How does the conversation between Judson and his wife develop the plot of the passage?

The story "Ruthless" by William de Mille is based on the English proverb "He that mischief hatches, mischief catches" which means that people who make wicked plans to hurt others receive their just rewards.

The conversation between Judson and his wife hooks in the reader's attention as they pack their belongings after spending the summer at the mountain camp. Jason's cruel, greedy and ruthless manner is revealed in the conversation he has with his wife as he adds two pellets of rat poison to an opened bottle of Bourbon. His wife who is portrayed as a kind woman tries to stop him from doing this but she knows that it is no use arguing with her husband. She does not approve of the death trap that her husband is setting for the liquor thief as death penalty is not the punishment meted out to thieves under the law. The conversation between Judson and his wife thus serves as a narrative hook in the story that compares and contrasts the beliefs and opinions of the two main characters and arouses the interest of the reader.