The Model Millionaire (Oscar Wilde)

Hughie Erskine was very good –looking young man. Man and woman like him because he never said about an unkind word about anyone. But he was not rich and claver and always changing his job.

 Hughie loved a girl named Laura Merton, the daughter of retired colonel. Laura loved him too, but his father would not allow them marry unless Hughie could provided ten thousand pounds.

One morning, Hughie visit is friend, Alan Trevor, a famous painter who was finishing a full –size picture of bagger man. The bagger was standing in a corner of the room. He looked so miserable that Hughie felt sorry for him. When Alan came out of the room, Hughie gave the bagger a sovereign, the only thing he had in his pocket. Then he said good bye to Alan.

That night Hughie went to the Palette Club and met Alan. Alan told Hughie about the old bagger he had used as his model. The bagger asked Alan about Hughie. Then Alan revealed that the bagger was Baron Hausberg, one of the richest men in the Europe. Hughie was very startled but also angry with Alan, because Alan had told Baron Hausberg about his private life. Hughie walked home unhappily, leaving Alan laughing loudly.

The next morning, while Hughie was having his breakfast, Baron Hausberg’s messenger came and handed him a letter from the Baron. To his surprise, there was a cheque for ten thousand pounds as a wedding present to Hughie and Laura. Hughie could not convey in words how happy was because he could marry Laura.

At the wedding party, Alan remarked, “Millionaire models are rare enough but model millionaire are rarer still”  

(Taken from Complete Work of Oscar Wilde)

In Sudarwati, Th. M & Eudia Grace. (2014) Pathway to English 1. Jakarta: Erlangga.153