And do you know why? You'll say again that I'm a reactionist, or some other terrible word; but all the same it does annoy and anger me to see on all sides the impoverishing of the nobility to which I belong, and, in spite of the amalgamation of classes, I'm glad to belong.

And their impoverishment is not due to extravagance--that would be nothing; living in good style --that's the proper thing for noblemen; it's only the nobles who know how to do it.

Now the peasants about us buy land, and I don't mind that.