model millionaire by oscar wlde

Hughie Erskine, a handsome young man, hasn’t been able to get his act together. He has tried many things to make a living, including being a stock trader and also a merchant. Hughie is in love with Laura Merton, the daughter of a retired merchant. Although the retired Colonel likes and approves of the young man, he will not give his daughter’s hand in marriage unless Hughie is able to amass a wealth of £10,000, and then he will revisit the matter. Hughie does not have a profession and doesn’t know how he will ever get the money. On the positive side, Laura loves him, but what good is that if they cannot marry?

Hughie often visits his friend, Alan Trevor, a renowned painter, whose paintings are always in demand. Alan happens to like Hughie, and allows him to visit even while he is working. One day when Hughie is visiting, Alan is painting a beggar with a piteous and miserable look on his face. The two friends talk about the beggar and Hughie asks how much the model gets, and he learns that it is a schilling for an hour while Alan gets 2000 guineas for the painting. Hughie declares that the model works as hard as the painter and should earn more.

“’Nonsense, nonsense! Why, look at the trouble of laying on the paint alone, and standing all day long at one’s easel! It’s all very well, Hughie, for you to talk, but I assure you that there are moments when Art almost attains to the dignity of manual labour. But you mustn’t chatter; I’m very busy. Smoke a cigarette, and keep quiet.’”

A servant informs Alan that the frame maker wants to speak to him. While he is gone, the beggar takes the time to rest his weary body. Hughie starts to speak to him, and feeling compassion he dips into his pocket and shares the little he has, thinking that the beggar needs it more than he does. The beggar is very grateful for the money. It’s at a great sacrifice because that means that Hughie has no transportation for two weeks and will have to walk home. Is that such a bad thing? Anyway, much later when he visits Laura and tells her what he did, she scolds him for being extravagant.

At 11:00 pm that night, he visits the Palette Club and finds Alan there, sitting by himself smoking and drinking. Alan tells Hughie that he told the beggar all about him – about his financial situation and the £10,000 he has to amass before he can marry Laura. Hughie cannot understand why Alan would share his personal information with a beggar. He also tells Alan that he gave the beggar money. Alan discloses that the beggar isn’t really a beggar, “’that old beggar, as you call him, is one of the richest men in Europe. He could buy all London tomorrow without overdrawing his account. He has a house in every capital, dines off gold plate, and can prevent Russia going to war when he chooses.’”

The ‘beggar,’ Baron Hausberg, commissioned the painting and posed for it. Hughie is not happy about the deception. The next morning while he is eating breakfast, his servant brings him a card from Monsieur Gustave Naudin who works for Baron Hausberg. Hughie thinks he has to apologize for giving a multimillionaire spare change. As it turns out, Baron Hausberg was touched by Hughie’s kind gesture despite his financial situation. Monsieur Gustave Naudin delivers a cheque made out to Hughie Erskine for £10,000 so that he can marry his sweetheart.