"Afterwards, in the dusty little corners where London's secret servants drink together, there was argument about where the Dolphin case history should really begin. One crowd, led by a blimpish fellow in charge of microphone transcription, went so far as the claim the fitting date was some sixty years ago, when 'that archcad Bill Haydon' was born into the world under a treacherous star. Haydon's very name struck a chill into them. It does so even today."
Part 1, Winding the Clock: Chapter 1, How the Circus Left Town, pg. 3

"He called British intelligence 'the Circus.' He said the name derived from the address of that organization's secret headquarters, which overlooked a famous intersection of London streets." Part 1, Winding the Clock: Chapter 1, How the Circus Left Town, pg. 45

"Only George Smiley, said Roddy Martindale, a fleshy Foreign Office wit, could have got himself appointed captain of a wrecked ship...