Above all, under the law of Illinois, Zoe could not testify against Lamborn, a white man.

Thus, in any prosecution that was to be made, evidence independent of Zoe's word had to be procured.

Where was such evidence?
That really settled the whole matter.

But I had gone through the whole range of deliberation before finding out that Zoe's word would not be received in court.
But why had Reverdy not warned me against taking Zoe to live with me?
There was the matter, too, of my equal division of the estate with Zoe.
I had done this with the purest of motives.

Now the edge of it was turned against me.