Capítulo 7 de 27 · 3'09"
Chief Inspector Hearne arrives with a warrant and arrests Leonard on the spot for the murder of Emily French. Leonard is stunned; Sir Wilfrid keeps his composure with jokes and reassurance. "Kings, prime ministers, archbishops, even barristers have stood in the dock," he says. The comedy only sharpens how bad the case looks.
Chief Inspector Hearne Arrests Leonard
The Lawyers Size Up the Case
Chief Inspector Hearne comes to Sir Wilfrid's chambers with a warrant and formally charges Leonard with murdering Emily French. Leonard is shaken and asks whether he must be handcuffed; Sir Wilfrid jokes about the deluxe treatment and tells him that even kings and barristers have stood in the dock. Then the lawyers size up their case.
The arrest turns the talk into a real case, and the scene's humour is doing quiet work. Leonard asks if he has to be handcuffed and says he has never been arrested before, and Sir Wilfrid answers with comfort that doubles as a warning — "Kings, prime ministers, archbishops, even barristers have stood in the dock." The point is that standing there proves nothing about guilt, which is both reassuring and terrifying. Once Leonard is led away, the lawyers assess the odds: the prosecution will blast in with heavy artillery, and the defence has only "one little popgun, an alibi furnished by his wife." Sir Wilfrid's last joke, calling Miss Plimsoll's order to rest "blackmail," shows the same instinct: he treats everything, including his own health, as a case to argue.
A1–C2 es la escala MCER. Las tarjetas por encima del nivel elegido se atenúan y la reproducción no se pausa en ellas.
“Kings, prime ministers, archbishops, even barristers have stood in the dock.”
By listing kings and archbishops, the line turns the dock into a place anyone might stand.
Formal
“This is blackmail. But you're quite right.”
A mock accusation collapses into surrender, showing who really runs the room.
Informal
“All you'll have is one little popgun, an alibi furnished by his wife.”
The heavy artillery against a popgun says everything about how lopsided this trial will be.
Informal
“One thing I've learned for sure, never look in a window with women's hats.”
A mundane embarrassment becomes life wisdom, delivered with deadpan sincerity.
Informal
Siguiente · 08call it what you likeLa escena: Christine Vole Meets the LawyersThe police find Mrs French's will the same day, which gives him a motive. Chief Inspector Hearne arrives at Sir Wilfrid's chambers with a warrant while the lawyers are still talking.
He says even kings, prime ministers, archbishops and barristers have stood in the dock, meaning the charge itself is no proof of guilt. It steadies Leonard without denying how serious things are.
Their only alibi comes from Leonard's wife, Christine, and the lawyers know a devoted wife's testimony counts for little against a mass of circumstantial evidence.
Brogan-Moore and Sir Wilfrid compare notes on the case. They agree the prosecution will come in with everything they have, while the defence has almost nothing.
