Resembling a gentleman. Gentleman c1700 would have meant "A man of gentle birth, or having the same heraldic status as those of gentle birth; properly, one who is entitled to bear arms, though not ranking among the nobility, but also applied to a person of distinction without precise definition of rank"

and "A man of superior position in society, or having the habits of life indicative of this; often, one whose means enable him to live in easy circumstances without engaging in trade, a man of money and leisure"(http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/77673?redirectedFrom=gentleman#eid)

Here is a link that explains what the dollar in Jane Austen's world equates to today. It also includes information about the economy of that time. http://www.jasna.org/publications/persuasions-online/vol36no1/toran/