still finds people to trust her. Why does Spade choose this moment to believe her? Later on, he will figure out that Brigid shot Archer herself.
Quote #5
SPADE: You aren't exactly the sort of a person you pretend to be, are you?
BRIGID: Why, I—I'm not sure I know exactly what you mean.
SPADE: The schoolgirl manner. You know, blushing, stammering and all that.
BRIGID: I haven't lived a good life. I've been bad. Worse than you could know.
SPADE: Yeah that's good, because if you actually were as innocent as you pretend to be we'd never get anywhere.
BRIGID: I won't be innocent.
Ah, here is Brigid telling the truth for once. She finally drops one persona and adopts a different, more truthful one. We're still not sure if this is the real Brigid, though, because she might not even know who she really is at this point.
Quote #6
BRIGID: I'm so tired…so tired of lying and making up lies. Not knowing what is a lie and what is the truth.
We're surprised Brigid can keep all her stories straight. We have to give her credit for one thing—she doesn't ever make the amateur mistake of getting "caught" in a lie in a comical way. She's able to stay ahead of everyone else for most of the movie.