These steps produced a prompt call from Dummer, who showed considerably
less assurance than hitherto, even though he tried to take Peter's
success jauntily. He wanted Peter to drop the whole thing, and hinted at
large sums of money, but Peter at first did not notice his hints, and
finally told him that the case should be tried. Then Dummer pleaded for
delay. Peter was equally obdurate. Later they had a contest in the court
over this. But Peter argued in a quiet way, which nevertheless caught
the attention of the judge, who ended the dispute by refusing to
postpone. The judge hadn't intended to act in this way, and was rather
surprised at his own conduct. The defendant's lawyer was furious.
No stone was left unturned, however, to prevent the case going to trial.
Pressure of the sharpest and closest kind was brought to bear on the
Governor himself--pressure which required backbone to resist. But he
stood by his act: perhaps because he belonged to a different party than
that in control of the city government; perhaps because of Peter's
account, and the truthfulness in his face as he told it; perhaps because
the Attorney-General had found it legal; perhaps because of his wife;
perhaps it was a blending of all these.
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