Near the end of ch 11, John Thorpe hints at the fact that James Morland has money:

"If your brother had not got such a d-- beast to drive," said he soon afterwards, "we might have done it very well. My horse would have trotted to Clifton within the hour, if left to himself, and I have almost broke my arm with pulling him in to that cursed broken-winded jade's pace. Morland is a fool for not keeping a horse and gig of his own."

"No, he is not," said Catherine warmly, "for I am sure he could not afford it."

"And why cannot he afford it?"

"Because he has not money enough."

"And whose fault is that?"

"Nobody's, that I know of." Thorpe then said something in the loud, incoherent way to which he had often recourse, about its being a d-- thing to be miserly; and that if people who rolled in money could not afford things, he did not know who could, which Catherine did not even endeavour to understand.

Also, in Ch 15, when they are waiting for the letter from James, that Isabella is also under the impression that he has a fortune as well. In both instances, Catherine is confused as to why they think this but doesn't question it further, telling me that he doesn't have any money, or he is not quite as rich as James and Isabella is lead to believe.

Does anyone have any ideas as to why this misconception exists? (Please, no spoilers!)