What I most wonder at in him is not his military or political genius at all, for I doubt whether he had much, but a curious Yankee shrewdness in money matters.

He thought himself a very rich man, yet he never spent a dollar foolishly.

He was almost the only Virginian I ever heard of, in public life, who did not die insolvent." During this long speech, Carrington glanced across at Madeleine, and caught her eye.

Ratcliffe's criticism was not to her taste.

Carrington could see that she thought it unworthy of him, and he knew that it would irritate her.
"I will lay a little trap for Mr.Ratcliffe," thought he to himself; "we will see whether he gets out of it." So Carrington began, and all listened closely, for, as a Virginian, he was supposed to know much about the subject, and his family had been deep in the confidence of Washington himself.
"The neighbours hereabout had for many years, and may have still, some curious stories about General Washington's closeness in money matters.
They said he never bought anything by weight but he had it weighed over again, nor by tale but he had it counted, and if the weight or number were not exact, he sent it back.