A witness for the prosecution by Agatha Christie

.     This past week in my English class we read the story A Witness For the Prosecution  By Agatha Christie. This book was very interesting and one of the characters in the book had a very genius  way of thinking. Mrs Vole's husband was accused of murder and what she did to combat that in court was flat out brilliant. An excerp from the book:"But, my dear Mrs. Vole—you are overwrought. Being so devoted to your

husband—"
"I beg your pardon?"
The sharpness of her voice made him start. He repeated in a hesitating manner: "Being so devoted to your husband—"
Romaine Vole nodded slowly, the same strange smile on her lips.
"Did he tell you that I was devoted to him?" she asked softly. "Ah! yes, I can see he
did. How stupid men are! Stupid—stupid—stupid—"
She rose suddenly to her feet. All the intense emotion that the lawyer had been
conscious of in the atmosphere was now concentrated in her tone.
"I hate him, I tell you! I hate him. I hate him. I hate him! I would like to see him
hanged by the neck till he is dead."
The lawyer recoiled before her and the smoldering passion in her eyes.
She advanced a step nearer, and continued vehemently:
"Perhaps I shall see it. Supposing I tell you that he did not come in that night at
twenty past nine, but at twenty past ten? You say that he tells you he knew nothing about the money coming to him. Supposing I tell you he knew all about it, and counted on it,.........(skipped a few pieces)"If we can shake that Austrian woman's testimony, we might do something," he

said dubiously. "But it's a bad business."........Then came the surprising denouement, the production of the letter. It was read aloud in court in the midst of a breathless stillness.

Max, beloved, the Fates have delivered him into our hands! He has been arrested for murder—but, yes, the murder of an old lady! Leonard, who would not hurt a fly! At last I shall have my revenge. The poor chicken! I shall say that he came in that night with blood upon him—that he confessed to me. I shall hang him, Max—and when he hangs he will know and realize that it was Romaine who sent him to his death. And then—happiness, Beloved! Happiness at last! ...............The evidence of a woman devoted to him would not have been enough—you hinted as much yourself. But I know something of the psychology of crowds. Let my evidence be wrung from me, as an admission, damning me in the eyes of the law, and a reaction in favor of the prisoner would immediately set in."....."I dared not risk it. You see you thought he was innocent—"

"And you knew it? I see," said little Mr. Mayherne.
"My dear Mr. Mayherne," said Romaine, "you do not see at all. I knew—he was
guilty!" End of excerpt
     Mrs. Vole who is an Austrian actress understood the importance of her testimony in her husbands case and therefore  read in-between-the-lines(see the underlined part above) to keep her husband from going to jail. By acting like she hated her husband, intentionally leaving holes in her story, leaving fake evidence to explain her lying testimony, and then made her testimony go in favor of her husband she was the reason that her husband didn't go to jail. Mrs. Vole used the basics of human thought, basic psychology, and her acting skills to save her husband. Mrs. Vole used the way humans think to her advantage. This is why she is brilliant!!!!!!!