The Model Millionaire

The Model Millionaire by Oscar Wilde

Summary: 

Hughie Erskine was a handsome young man. He was popular with his male as well as female friends. But he was a poor fellow. All he had was one cavalry sword and a ‘History of Peninsular War’ in fifteen volumes, that he inherited from his father. He received two hundred pounds a year from an aunt. He tried many occupations but failed to achieve success in any profession. As a result he was jobless with a perfect profile and no profession. 

Hughie was in love with Laura, whose father was a retired Colonel who had served in India. He demanded Hughie to have at least 10,000 pounds before getting engaged to Laura.

Hughie had an art lover friend, Alan Trevor. One day on his way to meet Laura, he went to his friend Alan Trevor’s studio. Hughie found Alan giving finishing touches to the portrait of a beggar. Alan Trevor was working on the picture of a wrinkled old man wearing tattered rags, holding out a battered hat for alms in his hand. Hughie pitied the model who was getting only a few shillings compared to two thousand guineas that the artist was getting for his painting. 

Meanwhile, a servant informed that the frame maker wanted to speak to Trevor. When Trevor went out, the (model) beggar relaxed. Hughie pitied the beggar, and gave him a coin and left to meet Laura. Laura scolded him for his generosity while Trevor had a hearty laugh when Hughie met him later that day. Trevor explained to Hughie that the old man whom he thought to be a wretched beggar, was one of the richest men in Europe. Trevor informed him that the old beggar was Baron Hausberg who had commissioned Trevor to paint him as a beggar. Trevor also said that he had told him everything about Hughie and Laura as Barn was impressed with him and had enquired about him. Soon after, Hughie feeling ashamed and angry went to his home. 

The next morning, a messenger came to Hughie’s house saying that he had come from Baron Hausberg. He had brought a cheque of 10,000 pounds as a wedding gift to Hughie and Laura. Soon their marriage was solemnised in which Trevor became the best-man and Baron made a speech at the wedding breakfast. Alan remarked, ‘Millionaire models are rare enough but model millionaires are rarer still.’ 

I. Questions and Answers:

1. How does the author describe Hughie Erskine, the protagonist of this story?

Hughie Erskine is described as a charming but impractical young man who is very good-looking, popular, and kind-hearted but lacks any significant intellectual abilities or financial acumen. He has a perfect profile but no profession and lives on a small allowance from an aunt.

2. Why is Hughie unable to marry the love of his life?

Hughie is unable to marry Laura Merton because her father, a retired Colonel, insists that Hughie must have ten thousand pounds of his own before he will consent to the marriage.

3. Describe the professions Hughie Erskine had tried and the results of his efforts.

Hughie tried various professions: he worked on the Stock Exchange for six months but found it unsuitable; he became a tea-merchant but soon tired of it; he tried selling dry sherry but was unsuccessful. Ultimately, he did not succeed in any of these professions and remained without a stable income.

4. What was the colonel’s condition for Hughie to get married?

The Colonel's condition was that Hughie must have ten thousand pounds of his own before he would allow him to marry his daughter, Laura.

5. Who was Alan Trevor? What was Trevor doing when Hughie went to visit him?

Alan Trevor was a painter and a friend of Hughie. When Hughie visited him, Trevor was working on a life-size painting of a beggar-man.

6. Why did Alan Trevor like Hughie Erskine?

Alan Trevor initially liked Hughie for his personal charm and good looks, which were pleasing to an artist's eye. Later, he also appreciated Hughie for his bright spirits and generous, reckless nature.

7. Describe the appearance of the beggar-man as he stood in the studio of Alan Trevor?

The beggar-man appeared wizened and old, with a face like wrinkled parchment and a piteous expression. He wore a coarse brown cloak that was torn and tattered, and his patched and cobbled boots were worn out. He held a battered hat for alms and leaned on a rough stick.

8. How did Hughie Erskine show his reckless generosity?

Hughie showed his reckless generosity by giving the old beggar-man a sovereign (a significant amount of money for Hughie) out of pity, even though it meant he would have to forgo other personal expenses.

9. Why did Laura scold Hughie Erskine?

Laura scolded Hughie for his extravagance after learning that he had given a sovereign to the beggar-man, knowing that Hughie himself was not financially well-off.

10. What is the beggar’s true identity? What is Hughie’s reaction when he learns of it?

The beggar’s true identity is Baron Hausberg, one of the richest men in Europe. When Hughie learns this, he is shocked and dismayed, feeling foolish for having given money to someone so wealthy.

