urd or impossible.
The surprises of his new position charmed him. Three months earlier and
the wildest libeller could not have accused him of an uncle lower in
rank than a governor of the state. Sonorous names, senator and
gladiator, brimful of the ferocity and dignity of old Rome! near as they
had been in the days of Caesar, one would have thought the march of
civilization might have widened the interval. Here was a rogue's march
indeed! Judy gave the Senator a remarkable character.

"The Senator, is it?" said she when asked for an opinion. "Divil a finer
man from here to himself! There isn't a sowl in the city that doesn't
bless his name. He's a great man bekase he was born so. He began life
with his two fishts, thumpin' other boys wid the gloves, as they call
'em. Thin he wint to the war, an' began fightin' wid powdher an' guns,
so they med him a colonel. Thin he kem home an' wint fightin' the boss
o' the town, so they med him a senator. It was all fightin' wid him, an'
they say he's at it yet, though he luks so pleasant all the time, he
must find it healthy. I don't suppose thim he's fightin' wid finds it as
agreeable. Somewan must git the batin', ye know. There's jist the differ
betune men. I've been usin' me fists all me life, beltin' the washboord,
an' I'm nowhere yet. An' Tommy Kilbride the baker, he's been poundin' at
the dough for thirty years, an' he's no better off than I am. But me
noble Dan Dillon that began wid punchin' the heads of his neighbors, see
where he is to-day. But he's worthy of it, an' I'd be the last to
begrudge him his luck."

In the Endicott circle the appearance of a senator as great as Sumner
had not been an event to flutter the heart, though the honor was
unquestioned; but never in his life had the young man felt a keener
interest than in the visit of his new uncle. He came at last, a
splendid figure, too ample in outline and too rich in color for the
simple room. The first impression he made was that of the man. The
powerful and subtle essence of the man breathed from him. His face and
figure had that boldness of line and depth of color which rightly belong
to the well-bred peasant. He was well dressed, and handsome, with eyes
as soft and bright as a Spaniard's. Arthur was overcome with delight. In
Louis he had found sympathy and love, and in the Senator he felt sure
that he would find ideal strength and ideal manhood, things for the weak
to lean upon. The young patrician seized his un