"
"Do you want me to make a new will then?"
"A few words will do it; you can attend to it the next time you feel
a little lively."
"You must telegraph to Mr. Hilary then. I'll do nothing without my
solicitor."
"You shall see Mr. Hilary to-morrow."
"He'll think we've quarrelled, you and I," said the old man.
"Very probably; I shall like him to think it," said Ralph,
smiling; "and, to carry out the idea, I give you notice that I shall
be very sharp, quite horrid and strange, with you."
The humour of this appeared to touch his father, who lay a little
while taking it in. "I'll do anything you like," Mr. Touchett said
at last; "but I'm not sure it's right. You say you want to put wind in
her sails; but aren't you afraid of putting too much?"
"I should like to see her going before the breeze!" Ralph answered.
"You speak as if it were for your mere amusement."
"So it is, a good deal."
"Well, I don't think I understand," said Mr. Touchett with a sigh.
"Young men are very different from what I was. When I cared for a
girl- when I was young- I wanted to do more than look at her. You've
scruples that I shouldn't have had, and you've ideas that I
shouldn't have had either.
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