Character details
- First Name
- Archie
- Last Name
- Goodwin
- Notes
- Nero Wolfe's tough and witty assistant.
- Reserved Notes
-
Character cases:
Ch. 1 - in our first glimpse into the brownstone household, Archie helps Fritz unload 49 different beers for Wolfe to test (presumably after it has become legal after the repeal of Prohibition).
Ch. 4 - drives to the White Plains courthouse where he poses a bet to Mr. Derwin.
Ch. 6 - reading the newspaper, sees Ellen Barstow's $50,000 offer for information leading to the identification and punishment of her husband's murderer. He shows the article to Wolfe after he comes down from the plant rooms.
Ch. 8 - goes to the Barstow estate after the agreement with Sarah Barstow was struck. Interviews Sarah Barstow (whom he upsets with his questioning) and her mother, Ellen Barstow.
Ch. 11 - discusses the Barstow death with the coroner in White Plains. Goes to the Green Meadow Golf Club and interviews the caddies present the day P. O. Barstow died. Returns to the Barstow's estate and confirms with Sarah Barstow that her mother gave her father new golf clubs just months before the murder. Archie later visits Dr. Nathaniel Bradford at his office on 69th St.
Ch. 12 - on orders from Wolfe, goes to the Green Meadows Golf Club and retrieves the four caddies present the day of Barstow's death, bringing them back to the brownstone for an interview with Wolfe.
Ch. 13 - goes to E. D. Kimball's office on Pearl Street downtown, informs him that it was his driver that killed Barstow, and has to convince him the situation is more than a nuisance in order to get him to agree to go back to the brownstone to talk to Wolfe.
Ch. 14 - goes to White Plains and tells Anderson that E. D. Kimball needs protection; then goes to the Barstow's to inform Sarah Barstow that her father was not the intended victim. Later, Archie picks up Anna Fiore and takes her to the brownstone for more questioning.
Ch. 15 - reviews responses to the ad regarding a plane landing and follows leads; confirms that Manuel Kimball did land a plane in the countryside the night Carlo Maffei was murdered as Wolfe suspected.
Ch. 16 - leads Bill Gore, Orrie Cather, and Fred Durkin in Wolfe's plan to convince Anna Fiore she should give Wolfe information regarding Carlo Maffei.
Ch. 18 - accompanies Anderson to the Kimball estate.
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 16 - one of the masked bandits who waylay Anna Fiore.
Ch. 18 - goes to the Kimball estate to arrest Manuel Kimball for murder. Witnesses Manuel Kimball crash his own plane, killing himself and his father.
Ch. 1 - bored due to professional inactivity; pesters Wolfe.
Ch. 2 - at Wolfe's request, reads aloud the report (as recorded by a stenographer from Miller's) from Andrew Hibbard's visit during Archie's absence.
Ch. 4 - spends 3 hours with Evelyn Hibbard; organizes the efforts of Saul and Fred; requests and receives financial information of League members from Mr. Higgam.
Ch. 5 - receives the members of the League after dinner with Wolfe; pours drinks and plays host as needed.
Ch. 8 - reviews Bascom's reports written prior to Wolfe taking on the case; makes numerous calls, including to Fillmore Collard; reports to Wolfe that no evidence directly links Chapin to the Harrison's death.
Ch. 9 - killing time before meeting Elkus, visits the Dreyer art gallery and asks a secretary there about Eugene Dreyer's death; meets with Elkus and finds him to be "sad" and against his friends' enterprise with Wolfe.
Ch. 10 - confronts Pitney Scott in his taxi parked in front of the brownstone; Scott had brought Dora Chapin.
Ch. 11 - opens the suitcase brought by Orrie to the office; discovers the personal items (gloves and stockings) of Anne Burton (as concluded by Wolfe).
