“It's tragic. You'd better get a man with younger arteries.”
Por qué es buena
He admits his age without saying it, letting a medical detail carry the joke.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
You'd better get a friend with younger legs for that hike.
00:00 / 04:08
00:00 / 04:08
Vole Tries to Hire Sir Wilfrid, Explained
Witness for the Prosecution · 1957
Capítulo 3 de 27 · 4'08"
Sir Wilfrid is meant to be resting, and his nurse has banned criminal cases. Mayhew still brings him Leonard Vole, a polite young man suspected of murder. The case is summed up as "Vole seems caught in a web of circumstantial evidence," and the convalescent barrister can't resist. The real question is whether Wilfrid wants justice or just the thrill.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:26–1:13
Too Ill for Murder, Too Bored to Rest
47s - 2:15–2:46
❝ Monólogo · 6 frases The Web of Circumstantial Evidence
31s
Vole Tries to Hire Sir Wilfrid, explained
What happens
Leonard Vole arrives at Sir Wilfrid's home with his solicitor, Mayhew, hoping the famous barrister will take his case: he is suspected of murdering Emily French, a wealthy middle-aged widow. Sir Wilfrid is recovering from a heart attack and his nurse forbids any stimulating work, but curiosity wins. He agrees to five minutes, lights a cigar, and starts asking about the case.
What's really going on
The scene plays like a job interview in reverse: the client is pleading, the lawyer pretending he isn't interested. The convalescent barrister keeps insisting he is too ill for criminal work — "You'd better get a man with younger arteries" — but every refusal is bait. Mayhew knows exactly what he is doing by mentioning a murder; within minutes Wilfrid has taken over, asking about character, war record, and an alibi, and shooing the nurse off. "Splendid. All the instincts of a skilled criminal" is admiration for a fellow operator, not a verdict on guilt. He offers only "a word of advice," yet he has already lit a cigar and begun building a defence, hiding all of it from Miss Plimsoll.
Key lines & what they mean
- “It's tragic. You'd better get a man with younger arteries.”
- A dry joke about his own age: he is too old and ill for a murder case, so they should find someone younger and healthier.
- “Vole seems caught in a web of circumstantial evidence.”
- There is no direct proof, only scattered clues that together point at Vole and make him hard to defend.
- “Whether or not you murdered a middle-aged widow, you certainly saved the life of an elderly barrister.”
- A backhanded compliment: the case may be ugly, but it has pulled the bored, ailing Wilfrid back to life.
- “Splendid. All the instincts of a skilled criminal.”
- He is teasing Vole by praising the calm, evasive way he handles questions — an odd compliment for a murder suspect.
Theme
- Justice — A defence lawyer takes a murder case he is too ill for, choosing the fight over his own rest.
- Deception — The whole visit is a performance: Wilfrid pretends to refuse while quietly taking the case behind his nurse's back.
Qué aprendes en este capítulo
Puntos de enseñanza
Repasa justo después de verMi nivel0/6
A1–C2 es la escala MCER. Las tarjetas por encima del nivel elegido se atenúan y la reproducción no se pausa en ellas.
Puntos de lengua
Toca una tarjeta para saltar a ese momentoFrases de oro
Una gran frase en sí misma: por qué y cómo usarla“Vole seems caught in a web of circumstantial evidence.”
Por qué es buena
A single web image makes scattered clues sound like a trap closing around him.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
He was caught in a web of rumors he never started.
“Whether or not you murdered a middle-aged widow, you certainly saved the life of an elderly barrister.”
Por qué es buena
Pairing a murder charge with a saved life lets gratitude and irony share one line.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
Whether or not you were late, you certainly saved the meeting.
“Splendid. All the instincts of a skilled criminal.”
Por qué es buena
It praises someone by calling them a born criminal, dry wit standing in for approval.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
Splendid. All the instincts of a skilled bargain hunter.
Monólogo
Un personaje sostiene la escena: practícalo entero❝ Mayhew lays out the case
It's the case of Emily French. You've probably seen reports in the press. Middle-aged widow, well-off, living with a housekeeper at Hampstead. Mr Vole had been with her earlier. When the housekeeper returned, she found her dead, struck on the back of the head and killed. Vole seems caught in a web of circumstantial evidence. Perhaps if I gave you the details you'd suggest the strongest line of defence.
He moves from the victim to the evidence web, laying the whole case out like a board.
Siguiente · 04in the hands ofLa escena: Leonard Tells Sir Wilfrid His StoryIdeas clave
Lo que te llevas- He says no to the case while plainly getting hooked.
- One web image turns scattered clues into a trap.
- The nurse's nagging undercuts the legal drama.
- Vole's honesty is what actually wins him a lawyer.
Preguntas frecuentes
La pregunta, luego la fraseWhy does Sir Wilfrid take the case after being told to rest?
He is bored and vain, and the nurse's ban makes criminal work irresistible. Mayhew times the visit so the murder case lands just as Wilfrid is craving stimulation.
Who is Emily French?
A wealthy middle-aged widow who lived with a housekeeper in Hampstead. Vole had visited her earlier, and she was found dead from a blow to the back of the head.
What does "circumstantial evidence" mean here?
Proof built from indirect clues — timing, money, opportunity — rather than an eyewitness. Mayhew says Vole is trapped in a web of it.
Is Leonard Vole actually guilty?
The scene deliberately leaves it open. Vole insists he is innocent and has a good war record, but the case rests on circumstance, and later testimony turns the trial upside down.
What is the difference between Mayhew and Sir Wilfrid?
Mayhew is a solicitor, who prepares the case; Sir Wilfrid is a barrister, the only one allowed to plead it in court.