“Don't believe it. There is no such philosophy. A great part of your happiness here is in fact that you can afford to live here. Oh, hold up your hands, and be horrified. It is very shocking to have a sister who will say such vulgar things, but I watched you, George, after you paid the bill this morning, and I marked the delighted smile in which you pointed out some effect of light on the 'Sentis,' and I said to myself, 'It is the landlord has touched up the landscape.'” “I declare, Julia, you make me angry. Why will you say such things?” “Why are we so poor, George? Tell me that, brother mine. Why are we so poor?” “There are hundreds as poor; thousands poorer.” “Perhaps they don't care, don't fret about it, don't dwell on all the things they are debarred from, don't want this or that appliance to make life easier. Now look there! what a difference in one's existence to travel that way.” As she spoke, she pointed to a travelling-carriage which swept over the bridge, with all the speed of four posters, and, with all the clatter of cracking whips and sounding horns, made for the inn of the village. “How few travel with post now, in these days of railroad,” said he, not sorry to turn the conversation into another channel. “I hope they are going on. I trust they 'll not stop here. We have been the great folk of the place up to this, but you 'll see how completely the courier or the _femme de chambre_ will eclipse us now,” said she, rising. “Let us go back, or perhaps they 'll give our very rooms away.” “How can you be so silly, Julia?” “All because we are poor, George. Let me be rich, and you 'll be surprised, not only how generous I shall be, but how disposed to think well of every one. Poverty is the very mother of distrust.” “I never heard you rail at our narrow fortune like this before.” “Don't be angry with me, dear George, and I'll make a confession to you. I was not thinking of ourselves, nor of our humble lot all this while; it was a letter I got this morning from Nelly Bramleigh was running in my mind. It has never been out of my thoughts since I received it.” “You never told me of this.” “No. She begged of me not to speak of it; and I meant to have obeyed her, but my temper has betrayed me. What Nelly said was, 'Don't tell your brother about these things till he can hear the whole story, which Augustus will write to him as soon as he is able.'” “What does she allude to?” “They are ruined--actually ruined.” “The Bramleighs--the rich Bramleighs?” “Just so. They were worth millions--at least they thought so--a few weeks back, and now they have next to nothing.” “This has come of over speculation.”