Ch. 12 - describes the custom-made personalized leather wallet given to him by Wolfe on his birthday (Oct. 23). Archie receives Cramer while Wolfe is in the greenhouse, and discusses the case with him (Cramer is being pressured to resolve the case and wants to know when Wolfe is going to wrap it up).
Ch. 13 - goes to Perry St. and discusses the situation there with Durkin; then confronts "Pinkie" (so named by Fred because of his pink tie) who is quietly observing / following Chapin at the Coffee Pot. Pinkie refuses Archie's bribes and gives him no information. Archie calls Cramer (who was friendly) and learns that the police have cast a wide net for Hibbard.
Ch. 14 - takes the noon train to Philadelphia to look for Farrell, whom he finds after scouring the city's architectural firms. Farrell informs Archie that he typed his note on a public typewriter at the Harvard Club. Archie tracks down Farrel at a Mr. Allenby's residence where the two had dinner to discuss the design of a library.
Ch. 15 - visits the offices of Galbraith & Bowen to discuss the Hibbard disappearance with Ferdinand Bowen.
Ch. 16 - asks Durkin to run interference (telling him, "I'm going to take Pinkie for a ride.") then confronts Pinkie at the Coffee Pot, hand cuffs him, and puts him in the roadster, and takes him to the brownstone. Informed by Durkin that Chapin had shot Dr. Burton, Wolfe sends Archie to the scene to gather information.
Ch. 17 - pretending to be a medical examiner, Archie sneaks into the Burton apartment after Cramer refuses to allow him in. Archie hides in a closet and emerges after Cramer and his men all leave; then he interviews Mrs. Burton regarding the activities in the apartment leading up to the shooting.
Ch. 18 - goes to visit Cramer to ask if he can interview Chapin; Cramer denies the request.
Ch. 19 - calls Cramer to ask his help in finding Wolfe (whom Archie suspects is with Dora Chapin). Cramer agrees to help, involving multiple jurisdictions to help with the search.
Ch. 20 - wakes up many hours later after the adventure at the Chapin apartment and the Bronx River Inn; Dr. Vollmer is standing over him. Later, Wolfe sends Archie to talk to Mrs. Burton, her daughter, and the maid. Afterwards, Archie returns the box of personal effects to the Chapin residence.
Ch. 21 - at the decisive gathering in the office, Archie frisks Bowen who kicks him in the shin.
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 18 - Archie observes Dora Chapin entering Pitney Scott's taxi and leaving Perry St. When they return, Archie follows them to the Chapin apartment and is admitted; there, Dora drugs him with spiked coffee and takes his wallet (which was a gift from Wolfe). When Archie wakes up, he cannot stand. He manages to call Fritz and when he learns that Wolfe has left the brownstone to look for him, Archie cries.
Ch. 19 - while still in the Chapin apartment, answers a phone call and discovers it's Wolfe who is safe and at the Bronx River Inn. Archie goes there and after talking briefly with Wolfe (who is with Dora), collapses hitting his head on the table before Wolfe catches him.
Ch. 2 - briefly discusses the details of the missing $30,000 and the personnel involved with Mr. Perry. Harlan Scovil is escorted into the office by Fritz, and Archie asks him to wait while he consults with Wolfe on the investigation for Perry. Archie talk briefly with Scovil, but leaves him in the office after Mr. Perry calls and insists Archie come at once to his offices to deal with the developing situation there.
Ch. 3 - goes on foot to the Seaboard offices and meets Mr. Muir, Ms. Barish, Ms. Vawter, and Clara Fox.
Ch. 5 - answered Slim Foltz's questions regarding Scovil's visit to the office.
Ch. 6 - interrupted at dinner by Panzer and Durkin to whom he gives instructions.
Ch. 7 - knocked backwards into the hallway by a pair of NYC detectives wanting to talk to Wolfe about Clara Fox. Archie repels the assault.
Ch. 8 - discusses whether or not Clara Fox is in the brownstone with two NYC detectives (one named Steve) on the stoop.
