Snobbery and fortune, not so strange bedfellows....

In the society of Jane Austen (and her contemporaries), class distinctions were so rigidly in place that only an occasional wild, desperate love connection could defy such a system (and that not without some grave repercussions). Which do you think carried more weight in upholding the distinction between the aristocracy and/or landed gentry group and the middle to working classes (untitled) group-Was it personal finance (money, honey), or was it sheer snobbery? Remember, even if a gal had a "good family name" (respectability) her marriage prospects among other "good families" was at risk if her family's personal fortune had diminished over time (or quickly because of unwise investments) What do YOU think??