The Model Millionaire

By Oscar Wilde

There was a wonderfully good-looking man named Hughie Erskine. He never said a brilliant or even an
ill-natured thing in his life. He had every accomplishment except that of making money. He has changing
any job but he always failed. He had tried everything. He had gone on the Stock Exchange for six
months, he had been a tea-merchant for a little longer, then he had tried selling a dry sherry. He was in
love with a daughter of a retired Colonel named Laura Merton. The colonel was very fond of Hughie, but
would not hear of any engagement.

One day, Hughie visited his friend named Alan Trevor who was a painter. When Hughie came, Alan was
putting the finishing touches to a picture of a beggar-man. And then, at that night, Hughie went to the
Palette Club about eleven oclock, and found Alan in the smocking room. They had a talk about the
picture of a beggar-man that painted by Alan Trevor. On the conversation, Alan said if the model of his
picture was not a beggar-man, but a millionaire. Hughie had surprised and he did not believe about
what he heard from Alan. The name of the millionaire is Baron Hausberg. Hughie walked home, felling
unhappy, and Alan still laughed.

The next morning, the servant brought him up a card on which was written, Monsieur Gustave Naudin,
de la part de M. le Baron Hausberd. On the outside of that card written if that card was given for Hughie
Erskin and Laura Mertons wedding. The card consist of ten thousand pounds. When they were married,
Alan became the best man and the Baron said Millionaire models are rare enough, but model
millionaire are rare still!