11. What did Baron Hausberg send to Hughie? And why?

Baron Hausberg sent Hughie a cheque for ten thousand pounds as a wedding present. He did this as a gesture of kindness and appreciation for Hughie’s generosity towards him when he was in disguise as a beggar.

12. Describe how and through whom Hughie got ten thousand pounds.

Hughie received ten thousand pounds through Baron Hausberg, who sent it as a wedding present after hearing about Hughie’s financial situation and his love for Laura from Alan Trevor.

II. Short Notes (Characters):

1.Hughie Erskine

Hughie Erskine was a young man, who was good-looking with crisp brown hair and grey eyes. He was charming, he was not only popular among men but also among women. But intellectually we must admit he was not of much importance.

He was simply unable to make money. He survived on an allowance of two hundred pounds a year given by an old aunt. His father had left him with an inheritance of a cavalry sword and History of the Peninsular War in fifteen volumes. In order to earn money he had tried the stock exchange, worked under a tea merchant and sold dry sherry. Thus, he was a delightful, ineffectual young man with a perfect profile and no profession. He was in love with a girl named Laura Merton, daughter of a retired Colonel. The Colonel liked Hughie but was against the engagement. He would allow them to get married only if Hughie had ten thousand pounds of his own. This made Hughie sad. Though he was unable to marry Laura because of the condition put up by her father, both he and Laura were madly in love. He would visit Laura every day. The rest of the time he would tire out his friends talking about Laura. One day on his way to Laura’s place he dropped in to see his friend Alan Trevor who was an artist and an excellent painter. Trevor liked Hughie for his good looks, so he had given him the permanent entry to his studio.

Here Hughie saw Trevor finishing the portrait of a beggar. The model for the painting was a poor piteous beggar. The state of the beggar moved Hughie to dig in his pockets and give the beggar the largest denomination coin he had. Hughie left the studio. Laura scolded him for his extravagance. Later that evening, he met Trevor who claimed to have finished and framed his painting. Trevor told Hughie that the model was interested in the latter and had made enquiries about him and Laura. Hughie was afraid that the beggar had seen that he had a soft corner for the beggar so he would harass him for money. Hughie became red and angry. But the next moment he felt shocked and ashamed when Trevor told him that the beggar was actually Baron Hausberg, a very rich man who had commissioned Trevor to paint him as a beggar. Hughie confessed to giving the richest man, ‘a sovereign’. Alan had a hearty laugh and the embarrassed Hughie rushed home. The next morning he had a visitor, a messenger from Baron Hausberg. Baron had sent Hughie 10,000 pounds as a wedding gift. Hughie was able to finally marry Laura and Trevor was the best-man in the wedding and Baron made a speech at their wedding breakfast.

2. Alan Trevor

Alan Trevor was a painter and also an artist. He has been described as a “strange rough fellow, with a freckled face and a red ragged beard” whose art is well received by critics and patrons. He believed that beautiful people should rule the world. He liked beauty and intellect. But Alan’s definition of beauty even included someone wearing rags. Alan was a hard worker in comparison with Hughie’s more relaxed nature. He was totally amused by Hughie’s act of giving a sovereign to the beggar. When Baron dressed as an ugly beggar enquired about Hughie, Alan gave him information about Hughie’s poverty and his inability to marry her.

Later, Alan served as Hughie’s best-man at the wedding.

3. Baron Hausberg

Baron Hausberg was one of the wealthiest men in Europe but he was an odd fellow. He had commissioned Trevor, a master artist, to paint him as a beggar rather than the grand man he was. Hughie felt sorry on seeing Baron’s piteous condition that he gave him a sovereign-almost all the money he had. Baron was attracted to the kindness Hughie showed and when he came to know about Hughie and Laura, he decided to help them by giving Hughie 10,000 pounds as a wedding gift.

4. Laura Merton

Laura Merton is Hughie’s love interest. She adored Hughie as well. Laura is apparently quite good-looking herself. Her protective father, Colonel Merton didn’t allow her and Hughie to marry unless he had 10,000 pounds.

5. Colonel Merton

Colonel Merton is a minor but an important character in the story. He is the father of Hughie’s love interest, Laura. He had served in the army and had been posted to India. He lost his temper frequently and his digestion was disturbed. He was not very rich either. He wanted a better life for his daughter, hence he put the condition of Hughie having ten thousand pounds before getting engaged. He liked Hughie but he knew that Hughie was neither smart nor rich.