The Model Millionaire by Oscar Wilde
A young man named Hughie Erskine struggles with his lack of wealth despite his charm and good looks. He is in love with Laura Merton, the daughter of a retired Colonel who demands that Hughie have £10,000 before he can marry her. Hughie, living on a meager allowance from an aunt, feels despondent about his financial situation. One day, he visits his friend Alan Trevor, a successful painter, who is working on a portrait of a beggar. Hughie, moved by the beggar's plight, gives him a sovereign, despite his own financial constraints. Trevor later reveals that the beggar is actually Baron Hausberg, a wealthy man who commissioned the painting as a joke. Hughie is embarrassed by his generosity, fearing he has made a fool of himself. The next day, a messenger arrives from the Baron, delivering a letter that contains a cheque for £10,000 as a wedding gift for Hughie and Laura. The story concludes with Hughie marrying Laura, with Trevor as the best man, and the Baron humorously noted for being a "model millionaire." The narrative explores themes of wealth, generosity, and the unexpected nature of appearances.
By Oscar Wilde · First published 1895 · Genre: Short Story, Literary Fiction, Comedy · 2,493 words
First lines
Unless one is wealthy there is no use in being a charming fellow. Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed. The poor should be practical and prosaic. It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating. These are the great truths of modern life which Hughie Erskine never realised. Poor Hughie! Intellectually, we must admit, he was not of much importance. He never said a brilliant or even an ill-natured thing in his life. But then he was wonderfully good-looking, with his crisp brown hair, his clear-cut profile, and his grey eyes. He was as popular with men as he was with women and he had every accomplishment except that of making money. His father had bequeathed him his cavalry sword and a History of the Peninsular War in fifteen volumes. Hughie hung the first over his looking-glass, put the second on a shelf between Ruff's Guide and Bailey's Magazine, and lived on two hundred a year that an old aunt allowed him. He had tried everything. He had gone on the Stock Exchange for six months; but what was a butterfly to do among bulls and bears? He had been a tea-merchant for a little longer, but had soon tired of pekoe and souchong. Then he had tried selling dry sherry. That did not answer; the sherry was a little too dry. Ultimately he became nothing, a delightful, ineffectual young man with a perfect profile and no profession.
What this Textopian page supports
The Model Millionaire is listed on Textopian as a short story by Oscar Wilde, dated 1895 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Oscar Wilde
- Date: 1895 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Short Story, Literary Fiction, Comedy, Romance, Social Commentary
- Length: 2,493 words
- Structure: 1 section, 53 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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Similar titles
- The Model Millionaire A Note Of Admiration by Oscar Wilde
- The Admirable Bashville by George Bernard Shaw
- The Match Maker by Hector Hugh Munro
- The Grand Babylon Hotel by Arnold Bennett
- Zuleika Dobson by Max Beerbohm
- Something For Baby by O. Henry
Genres
- Short Story — The work is a concise narrative focusing on a single plot and character development.
- Literary Fiction — The story explores themes of wealth, social class, and human relationships with a focus on character depth.
- Comedy — The narrative contains humorous elements, particularly in the ironic twist regarding the beggar's true identity.
- Romance — The central plot revolves around Hughie's love for Laura and the obstacles posed by their financial situation.
Tags
Comedy · Satire · Social Commentary · Romance · Class Satire · Love Triangle · Deception · Identity Crisis · Appearance vs Reality · Upper Class · High Society · London Setting