The mere fact of growing richer at a time when most people's investments are shrinking, is calculated to attract envious attention
 Edith Wharton, House of Mirth (1905). copy citation

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Author Edith Wharton
Source House of Mirth
Topic investment attention
Date 1905
Language English
Reference
Note
Weblink http://www.gutenberg.org/files/284/284-h/284-h.htm

Context

“But society, amused for a while at playing Cinderella, soon wearied of the hearthside role, and welcomed the Fairy Godmother in the shape of any magician powerful enough to turn the shrunken pumpkin back again into the golden coach. The mere fact of growing richer at a time when most people's investments are shrinking, is calculated to attract envious attention; and according to Wall Street rumours, Welly Bry and Rosedale had found the secret of performing this miracle. Rosedale, in particular, was said to have doubled his fortune, and there was talk of his buying the newly-finished house of one of the victims of the crash, who, in the space of twelve short months, had made the same number of millions, built a house in Fifth Avenue, filled a picture-gallery with old masters, entertained all New York in it, and been smuggled out of the country between a trained nurse and a doctor, while his creditors mounted guard over the old masters, and his guests explained to each other that they had dined with him only because they wanted to see the pictures.” source