Ch. 10 - allows Francis Horrocks to see Clara Fox to avoid his going to the police. Before Horrocks leaves, Lt. Rowcliff arrives with a search warrant.
Ch. 11 - hounds Lt. Rowcliff throughout his search of the brownstone for Clara Fox.
Ch. 14 - along with Wolfe, takes a frantic phone call which includes some shouting, a gunshot, and then ends. The caller seemed to identify himself as Walsh.
Ch. 18 - gets all guests situated in the office, and is vigilant throughout Wolfe's presentation.
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 18 - shoots Perry in the shoulder after Perry shoots Wolfe. Takes the rap for killing Perry, at Wolfe's suggestion, to spare Lord Clivers the publicity.
Ch. 1 - reveals that he engineered the scheme (getting orchid growers whom Wolfe admires to sign a letter encouraging his involvement) used by Llewellyn Frost to draw Wolfe into the case.
Ch. 2 - returns to the brownstone from questioning employees at Boyden McNair Inc. and finds Wolfe on the verge a major relapse -- and averts it: "It was the first time I had ever stopped a relapse after it had got as far as the menu stage."
Ch. 5 - convinces Lew Frost to sign an affidavit agreeing to continue the investigation (despite his own reservations and those of his father, Dudley Frost, and Aunt Calida Frost).
Ch. 6 - meets Insp. Cramer at Boyden McNair Inc. to execute Wolfe's plan. After returning to the office, finds Wolfe on the threshold of a relapse, planning meals with Fritz. Archie takes fast action to avert a full-fledged relapse.
Ch. 7 - retrieves Helen Frost for Wolfe to interview.
Ch. 8 - receives Boyden McNair in the office while Wolfe is in the plant rooms with Helen Frost (distracts McNair with the radio and typing as Wolfe escorts Helen out of the house; Wolfe winks at him for his efforts as he enters the office).
Ch. 12 - at Wolfe's direction, goes with Helen and Lew Frost to the Frost apartment to observe the family's reaction upon learning that Helen has hired Wolfe to investigate the murder of Boyden McNair and to determine if any of them know the whereabouts of the red box.
Ch. 13 - heads to Glennanne with great haste to reinforce Saul, Fred, and Orrie. Archie considers sneaking Gebert out to discuss matters with Wolfe but feels Gebert is too slick to take the chance after NYC Det. Northrup recognizes him; Archie hands him over to Rowcliff and leaves for the brownstone.
Ch. 14 - at Helen Frost's request, Archie goes to NYPC headquarters to check on Gebert. Archie finds him being brutally interrogated by two of Cramer's men. Archie is invited to participate but leaves disgusted. After returning to the brownstone to report to Wolfe, Archie leaves again to attend McNair's funeral.
Ch. 15 - representing the executor of the estate, attends McNair's funeral at the Belford Memorial Chapel where he finds the Frost family and friends mourning in a private parlor in "dreary and hushed obeisance to the grisly terror."
Ch. 16 - while listening to Wolfe and Helen Frost discuss the events after McNair's funeral, Archie takes a call from a "sap with a voice like a foghorn" and then Cramer who wants to see Helen. He takes her to the Frost residence and hands her over to him.
Ch. 17 - receives Asst. D. A. Frisbie in the office, whom Wolfe declines to see. Archie ends up smacking him after Frisbie becomes upset and offensive.
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 8 - catches Boyden McNair as he collapses in the office and announces, "I think he's gone."
Escorts Wolfe on the train trip to Kanawha Spas.
Archie is interested in Miss Berin.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 1 - driving Wolfe to an orchid exhibition in upstate New York, crashes into a tree after a tire blowout. Evades an aggressive bull in a field and later rescues Wolfe who was stranded atop a large boulder. Meets Lily Rowan for the first time (she witnessed all the excitement in the field).
