I don’t agree with Evie and John. Both of them know Mr. Gresham has misappropriated bank money. If Robert Baldwin, their father, simply says three words during the trial of Gresham, he is promised a bribe of a colossal sum of 100,000 dollars. For the poor family, this is a huge sum. If that money comes to the family, Evie and John can do some of the things they want to do, but were unable to do because of the lack of money. So they are making excuses to make their father accept the bribe.
Evie says Mr. Gresham has not done anything really wrong as if she is the judge! John dismisses the misdeed of Gresham by calling it a mere technicality. Moreover he says nobody will lose a cent and nobody wants Gresham to be punished. So his logic is there is nothing wrong if his father takes the 100,000 dollars offered to him. These young children are talking like some modern lawyers who twist the truth for their advantage. They don’t mind twisting the truth if the payment is good.