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156 156 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. " That is just what I don't want ; it's what I want to talk about. You must get a new interest." " I don't want a new interest, daddy. I have more old ones than I know what to do with." The old man lay there looking at his son ; his face was the face of the dying, but his eyes were the eyes of Daniel Touchett. He seemed to be reckoning over Ealph's interests. " Of course you have got your mother," he said at last. " You will take care of her." "My mother will always take care of herself," Ealph an- swered. " Well," said his father, " perhaps as she grows older she will need a little help." " I shall not see that. She will outlive me." "Very likely she will ; but that's no reason " Mr. Touchett let his phrase die away in a helpless but not exactly querulous sigh, and remained silent again. "Don't trouble yourself about us," said his son. "My mother and I get on very well together, you know." " You get on by always being apart ; that's not natural." " If you leave us, we shall probably see more of each other." "Well," the old man observed, with wandering irrelevance, " it cannot be said that my death will make much difference in your mother's life." "It will probably make more than you think." "Well, she'll have more money," said Mr. Touchett. "I have left her a good wife's portion, just as if she had been a good wife." "She has been one, daddy, according to her own theory. She has never troubled you." "Ah, some troubles are pleasant," Mr. Touchett murmured. " Those you have given me, for instance. But your mother has been less less what shall I call it 1 less out of the way since I have been ill. I presume she knows I have noticed it." " I shall certainly tell her so ; I am so glad you mention it." " It won't make any difference to her ; she doesn't do it to please me. She does it to please to please " And he lay a while, trying to think why she did it. " She does it to please herself. But that is not what I want to talk about," he added. " It's about you. You will be very well off." " Yes/' said Ealph, " I know that. But I hope you have not forgotten the talk we had a year ago when I told you exactly what money I should need and begged you to make some good use of the rest. "