The Price of Blood: An Extravaganza of New York Life in 1807

In Short

This is a brisk, atmospheric "extravaganza" that blends the historical flavor of early nineteenth-century New York with the dark, exotic pacing of a thriller. Following a lawyer who trades his professional lethargy for a perilous commission involving a beautiful woman and a displaced foreign fortune, the narrative operates as a self-aware, whimsical mystery. Its lasting appeal lies in its playful tone and its transformation of a mundane, underemployed protagonist into a man of action who must navigate the fine line between duty and self-preservation in a rapidly modernizing city.

The Story

Nathaniel Griscombe begins as an attorney without a practice, spending his days watching the world from his office window and nursing his intellect with spirituous liquors. His routine is abruptly broken by a man who appears at a secret club meeting, demanding legal services and claiming that he is marked for an "unknown death" following a failed revolution in "Industan." This mysterious client entrusts Griscombe with a casket of priceless jewels and a mission to deliver them, along with a warning, to a brother in hiding.

Griscombe’s life becomes increasingly surreal as he accepts further commissions. His second client, an exquisite dandy with piercing black eyes, spends an hour beating him at the game of jack-straws while Griscombe worries about the safety of his jewel-casket. He soon encounters the brother, a man who bears a striking resemblance to his first client but possesses a far more hospitable air. However, the mission takes a dark turn when they discover the jewels have vanished, and Griscombe is forced to protect the man’s daughter, Miss Desmond, from the dangers closing in on her father.

As Griscombe transports Miss Desmond back toward New York, he is accosted by an elderly man with a white beard who forces him to play a game of tit-tat-toe. Griscombe keeps his silence, protecting the girl from the truth of her father’s impending doom and the sinister nature of their pursuers. The journey concludes in a snow-blinded New York, where they are led into a barren, silent house filled with armed men in Oriental garb. The girl faints upon discovering the empty portmanteau, and Griscombe, finding his voice, confronts the figures gathered there. He manages to rescue his charge, taking her to a hotel and attempting to find help from a family agent, M. de Troinville. The agent, however, views him as a fraud, as the treasure has completely disappeared. Despite the loss of the wealth and the unsettling nature of the ordeal, Griscombe finds his purpose. He remains the protector of Miss Desmond, eventually winning her hand in marriage. Years later, he stands at the pinnacle of the New York bar, a sober and respected gentleman who hides his wild, early adventures behind a mask of professional gravity.

How It Unfolds

A client arrives in the night Nathaniel Griscombe is interrupted at a secret club by a stranger who senses his potential. He is quickly whisked away in a cabriolet to an imposing estate to accept a dangerous commission.

The game of jack-straws A second, dandyish client infiltrates Griscombe’s office to occupy his time with a game. This distraction creates a window of vulnerability that nearly costs the lawyer his precious, hidden cargo.

The mission of mercy Griscombe meets the brother of his first client and agrees to escort the man's daughter to safety. He assumes the role of a guardian, shielding the innocent Miss Desmond from the encroaching, terrifying reality of her family's downfall.

The ordeal of tit-tat-toe During the return journey, a third and fourth client emerge to test Griscombe’s resolve through trivial, forced games. The lawyer must maintain a stoic facade to keep his charge from suspecting the peril that surrounds them.

The final confrontation The journey terminates in a mysterious, empty house where the true nature of the conspiracy is revealed. Griscombe confronts the orchestrators of the plot, ultimately securing the girl’s safety before returning to the mundane world.

The People

Nathaniel Griscombe is the central figure, transitioning from a restless, cynical lawyer into a man of iron-willed dedication. He is motivated initially by a desire for excitement but finds his true character tested by the responsibility he assumes for Miss Desmond.

Miss Desmond serves as the moral center of the story. Innocent and initially unaware of the dark political machinations surrounding her family, she is the catalyst for Griscombe’s shift from a mere opportunist into a devoted protector.

The Clients—the mysterious first visitor, the dandyish jack-straw player, the host brother, and the old man with the white beard—function as agents of chaos. They each represent a facet of the "Industan" conspiracy, acting as mirrors to Griscombe's own boredom and forcing him to confront his lack of direction.

M. de Troinville appears at the end as a figure of skepticism. He represents the rational, unimaginative world that cannot fathom the bizarre series of events Griscombe has survived, serving as the final barrier between the hero and his new, stable life.

In Its Own Voice

"He was nominally an attorney-at-law; but, though fairly entitled by admission to practise his profession at the bar of justice, he had so far had such small encouragement therein that he had as yet found nothing whatever to do but sit at his office window and amuse himself with his own thoughts and speculations."

This passage introduces the protagonist, whose professional inactivity is the prelude to his sudden, strange adventure.

"The piercing and terrible shriek which instantly succeeded the action struck through Griscombe's brain like a dagger."

The author describes the moment of horror when the lawyer and his client discover that the treasure casket, central to their mission, has been emptied.

What It's Really About

The book explores the thin veil between the mundane life of a professional and the hidden, often terrifying, currents of the world. It questions the nature of duty, particularly how a person who has lived for "whim-whams" and shallow excitement discovers maturity through the act of protecting another. Underlying the mystery is an argument about the transience of wealth and power; the jewels, which initially seem to be the primary motivator, vanish completely, leaving the protagonist with something far more permanent: his integrity and a new, stable life. It asks whether one can truly outrun a past of "machinations," ultimately suggesting that even the most chaotic, inexplicable experiences can serve as the bedrock for a successful and respectable future.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate a deliberate, atmospheric pace will find much to enjoy in the prose, which captures a sense of early 19th-century New York that feels simultaneously grounded and slightly dreamlike. It reads like a fable of professional identity, where the lawyer’s progression from an idle "rattler" to a titan of the bar feels earned, if absurd.

The book is not without its challenges. The language is dense and formal, reflecting the period it describes, and the dialogue—particularly from the "Oriental" characters—relies on tropes common to the late 19th-century literature of its time. Those expecting a fast-paced modern thriller may find the focus on etiquette, "whim-whams," and drawn-out parlor games slow-going. However, the charm of the book lies in exactly this: its commitment to its own strange, genteel logic. It creates a space where a game of tit-tat-toe can carry as much suspense as a pursuit through a snowstorm. The reader is left with the lingering, slightly ironic satisfaction of a man who looked into the abyss of international intrigue and walked away with nothing but his own grit and a happy marriage, proving that the most remarkable transformations often happen in the quiet, empty spaces between the lines of a professional life.