"To be sure there are. Only the other day I read in a newspaper that
people are all so rich now money is no distinction: rank is, however.
You can't make a lawyer or a shipowner or an ironmaster into a peer of
several hundred years' descent."
"No, you can't," said Alice; "but Mr. Eildon is not a peer, you know."
"No, but he is the grandson of one duke and the nephew of another; and
if he could work for it he might have a peerage of his own, or if he
had great wealth he would probably get one. For my own part, I don't
count much on rank or wealth" (she believed this), "but they are
privileges people have no right to throw away."
"Not even if they don't care for them?" asked Alice,
"No: whatever you have it is your duty to care for and make the best
of."
"Then, what am I to say to Mr. Eildon?"
"Tell him it is absurd; and whatever you say, put it strongly, that
there may be no more of it. Why, he must know that you would be
beggars."
Acting up to her instructions, Alice wrote thus to Mr. Eildon:
"DEAR MR. EILDON: Your letter surprised me.
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