Ch. 3 - witnesses the (unfriendly) wager made between Clyde Osgood and Tom Pratt. Later, leaves with Caroline Pratt to retrieve the luggage and is warned by her about Lily Rowan's capacity to destroy men (historically, like Clyde but now Jimmy). Archie offers to have lunch with Lily and to provide a report to Caroline concerning the matter.
Ch. 4 - after dinner, takes a shift guarding Caesar and is joined by Lily Rowan.
Ch. 5 - tells Fred Osgood what happened the night of the murder.
Ch. 6 - attends the Exposition (observes Wolfe and Charles Shanks discuss orchids and generally the wide variety of people present) where he eats lunch with Lily Rowan. Later, Wolfe compels Archie to abandon Lily in favor of a meeting with Fred Osgood.
Ch. 9 - with Wolfe, takes up residence at the Osgood ranch, making it the base of operations to investigate Clyde Osgood's murder. Archie assists Wolfe in direct questioning of Fred Osgood, furnishing uncomfortable questions about Osgood-Pratt relationships and about Lily Rowan.
Ch. 11 - sent by Wolfe to the Pratt ranch to photograph Caesar's corpse before it is burned; he's too late though. Later, in frustration, he kisses Lily.
Ch. 14 - pays $66.20 for the repairs to the sedan at Thompson's Garage near Crowfield. (Presumably under Wolfe's orders) scours the exposition for Lew Bennet, finds him extremely busy, and gets him to agree to see Wolfe at his next opportunity. Archie continues to play hard to get with Lily Rowan when she appears at Wolfe's orchid exhibit. After lunch with Wolfe and Lily, again looking for Bennett, observes Nancy Osgood appearing furtive along with Jimmy Pratt and investigates.
Ch. 16 - is questioned by Capt. Barrow regarding Howard Bronson's death (and Archie's presence on the scene earlier in the day). When Barrow threatens to search Archie, Wolfe provides a diversion, and he deposits his ostrich skin wallet in DA Waddell's coat pocket. At Wolfe's suggestion he goes with Barrow to the courthouse for further questioning.
Ch. 17 - for failing to give sufficiently good answer to Capt. Barrow's questions, Archie is detained in the local jail.
Ch. 18 - released from jail with warrant vacated after Wolfe makes a deal with D.A. Waddell.
Ch.19 - observes Wolfe fabricating evidence and entertains his suggestion that he enlist Lily Rowan to help conclude the case.
Ch. 20 - at the Pratt ranch enlists Lily Rowan's help;
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 4 - while watching Caesar (on the lookout for any thieves) finds the body of Clyde Osgood (along with Lily Rowan who decided to keep Archie company during his shift) -- takes it hard that it happened on his shift.
Ch. 14 - finds Howard Bronson's dead body concealed in a pile of hay at the Exhibition.
On orders from Wolfe, takes the Clyde Osgood-IOU from Bronson after a small struggle.
Finds Bronson dead in a haystack with a pitchfork in his chest.
Waddell and Capt. Barrow know Archie took a document from Bronson during an interview with Wolfe. Hides the IOU on Waddell before he could be searched (with help from a diversion supplied by Wolfe).
Held in a prison cell overnight on suspicion of having evidence pertinent to the Bronson murder. Wolfe eventually gets him out.
Interviews various players at Nikola Miltan's fencing / dance studio to help determine Neya Tormic's role in the disappearance of Driscoll's diamonds.
Reserved notes for this caseArchie is present at the Miltan's studio when Ludlow is murdered.
Notices a small package (cul de mort in a glove) stuck in his coat pocket during the confusion following the murder of Ludlow. He escapes with the package without police detection.
Reserved notes for this case
Sent to observe Lewis Hewitt's black orchids at a flower show.
Inextricably attracted to Anne Tracy.
Reserved notes for this caseAccidentally (indirectly) kills Harry Gould when he pulls a string off the stick of Lewis Hewitt. The string was attached to the trigger of a gun aimed at Harry as he performed in the Dill exhibit.
