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Five Little Pigs :: Christie Agatha
Страница: 102 из 147A respected and austere man is discovered to have had a coarser side to his life hidden. A vulgar money-maker has, perhaps, a secret appreciation of some delicate work of art. Hard and ruthless people have been convicted of unsuspected hidden kindnesses. Generous and jovial men have been shown to have a mean and cruel side to them.
So it may be that in Amyas Crale there ran a strain of morbid self-accusation, and that the more he blustered out his egoism and his right to do as he pleased, the more strongly that secret conscience of his worked. It is improbable, on the face of it, but I now believe that it must have been so. And I repeat again, Caroline herself held steadfastly to that view. That, I repeat, is significant!
And now to examinefacts, or rather my memory of facts, in the light of that new belief.
I think that I might with relevance include here a conversation I held with Caroline some weeks before the actual tragedy. It was during Elsa Greer’s first visit to Alderbury.
Caroline, as I have told you, was aware of my deep affection and friendship for her. I was, therefore, the person in whom she could most easily confide. She had not been looking very happy. Nevertheless I was surprised when she suddenly asked me one day whether I thought Amyas really cared very much for this girl he had brought down.
I said: ‘He’s interested in painting her. You know what Amyas is.’
She shook her head and said:
‘No, he’s in love with her.’
‘Well-perhaps a little.’
‘A great deal, I think.’
I said: ‘She is unusually attractive, I admit. And we both know that Amyas is susceptible. But you must know by now, my dear, that Amyas really only cares for one person-and that is you. He has these infatuations-but they don’t last. You are the one person to him, and though he behaves badly, it does not really affect his feeling for you.’
Caroline said: ‘That is what I always used to think.’
‘Believe me, Caro,’ I said. ‘It is so.’
She said: ‘But this time, Merry, I’m afraid. That girl is so-so terribly sincere. She’s so young-and so intense. I’ve a feeling that this time-it’s serious.’
I said: ‘But the very fact that she is so young and, as you say, so sincere, will protect her. On the whole, women are fair game to Amyas, but in the case of a girl like this it will be different.’
She said: ‘Yes, that’s what I’m afraid of-it will be different.’
And she went on. ‘I’m thirty-four, you know, Merry. And we’ve been married ten years.
So it may be that in Amyas Crale there ran a strain of morbid self-accusation, and that the more he blustered out his egoism and his right to do as he pleased, the more strongly that secret conscience of his worked. It is improbable, on the face of it, but I now believe that it must have been so. And I repeat again, Caroline herself held steadfastly to that view. That, I repeat, is significant!
And now to examinefacts, or rather my memory of facts, in the light of that new belief.
I think that I might with relevance include here a conversation I held with Caroline some weeks before the actual tragedy. It was during Elsa Greer’s first visit to Alderbury.
Caroline, as I have told you, was aware of my deep affection and friendship for her. I was, therefore, the person in whom she could most easily confide. She had not been looking very happy. Nevertheless I was surprised when she suddenly asked me one day whether I thought Amyas really cared very much for this girl he had brought down.
I said: ‘He’s interested in painting her. You know what Amyas is.’
She shook her head and said:
‘No, he’s in love with her.’
‘Well-perhaps a little.’
‘A great deal, I think.’
I said: ‘She is unusually attractive, I admit. And we both know that Amyas is susceptible. But you must know by now, my dear, that Amyas really only cares for one person-and that is you. He has these infatuations-but they don’t last. You are the one person to him, and though he behaves badly, it does not really affect his feeling for you.’
Caroline said: ‘That is what I always used to think.’
‘Believe me, Caro,’ I said. ‘It is so.’
She said: ‘But this time, Merry, I’m afraid. That girl is so-so terribly sincere. She’s so young-and so intense. I’ve a feeling that this time-it’s serious.’
I said: ‘But the very fact that she is so young and, as you say, so sincere, will protect her. On the whole, women are fair game to Amyas, but in the case of a girl like this it will be different.’
She said: ‘Yes, that’s what I’m afraid of-it will be different.’
And she went on. ‘I’m thirty-four, you know, Merry. And we’ve been married ten years.