| “ | Virginie: I haven't told you how grateful I am for your help. Poirot: Oh, it is nothing. Virginie: But, uh, perhaps... Perhaps this will say it for me. [Virginie gives a small box to Poirot] Poirot: Virginie. Thank you. [Poirot opens the box and finds a brooch inside.] Oh. Virginie, you should not have. Virginie: You see, some people might have thought me mad. Perhaps you did. Poirot: No. Virginie: But at least you gave me the benefit of the doubt. |
„ |
| ~ Virginie offering a gift of gratitude to Poirot. |
| “ | Hello, Hercule. | „ |
| ~ Virginie seeing Poirot again after many years, in Agatha Christie's Poirot adaptation. |
Virginie Mesnard is the deuteragonist in Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot short story, "The Chocolate Box", which would be included in Poirot's Early Cases in 1974. She is a friend of Hercule Poirot, a former familiar to Paul Déroulard and his family, and the cousin of the late Marianne Déroulard.
She was portrayed by Anna Chancellor in Agatha Christie's Poirot.
Physical appearance[]
Virginie is a beautiful brunette woman with blue eyes and fair skin. She is usually dressed in black aristocratic-style dresses and regularly wears stylish hats. She is a little bigger than Hercule Poirot.
Personality[]
Virginie is a gentle and kind woman, yet very confident in her feminine intuition, as she immediately refused to believe that Paul Déroulard had died of a heart attack, remaining firm on this position. She is also polite and flattering, but has a certain mischievous side as when she tried to frame St. Alard when he was suspicious, using his unrequited feelings for her. Due to her great sensitivity, she thinks that many people consider her crazy, making her very appreciative of being trusted.
Overview[]
After the sudden death of her cousin's husband, Paul Déroulard, Virginie firmly believed that he never died of heart attack as the authority in Brussels proclaimed, considering all of the complicated circumstances surrounding his death, before she asked Poirot, who was a police officer at the time, for his assistance.
She and Poirot once believed St. Alard, Paul's political rival and the future mayor of Brussel, was responsible for Paul's death due to discovering an empty bottle of trinitrin tablets of John Wilson, which was used for poisoning Paul's chocolate, until it was revealed to be otherwise. It was stated by Poirot that after the investigation, Virginie moved on to live in a normal life after serving as a nun in monstary.
In the short story's 1993 adaptation from Agatha Christie's Poirot, Virginie's role remained the same except for the ending. By the end of the story, Poirot met Virginie once more after discussing the case with Japp. Virginie was now married to Jean Louis-Ferraud, the local chemist who once helped Poirot in this investigation, and had two sons together; Henri and Hercule, the latter named after Poirot himself.
Quotes[]
| “ | Virginie: That can't be right! Judge: You have further evidence, Mademoiselle Mesnard? Virginie: I tell you, he can't just have died. Well, why do you take everyone at their word? Judge: I would advise you, mademoiselle, to guard your remarks when addressing me. |
„ |
| ~ Virginie expressing her objection to the death of Paul Déroulard. |
| “ | Virginie: Hercule Poirot? Poirot: At your service, mademoiselle. Virginie: Virginie Mesnard. Poirot: Mademoiselle Mesnard. Virginie: Would you take a seat, please? Poirot: Merci. I was in court, mademoiselle, when you expressed a certain doubt concerning the death of Monsieur Paul Deroulard. Virginie: How can he have died of heart failure? He was such a robust man. Poirot: And that is all upon which you base your doubt, his apparent good health? Virginie: And some feminine instinct, monsieur. You believe in such a thing? Poirot: Perhaps. Why is it that you come to me? Virginie: A friend of mine is a secretary at the local paper, and the editor mentions your name often. "A spark in the otherwise dull embers of the police force," he says. Poirot: Ah. He is a man of perception. Virginie: Will you help me, monsieur? Poirot: Et bien, mademoiselle, I have been told that the case, it is closed. But I am due some leave, which I shall take. |
„ |
| ~ Virginie meeting Hercule Poirot and asking for his help regarding the truth behind Paul's death. |
| “ | Forgive me, madame, but for Paul's sake, I couldn't live with my doubts. | „ |
| ~ Virginie to Madame Déroulard. |
| “ | Poirot: Who is this lady, the wife of Monsieur Deroulard? Virginie: Yes. Marianne, my cousin. She died two years ago, an accident here in the house. Paul never really got over it. Poirot: So he kept her in the desk? Out of sight, out of mind, perhaps? Virginie: Paul and his mother had a permanent tussle. I never really quite understood. Paul would hide the photograph in the drawer. His mother would bring it out again. |
„ |
| ~ Virginie about her late cousin, Marianne. |
| “ | Virginie': Tell us, what did Boucher say? Poirot: Oh, about my findings? He was impressed. Chantalier: Never. Poirot: I did not say favorably impressed. Chantalier: Hercule, for your own sake, you've got to drop this. Oh. Please, Virginie, make him see sense. Virginie': I hope I haven't made things awkward for you. Hercule? Poirot: Not at all. |
„ |
| ~ Virginie Mesnard |
| “ | Poirot: He tells me he is a member of the secret service, and then he makes me promise to keep secret this whole affair. You see how he ties my hands? How do I verify his story without breaking the confidence? Virginie: Well, at least he agrees with us that Paul was murdered. Poirot: Yes. Virginie: Whether or not by him is another matter. Poirot: He had the means but not the motive. That is why we must dig deeper. You know I would like to visit the chateau of St. Alard, huh? But there is a problem. Monsieur le Comte is always there. Virginie: There's one thing he'll always venture out for. Poirot What? Virginie: The opera. |
„ |
| ~ Virginie and Poirot continue the investigation. |
| “ | Virginie: "Trinitrin, three times a day, Monsieur Gaston Beaujeu". Found in the pocket of Xavier St. Alard. Hercule, you're a genius. Poirot: Maybe so. But to reopen the case, Superintendent Boucher will need a confession from St. Alard himself. Virginie: Hercule, I'm not sure you'd allow me to do this, but St. Alard holds me in high regard. In fact, I... Poirot: You mean he's in love with you? Virginie: Oh, please don't think I return his affections, Hercule. Far, far from it. Poirot: I believe you, Virginie. Virginie: Then why don't I persuade him to talk? Poirot: Oh, no. No, Virginie, this man, he could be a murderer. Virginie: If you were there... Poirot: Ah. |
„ |
| ~ Virginie and Poirot planning to catch St. Alard in the act. |
| “ | St. Alard: I haven't mentioned his death since it happened, and now is too early to do so. Forgive me. Virginie: No, no, no. Xavier, you misunderstand. You see, I can't help thinking that his death was a just punishment. St. Alard: Virginie. I know the cause of his death troubles you. But he died of heart failure, Nothing else. Virginie: Some people do anything for their faith, Xavier. I admire that. Suppose someone knew that Paul had plans to limit the church's power in Belgium. Would it be a sin to remove him? St. Alard: To murder him? Virginie: Oh, but such people would never be seen as common murderers, though, but as saviors. Well, at least by the church, don't you agree? |
„ |
| ~ Virginie to St. Alard. |
| “ | Virginie: Well, why, madame? Why kill your own son? Madame Déroulard: Because of what he was doing to our country, Virginie, and our church. |
„ |
| ~ Virginie after Poirot discovers that Madame Déroulard was Paul's murderer. |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In Agatha Christie's Poirot, Virginie and Poirot develop a certain romantic attraction in the middle of the adventure, but neither is able to go all the way before their separation and then their reunion years later.