Discovers the death of Harry Gould.
Notices Rose Lasher lurking around after the murder of Harry Gould. Archie picks her purse and discovers her identity and address -- he convinces her to come see Wolfe for some questioning after she flees the scene of the crime.
Visits the Huddleston estate to question the primary suspects concerning the identity of the sender of the anonymous letters.
Reserved notes for this caseArchie dates Janet Nichols in an attempt to get info concerning the identity of the sender of the anonymous letters and the death of Bess Huddleston.
Archie is curious about why Wolfe sent such an extravagent bouquet (8 black orchids) to the funeral of Bess Huddleston.
Archie is too late to keep Janet from scratching Larry Huddleston after Wolfe exposeses her as the murderer.
Attracted to Phoebe Gunther.
Reserved notes for this case
When Purley arrives at the brownstone to collect him, Archie says that this will be the first time he's ever been arrested by the city of New York.
Reserved notes for this caseWas attracted to Ann Amory when he took her dancing and was confronted by an irate Lilly Rowan.
Goes to work at Naylor-Kerr, Inc. ostensibly as a personnel researcher, but actually to investigate the death of Waldo Moore.
Reserved notes for this caseWins a fight with Harold Bendini (see Rosa Bendini, wife). A stiff right to the body and two hard kidney punches are required to subdue Harold (p. 44).
Sells Wolfe's idea of finding the killer of Cyril Orchard to Madelaine Fraser and her staff. Ultimately, many of the sponsors want and get a piece of the action.
Reserved notes for this caseManages to get Nancylee Shepherd into Wolfe's office after Saul failed, earning a "standing ovation" from Wolfe.
Archie is taken prisoner by Deputy Commissioner O'Hara for declining to answer questions about a letter found on his person. Wolfe ultimately rescues Archie by threatening to announce the killer of Cyril Orchard on a live radio broadcast.
Goes undercover as Andrew Goodwin the photographer at the Sperling Stony Acres estate to win over the heart of Gwenn Sperling from Louis Rony.
Reserved notes for this caseOrchestrates an ambush of himself and Louis Rony using Ruth Brady and Saul Panzer in order to search Rony.
Wish Saul searches Rony's apartment for Rony's Communist Party membership card, then bumps into Jimmy Sperling and Mrs. Sperling also searching Rony's apartment. Mrs. Sperling scratches his face.
Slaps around Paul Emerson for calling he and Wolfe hyenas. Madeline is not impressed.
Starts his own detective agency after Wolfe disappears.
Suggests to Cramer that he is on Zeck's payroll when Cramer asks that Archie call Wolfe off of his pursuit of Zeck. Cramer attacks Archie, but is easily put aside; he leaves in a huff.
Reserved notes for this caseAsks Lily Rowan for help in Wolfe's project.
Works with Wolfe to set up Zeck.
In the climactic showdown with Zeck, Archie tackles him and ties him with cord. Goodwin sets a gun within reach of Barry Rackham who uses it to kill Zeck.
The only resident of the brownstone who drives, so he's happy that Wolfe has just bought a new Cadillac sedan, since it is effectively his new car. He contemplates acquiring a harem after attending one of the client's fashion shows and checking out the models.
Reserved notes for this case
Luckily uses the name of Ms. Alving to gain access to Mrs. Floyd Whitten when Wolfe wants to put questions to her.
Reserved notes for this caseNero considers it "brilliant" that Archie realized that Mrs. Whitten must have lost blood from some trauma that was being covered up. He coerces the family doctor to reveal that someone stabbed Mrs. Whitten.
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Reserved notes for this caseFails to convince Clara James to sign the affidavit admitting to moving the gun from the floor to the Caruso bust (but obtains a specimen of her signature on a silly letter of expanation of his failure he composed for that purpose). Wolfe says, "Indeed. Good. Satisfactory."
Archie tells Wolfe, "Her thought operations could easily be carried on inside a hollowed-out pea."
