'A man who comes to be hanged,' pursued Jasper, impartially, 'has the satisfaction of knowing that he has brought society to its last resource. He is a man of such fatal importance that nothing will serve against him but the supreme effort of law. In a way, you know, that is success.'

Vol. I, Ch. 1 : A Man of His Day, p. 3 - New Grub Street : A Novel (1891)