“- Good. ... and sat down like a jerk.”
Why it's great
It answers the heroic version with the clumsy one, and the gap between them is the whole joke.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
He promised to speak up, then sat down like a jerk.
00:00 / 03:57
00:00 / 03:57
Linus Visits David in Bed, Explained
Sabrina · 1954
Chapter 10 of 18 · 3'57"
It's a favour that isn't a favour. David, stitched up after the champagne-glass fall, asks Linus to "keep an eye on Sabrina for me." Linus calmly answers that he's already taking her sailing that afternoon — and David, grateful, says "What a brother," never hearing the trap closing.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 1:55–2:29
Linus Agrees to Watch Sabrina
34s - 2:52–3:55
Linus Keeps David in Bed
63s
Linus Visits David in Bed, explained
What happens
David is in bed with twenty-three stitches after sitting on champagne glasses in his pocket. Linus visits, bringing a plastic hammock with a trap door that he had the factory make that Sunday morning. When David asks him to watch over Sabrina, Linus reveals he's taking her sailing — and David, delighted, hands him the whole situation.
What's really going on
The comedy is that David thinks he's directing events. He asks Linus to look after Sabrina, then explains his great awakening: "It's been Sabrina and I since we were kids. I just couldn't see her for the tree." He even stages the family's reaction — Elizabeth buying hats, Mother with a headache, Father drinking and threatening to send him to Butte — then asks Linus to save him. But Linus has already answered the important question himself: "As a matter of fact, I'm taking her sailing this afternoon." Every favour David asks for is one Linus has quietly taken over, and the scene ends with Linus reminding him, "no more false moves now, not until those stitches are out."
Key lines & what they mean
- “- Good. ... and sat down like a jerk.”
- The punchline to Linus's account of the tennis-court disaster: David stood up like a man for Sabrina, then "sat down like a jerk" — which is how he ended up on the broken glasses.
- “- How do you feel? - I never felt better in my life.”
- David reports on his recovery with his usual swagger: not merely better, but the best he's ever felt. The line is cheerfully oblivious, given the stitches.
- “I was blind, that's why. It's been Sabrina and I since we were kids.”
- The confession: David says he was blind to what was in front of him, and that he and Sabrina go back to childhood — suddenly she is the obvious answer.
- “I know how these things bore you, but would you mind keeping an eye on Sabrina for me?”
- The request that gives the scene its title. David frames it as a nuisance for Linus, then asks him to watch over Sabrina — the favour Linus will turn against him.
- “I don't want to go to Butte, Montana. You're going to help me, aren't you?”
- David's real fear is exile to the family's Montana copper mine. He needs Linus's help, and asks in a way that assumes agreement.
- “And no more false moves now, not until those stitches are out.”
- Linus's closing instruction: David must stay still and make no mistakes until the stitches come out — a medical warning that doubles as a way to keep him out of the way.
Theme
- Deception — Linus agrees to protect David's romance while already arranging the sailing trip that will take Sabrina from him.
- Trust — David trusts Linus completely, which is exactly what makes Linus's quiet maneuvering so effective.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level6/8
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“- How do you feel? - I never felt better in my life.”
Why it's great
He is bandaged and cheerful at once, and the bravado is more telling than any complaint.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
I never felt better, said the man with the fever.
“I was blind, that's why. It's been Sabrina and I since we were kids.”
Why it's great
He blames his own blindness first, then quietly admits how long she has been there.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
I was blind, that's why I lost the chance.
“I know how these things bore you, but would you mind keeping an eye on Sabrina for me?”
Why it's great
He names the boredom first, which makes the request almost impossible to refuse politely.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
Would you mind keeping an eye on my dog tonight?
“I don't want to go to Butte, Montana. You're going to help me, aren't you?”
Why it's great
He turns a fear into a childish plea and pins the answer with a tag question.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
You're going to back me up, aren't you?
“And no more false moves now, not until those stitches are out.”
Why it's great
It sounds like care for a patient but works as an order, which is why it chills the scene.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
No more late nights now, not until your exams are over.
Up next · 11blot outThe scene: Linus Opens Up to SabrinaTakeaways
What you walk away with- Linus agrees to help David and plans the opposite.
- David's bravado about the stitches tells you who he is.
- The sickroom talk never stops being a negotiation.
- Family concern is the cover for everyone's motives.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy is David in bed?
He sat on champagne glasses he'd put in his pocket and needed twenty-three stitches. The injury keeps him laid up while Linus moves around freely, which is exactly what the scene needs.
Why does David ask Linus to keep an eye on Sabrina?
He's stuck in bed and can't see her himself. He trusts Linus to look after her, not realizing that Linus is already planning to take her sailing and sideline him.
What does David mean by not seeing her for the tree?
He means he was always around Sabrina and never noticed her romantically — too close to see what was right in front of him. Now, he says, he finally has.
Why does Linus give David the plastic hammock?
Partly a gift for an injured brother, partly a demonstration of the plastics business. He even had the plant opened on a Sunday to make it, which is what wins David over.
What does Linus's sailing trip tell us?
That Linus is already a step ahead. David thinks he's asking for a favour, but Linus answers that the sailing trip is already set, taking the situation out of David's hands.