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Archie wines and dines the women from the law firm in an attempt to shake loose some facts concerning the murder of Leonard Dykes.
Archie describes his adverserial relationship with Rowcliff; whenever the two are in a heated debate, Archie stutters brining on Rowcliff's stutter. Thus, Archie has the upper hand.
Reserved notes for this caseJust misses speaking with Rachel Abrahms who typed "Put Not Your Trust" for Baird Archer by three minutes. She had been strangled and pushed out her office window.
Wolfe sends Archie to California to speak with Dykes' sister about helping lay a trap.
Archie tears up his paycheck because Wolfe criticizes him for leaving Friday morning for a weekend in the country with Lily Rowan -- Wolfe bellows at him and Archie leaves.
Archie is interrogated by Asst. DA Mandelbaum.
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Feels that he missed at least one ball game for no good reason.
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Regular customer of the Goldenrod Barber Shop.
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Arrested under the Sullivan act, so that he is in danger of losing his P.I. license even if he isn't convicted of murder.
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Maintains friendly detente with neighbourhood kids. Let Pete Drossos into the brownstone on the theory that it would be good for Wolfe to have another child to play with (tactic backfired spectacularly).
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Accompanied Wolfe to Montenegro.
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Railroaded into taking this job because if he keeps his weekend date instead, he'll have to lay off Wolfe for awhile about not taking work.
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NY Giants fan.
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Archie is under subpoena for the Ashe trial as a witness, but won't be called except in the unlikely event that Mandelbaum decides that Wolfe's testimony needs corroboration.
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In returning a left-behind item, by a rejected client, he ultimately ends up at a murder scene and is followed home by a dog (of unquestionable intellect.)
Reserved notes for this caseThe coat ends up belonging to the murder, who himself took it by mistake.
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Got Wolfe all the way out to River Bend as directed.
Reserved notes for this caseFinds the murder victim while trout fishing
Under subpoena to testify in Albany.
Reserved notes for this caseWould only accept 50 percent of the responsibility for the wire-tapping fiasco.
When Wolfe attempts to cancel his scheduled evening out at the party, Archie produces a marriage license (!) made out for Margot.
Reserved notes for this caseThe license is a forgery, arranged as a favor to Margot to help pressure Bottweil into following through on his promises of marriage. Archie never intended to show it to Wolfe, until Wolfe got uppity.
Hired Tabby to snatch Bynoe's flamingo-pink Vanda orchid for Wolfe. Took photographs at St. Thomas Church on Easter Sunday.
Reserved notes for this case
Archie starts investigating too soon. Provides a sketchy autobiography while Wolfe quizzes several of those involved in the case, to help get them started.
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Invited as last-minute substitute for Austin Byne to the Grantham House annual dinner party. Primary reason that the cops couldn't cross off the resulting death as a suicide.
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Suggests approaching Simon Jacobs, as the least well-off and most honourable of the catspaws.
Reserved notes for this caseDiscovers 2 of 3 murder victims, destroying fingerprint evidence each time to conceal his presence.
Passes the time by seeing if he can get the phone numbers of all ten servers, to prove a point to Fritz about his charm for young women.
Reserved notes for this case
Archie quits his job with Wolfe then takes Wolfe on as a partner. Archie contends that there are 3 methods of dealing with police questioning: 1) stand mute, 2) the complete unvarnished truth, or 3) a simple basic lie with no trimmings.
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Persuaded Wolfe to attend Lily's party by mentioning the blue grouse that would be served by Felix.
Reserved notes for this caseLily bet him a sawbuck that Wolfe wouldn't stay for coffee.
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Drives up to Westchester County to ID Dinah Utley's body after the Vails decline to do so.
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He knows that blindfold simuls have occurred, but doesn't believe in them, having monkeyed with chess a little.
Reserved notes for this caseFound Kalmus' body. Pretends at one point to have been fired.
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Draws the line at acting as a valet.
