Пуаро веде слідство
XI. The Case of the Missing Will
Hewasexceedinglykindtohisbrother’sorphanchild,tookmetolivewithhim,andtreatedmeineverywayasthoughIwashisowndaughter.
“CrabtreeManor,inspiteofitsname,isreallyonlyanoldfarmhouse.Farmingwasinmyuncle’sblood,andhewasintenselyinterestedinvariousmodernfarmingexperiments.Althoughkindnessitselftome,hehadcertainpeculiaranddeeply-rootedideasastotheup-bringingofwomen.Himselfamanoflittleornoeducation,thoughpossessingremarkableshrewdness,heplacedlittlevalueonwhathecalled‘bookknowledge.’Hewasespeciallyopposedtotheeducationofwomen.Inhisopinion,girlsshouldlearnpracticalhouseworkanddairy-work,beusefulaboutthehome,andhaveaslittletodowithbooklearningaspossible.Heproposedtobringmeupontheselines,tomybitterdisappointmentandannoyance.Irebelledfrankly.IknewthatIpossessedagoodbrain,andhadabsolutelynotalentfordomesticduties.MyuncleandIhadmanybitterargumentsonthesubject,for,thoughmuchattachedtoeachother,wewerebothself-willed.Iwasluckyenoughtowinascholarship,anduptoacertainpointwassuccessfulingettingmyownway.ThecrisisarosewhenIresolvedtogotoGirton.Ihadalittlemoneyofmyown,leftmebymymother,andIwasquitedeterminedtomakethebestuseofthegiftsGodhadgivenme.Ihadonelong,finalargumentwithmyuncle.Heputthefactsplainlybeforeme.Hehadnootherrelations,andhehadintendedmetobehissoleheiress.AsIhavetoldyou,hewasaveryrichman.
