He never seemed to know her, and
she always said to herself, "Suppose he should die while I'm sitting
here"; an idea which excited her and kept her awake. Once he opened
his eyes for a while and fixed them upon her intelligently, but when
she went to him, hoping he would recognize her, he closed them and
relapsed into stupor. The day after this, however, he revived for a
longer time; but on this occasion Ralph only was with him. The old man
began to talk, much to his son's satisfaction, who assured him that
they should presently have him sitting up.
"No, my boy," said Mr. Touchett, "not unless you bury me in a
sitting posture, as some of the ancients- was it the ancients?- used
to do."
"Ah, daddy, don't talk about that," Ralph murmured. "You mustn't
deny that you're getting better."
"There will be no need of my denying it if you don't say it," the
old man answered. "Why should we prevaricate just at the last? We
never prevaricated before. I've got to die some time, and it's
better to die when one's sick than when one's well. I'm very sick-
as sick as I shall ever be. I hope you don't want to prove that I
shall ever be worse than this? That would be too bad.
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