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Although he gets out more than Wolfe does and tips less, Pete shines his shoes just as well as Wolfe's.
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Arrested by Cramer as a material witness right off the bat.
Reserved notes for this caseSuspected due to Susan McLeod's misleading testimony, which in turn came from Faber's disinformation.
Arranged to get the tie tested in a laboratory.
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err
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A guest at Lily Rowan's ranch.
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Took in Pierre Ducos when he came to see Wolfe.
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aka Buster.
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Archie used this alias when phoning the Gallant Company.
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aka Harold Stevens.
Reserved notes for this caseTitle quote is from Archie, who's actually scared by this case. He's glad that before he dies, he's seen some of the things that happen as it unfolds.
Trying to wangle a transfer to a combat assignment.
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Has been out of the Army for 1 week. Blaney says he has a good baritone voice.
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Major, U.S. Army Intelligence.
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Character quotations:
. . . husbands who try to go on steering when the car is upside down in a ditch aggravate me.
Archie describing Harold Bendini's attitude toward his wife who wants nothing to do with him.
Very well, I resign as of now. You are simply too conceited, too eccentric, and too fat to work for.
Archie upset with Wolfe for not accepting Sweeties as a client.
Viva voce?
Archie attempting to ask Wolfe if he wants him to read a report out loud; Wolfe informs him he has misused and mispronounced the expression.
...if I had just landed ten famous murderers and had them salted down, and was at the moment engaged in trying to run down a guy who had put a slug in a subway turnstile, Fritz going to answer the doorbell would put a quiver in me.
Archie explaining why he nearly knocked over his glass of milk when the telephone rang as he was discussing the case with Wolfe.
I'm going to take Pinkie for a ride.
Archie explains to Durkin why he wants him to distract the police officer camped out on Perry St.
If this keeps up another ten minutes I'll get Weltschmerz!
Archie expresses frustration at Wolfe's apparent lack of action or development of a plan (after Mike Walsh is murdered). "Weltschmerz" is a feeling of weariness and/or pessimism about life in general.
Language: Of course, I couldn't hear anything either, so I kept glancing at the office door without letting my fingers stop, and at length it opened and Wolfe entered. Observing the mise en scene, he winked with his right eye and steered for his desk.
Archie describing the scene in the office (radio turned on and Archie typing loudly) as he provides cover for Wolfe escorting Helen Frost from the plant rooms out of the brownstone such that Boyden McNair does not detect her presence.
In French "mise en scene" is a theatrical reference for the orchestration and direction of a scene as Archie has done here.
Vocabulary: Boyden McNair ... sat near Wolfe's desk in the dunce's chair, yclept that by me on the day that District Attorney Anderson of Westchester sat in it while Wolfe made a dunce of him.
"Yclept" means so-called (i.e., the dunce's chair is so-called because Archie named it that after the incident with Anderson).
History: Haile Selassie.
Archie identifies himself as Selassie when challenged for his identity upon arriving at Glennanne. Haile Selassie I, born Tafari Makonnen; 23 July 1892 – 27 August 1975, was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. Prior to his coronation, he had been the Regent Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia from 1916. He is a defining figure in modern Ethiopian history, and the key figure of Rastafari, a religious movement in Jamaica which emerged shortly after he became emperor in the 1930s. He was a member of the Solomonic dynasty which claims to trace lineage to Emperor Menelik I, supposedly the son of King Solomon and Makeda the Queen of Sheba.
Culture: I suppose it's a form of madness, but so what if I've got it? Like what Margot was reading to me the other night --- some poet, I think it was some Greek --- 'O love, resistless in thy might, thou triumphest even -'
Archie is either misquoting or using a different translation; the correct quote is "O Love, resistless in thy might, triumphant over the power of gold". It's from the tragedy _Antigone_, a play (circa 441 B.C.) by Sophocles. Image of the translation used is at https://books.google.com/books?id=PtQIAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA165&lpg=PA165
Vocabulary: The cook is downstairs ipso facto.
