His hair did not stray over his eyes, ears, and coat, like that of a Scotch terrier, but had got itself cut.
Having overheard Mrs.Lee express on one occasion her opinion of people who did not take a cold bath every morning, he had thought it best to adopt this reform, although he would not have had it generally known, tot it savoured of caste.

He made an effort not to be dictatorial and to forget that he had been the Prairie Giant, the bully of the Senate.

In short, what with Mrs.Lee's influence and what with his emancipation from the Senate chamber with its code of bad manners and worse morals, Mr.Ratcliffe was fast becoming a respectable member of society whom a man who had never been in prison or in politics might safely acknowledge as a friend.
Mr.Ratcliffe was now evidently bent upon being heard.

After charting for a time with some humour on the President's successes as a man of fashion, he changed the subject to the merits of the President as a statesman, and little by little as he spoke he became serious and his voice sank into low and confidential tones.

He plainly said that the President's incapacity had now become notorious among his followers; that it was only with difficulty his Cabinet and friends could prevent him from making a fool of himself fifty times a day; that all the party leaders who had occasion to deal with him were so thoroughly disgusted that the Cabinet had to pass its time in trying to pacify them; while this state of things lasted, Ratcliffe's own influence must be paramount; he had good reason to know that if the Presidential election were to take place this year, nothing could prevent his nomination and election; even at three years' distance the chances in his favour were at least two to one; and after this exordium he went on in a low tone with increasing earnestness, while Mrs.Lee sat motionless as the statue of Agrippina, her eyes fixed on the ground: "I am not one of those who are happy in political life.