# Quote — William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair

> Rawdon, with roars of laughter, related a dozen amusing anecdotes of his duns, and Rebecca’s adroit treatment of them. He vowed with a great oath that there was no woman in Europe who could talk a creditor over as she could. Almost immediately after their marriage, her practice had begun, and her husband found the immense value of such a wife. They had credit in plenty, but they had bills also in abundance, and laboured under a scarcity of ready money. Did these debt-difficulties affect Rawdon’s good spirits? No. Everybody in Vanity Fair must have remarked how well those live who are comfortably and thoroughly in debt: how they deny themselves nothing; how jolly and easy they are in their minds. Rawdon and his wife had the very best apartments at the inn at Brighton; the landlord, as he brought in the first dish, bowed before them as to his greatest customers: and Rawdon abused the dinners and wine with an audacity which no grandee in the land could surpass. Long custom, a manly appearance, faultless boots and clothes, and a happy fierceness of manner, will often help a man as much as a great balance at the banker’s.

- Author: [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-makepeace-thackeray.md)
- Book: [Vanity Fair](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-makepeace-thackeray/vanity-fair.md)
- Page: 212
- Source: [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Vanity_Fair_(novel)#Quotes) ([CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/))
- Quote page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-makepeace-thackeray/vanity-fair/rawdon-with-roars

## More from this book

> Like many wealthy people, it was Miss Crawley’s habit to accept as much service as she could get from her inferiors; and good-naturedly to take leave of them when she no longer found them useful. Gratitude among certain rich folks is scarcely natural or to be thought of. They take needy people’s services as their due. Nor have you, O poor parasite and humble hanger-on, much reason to complain! Your friendship for Dives is about as sincere as the return which it usually gets. It is money you love, and not the man; and were Croesus and his footman to change places, you know, you poor rogue, who would have the benefit of your allegiance.

p. 135 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-makepeace-thackeray/vanity-fair/like-many-wealthy.md)

> Them’s my sentiments.

p. 198 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-makepeace-thackeray/vanity-fair/thems-my-sentiments.md)

> Whenever he met a great man he grovelled before him, and my-lorded him as only a free-born Briton can do.

p. 125 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/william-makepeace-thackeray/vanity-fair/whenever-he-met.md)