# XI: The Generalship of Angela explained — The Three Taps

> Chapter companion for The Three Taps by Ronald A. Knox.

## What happens

Angela Bredon devises a clever social scheme to inspect the cigarette cases of Brinkman and Pulteney, hoping to find evidence of a rare brand of cigarettes. Through dinner conversation and a blindfolded tasting game, she successfully identifies Brinkman's cigarette as a 'Callipoli,' while also maneuvering to check Pulteney's case, which turns out to be empty.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and Fraud

Angela's entire scheme is a carefully orchestrated deception to secretly inspect the men's cigarettes without their knowledge.

### Marriage and Partnership

Angela and Miles work as a team, with Angela taking the lead in executing the plan, highlighting their collaborative partnership.

### Appearance vs. Reality

The dinner conversation and games appear to be lighthearted socializing, but are actually a cover for a covert investigation.

## Character check-ins

### Angela Bredon

Orchestrates the dinner-table scheme to inspect Brinkman's and Pulteney's cigarettes, using conversation and a blindfold game to achieve her goal.

### Miles Bredon

Enlists Angela's help to investigate the cigarette brand; participates in the blindfold tasting game as part of the plan.

### Mr. Brinkman

Target of Angela's scheme; his cigarette is identified as 'Callipoli' after he is tricked into participating in the blindfold game.

### Mr. Pulteney

Another target; his cigarette case is found empty during the investigation, and he later fills a briar pipe.

### Mr. Leyland

Provides a handkerchief for the blindfold game and participates in the conversation about silver hallmarks.

### The Old Gentleman

Engages in the dinner conversation, commenting on the word 'genial' and comparing detectives to schoolmasters.

## Key lines

> Angela, I've got a job of work for you. All you've got to do is to make Brinkman and Pulteney open their cigarette-cases for inspection without knowing that they're doing it.

Miles asks Angela to trick Brinkman and Pulteney into revealing their cigarette brands without their realizing it.

_Sets up the central scheme of the chapter._

> I wish I smoked. But if I did I would smoke a pipe; it always looks so comfortable. Besides, you can shut your eyes and go to sleep with a pipe, which must be rather dangerous with a cigarette.

Angela pretends to wish she smoked, using the comment to steer the conversation toward a blindfold tasting game.

_Part of her strategy to create an opportunity to inspect Brinkman's cigarette._

> It was easy work for Angela to drop the spoon, and set Mr. Pulteney grovelling for it. Meanwhile, she hastily picked up Brinkman's cigarette, and read the word 'Callipoli.'

Angela creates a distraction by dropping a spoon, then quickly examines Brinkman's abandoned cigarette and sees the brand name 'Callipoli.'

_Key moment where Angela successfully obtains the evidence._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_three_taps_se/chapters/xi-the-generalship-of-angela
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_three_taps_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_three_taps_se/chapters