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Welcome to Short Stories with Peter.
Today, The Model Millionaire by Oscar Wilde. Firstpublished in 1887.
This is an abridged adaptation for Englishlearners. Listen for the difference between
appearances and reality. Hughie Erskine was a kindyoung man with very little money.
He loved Laura Merton, and Laura loved him. Buther father would not agree to their marriage
until Hughie had 10,000 pounds. To Hughie, thatseemed impossible.
One morning, Hughie dropped in to see his friendAlan, a painter.
Inside the studio, an old man stood in wornclothes, holding a stick and a battered hat.
Alan was painting him as a beggar.
Poor man. How much do you pay him for standingthere?
A shilling an hour. Now keep still. I am nearlyfinished.
Alan left the room for a moment. The old man satdown, looking tired. Hughie felt sorry for him.
He searched his pockets and found a gold coin. Itwas more than he could comfortably afford to
give away. He needs it more than I do.
Hughie quietly put the coin into the man's hand.The man smiled.
When Alan returned, Hughie left without mentioninghis gift.
He would have to walk instead of paying fortransport. But he did not regret helping.
That evening, Alan had surprising news. The oldmodel had asked all about Hughie,
including his wish to marry Laura.
You told him about Laura and the money? Alan,those are my private affairs.
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That man is Baron Hausberg, one of the richest menin Europe. He asked me to paint him as a beggar.
Millionaire? And I gave him my gold coin. He mustthink I am a fool.
Alan laughed, but Hughie went home embarrassed.The next morning, a visitor arrived with a letter
from the Baron. Hughie expected a complaint.Instead, the envelope contained a check for
ten thousand pounds. The message called it awedding present from an old beggar. Hughie and
Laura could marry at last. Alan was the best man,and the Baron attended the wedding. Hughie
had mistaken an appearance, but his kindness hadbeen real. The wealthy model had also shown
himself to be a model of generosity. End of thestory. Let's dive into the language
and break down some of the key vocabulary from thestory.
First, drop in. Hughie dropped in to see Alan. Todrop in means to visit briefly,
often without arranging it in advance. You couldsay, I will drop in after work.
Second, feel sorry for someone. Hughie felt sorryfor the old man. He felt sympathy because
the man seemed to be suffering. Feeling sorry forsomeone does not mean apologizing to them.
Third, give away. Hughie gave away a valuablecoin. He gave it to someone without expecting
payment. You can give away clothes you no longerneed. Giving away money is different from lending
it. Now think, did Hughie give the coin because heexpected a reward? No, he believed he was helping
someone poorer than himself. Find the transcriptand vocabulary
on our episode page at yourenglishtoolbox.com. Iam Peter. Thank you for listening.