The Latin expression, ipso facto literally means "by the fact itself."
Culture: ...the proper environment for that type is bounded by 42nd and 96th Streets on the south and north, and Lexington Avenue and Broadway on the east and west. In their habitat they don't look bad, in fact they help a lot in maintaining the tone, but out in the country like that, still wearing a Crawnley town suit including vest and a custom-made shirt and a Monteith tie, they jar.
Archie describes Bronson, who was overdressed in his opinion, as he arrived at the Pratt ranch. A Crawnley suit would be more appropriate for a dandy in town rather than a comparatively well-dressed man in the countryside.
History: You will be very happy for a while, then you will take a long journey under water and will meet a bald-headed man sitting on some seaweed who you will think is William Beebe ...
Archie is talking apparent nonsense to Lily here.
Born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in East Orange, New Jersey, Charles William Beebe left college before obtaining a degree to work at the then newly opened New York Zoological Park, where he was given the duty of caring for the zoo's birds. He quickly distinguished himself in his work for the zoo, first with his skill in designing habitats for its bird population, and soon also with a series of research expeditions of increasing length, including an expedition around the world to document the world's pheasants.
Beebe gradually developed an interest in marine biology, ultimately leading to his 1930s dives in the Bathysphere, along with its inventor, Otis Barton, off the coast of Bermuda. This was the first time a biologist observed deep-sea animals in their native environment and set several successive records for the deepest dive ever performed by a human.
It's not clear why he is mentioned by Archie other than the possibility that Beebe was lately in the news, catching Stout's attention.
Vocabulary: You remind me of a second-grade dick harassing a dip.
Dip (slang): a pickpocket.
Archie speaking to Fred Osgood after his son was found dead, criticizing his technique for questioning him and others.
Vocabulary: ...the fight for a hotel room, which was a pippin...
Pippin (slang): a very sound or excellent thing (OED); something of high quality.
Archie refers to his difficulty obtaining a hotel room in Crowfield in the middle of the Exposition.
Culture: I passed a platform whereon a woman stood wearing a grin and a pure gold brassiere and a Fuller brush skirt 11 inches long...
A Fuller brush skirt constituted fashionable clothing in the 1930's. An 11-inch long skirt was notably risque.
Vocabulary: Driving into Crowfield that morning, Caroline pointed out the Osgood demesne...
Demesne: an estate occupied by its lord.
Culture: ... he had invited luck to contribute to the good cause by sundry methods from crackaloo to 10-cent bridge...
Archie summarizes how Clyde Osgood ran up debt, leading to his unfortunate involvement with Howard Bronson.
"Crackaloo" is a game of chance in which players throw coins at the ceiling of a room, aiming to have them fall as near as possible to a certain crack in the floor.
Culture: yellow Wethersill
Archie mentions seeing a yellow Wethersill when he parks his car on the Pratt ranch, and this is an invention by Stout. No such automobile was ever manufactured.
Vocabulary: Nor did I respond to the melting quality that seemed to be creeping into her tone, but kept strictly to persiflage.
After suddenly kissing Lily and her favorable response (e.g., intertwining her arm with his), Archie plays harder to get.
"Persiflage" islight and slightly contemptuous mockery or banter.
Vocabulary: Bert...sat in the kitchen and listened to the radio with his ear glued to it because it had to be kept pianissimo.
Archie describes the scene at the Osgood ranch during Captain Barrow's and D.A. Waddell's visit.
"Pianissimo" means very softly. Presumably Dave doesn't want to disturb anyone as he passes the time.
...whenever I interrupted him in the plant-rooms he pretended he was Joe Louis in his training camp and I was a boy peeking through the fence.
Joe Louis was a world-famous heavyweight boxing champion. Archie indicates that Wolfe makes him feel rather unwelcome when intruding upon his time in the plant rooms.