"You must help him, William," she said.

"Do everything you can to have those scoundrels punished, and let him do it." The Governor only laughed; but he pushed back his work, and his wife sat down, and told of her admiration and sympathy for Peter's fight.

There was a bad time ahead for the criminal and his backers.

They might have political influence of the strongest character, fighting their battle, but there was a bigger and more secret one at work.

Say what we please, the strongest and most subtle "pull" this world as yet contains is the under-current of a woman's influence.
Peter went back to New York that night, feeling hopeful, yet doubtful.
It almost seemed impossible that he had succeeded, yet at twenty-three, failure is hard to believe in.