Treasure Chest Workbook Answers Chapter 3 The Model Millionaire
The Model Millionaire Comprehension Questions Answers
Read the extracts and answer the following questions:
Passage – 1.
To make matters worse, he was in love. The girl he loved was Laura Merton, the daughter of a retired Colonel who had lost his temper and his digestion in India, and had never found either of them again. Laura adored him, and he was ready to kiss her shoe-strings. They were the handsomest couple in London, and had not a penny-piece between them.
The Colonel was very fond of Hughie, but would not hear of any engagement.’Come to me, my boy, when you have got ten thousand pounds of your own, and we will see about it,’ he used to say; and Hughie looked very glum on those days, and had to go to Laura for consolation.
1. Whom did Hughie love?
2. Who was Laura Merton?
3. What was the bar in their marriage?
4. Why did Hughie look gloom?
5. What was the condition of marriage?
Answer:
1. Hughie loved Laura Merton, a beautiful lady.
2. Laura Merton was the lover of Hughie and the daughter of a colonel.
3. Laura’s father was unwilling to get his daughter married with Hughie unless he owned ten thousand pounds.
4. Hughie looked glum because he had not the ten thousand pounds to marry Laura.
5. The condition of the marriage was that Hughie should own ten thousand pounds.
Passage – 2.
Personally he was a strange rough fellow, with a freckled face and a red ragged beard. However, when he took up the brush he was a real master, and his pictures were eagerly sought after. He had been very much attracted by Hughie at first, it must be acknowledged, entirely on account of his personal charm.
‘The only people a painter should know,’ he used to say, ‘are people who are beautiful, people who are an artistic pleasure to look at and an intellectual repose to talk to. Men who are dandies and women who are darlings rule the world, at least they should do so.’ However, after he got to know Hughie better, he liked him quite as much for his bright buoyant spirits and his generous reckless nature, and had given him the permanent entree to his studio.
1. How was Alan Trevor?
2. When was he a real master?
3. How did Alan Trevor look?
4. Why did he give him permanent entry into his studio?
Answer:
1. Alan Trevor was a strange rough fellow, with a freckled face and a red ragged beard.
2. When Alan Trevor took a brush in his hand he became a master painter.
3. Trevor looked strange and rough but he was a master painter.
4. He gave him permanent entry to his studio because of his bright spirits and generous reckless nature.
Passage – 3.
When Hughie came in he found Trevor putting the finishing touches to a wonderful life-size picture of a beggar-man. The beggar himself was standing on a raised platform in a corner of the studio. He was a wizened old man, with a face like wrinkled parchment, and a most piteous expression.
Over his shoulders was flung a coarse brown cloak, all tears and tatters; his thick boots were patched and cobbled, and with one hand he leant on a rough stick, while with the other he held out his battered hat for alms.
‘What an amazing model!’ whispered Hughie, as he shook hands with his friend.
‘An amazing model?’ shouted Trevor at the top of his voice; T should think so! Such beggars as he are not to be met with every day. A living Velasquez! My stars! what an etching Rembrandt would have made of him!’
1. What was Trevor doing when Hughie came?
2. Where did the beggar stand?
3. How was the beggar?
4. What did the beggar have on his both hands?
5. What did Trevor say seeing the model?
Answer:
1. When Hughie came Trevor was busy in giving the finishing touch to a wonderful life size picture of a beggar man.
2. The beggar stood on a raised platform in a corner of the studio.
3. The beggar was a wizened old man with a face like wrinkled parchment and a most piteous expression. Over his shoulders was flung a coarse brown cloak all tears and tatters.
4. With one hand the beggar leaned on a rough stick and in the other hand he held out his battered hat for alms.
5. Seeing the model Trevor shouted by saying that it was an amazing model.
Passage – 4.
The old beggar-man took advantage of Trevor’s absence to rest for a moment on a wooden bench that was behind him. He looked so forlorn and wretched that Hughie could not help pitying him, and felt in his pockets to see what money he had.
All he could find was a sovereign and some coppers. ‘Poor old fellow,’ he thought to himself, ‘he wants it more than I do, but it means no hansoms for a fortnight;’ and he walked across the studio and slipped the sovereign into the beggar’s hand. The old man started, and a faint smile flitted across his withered lips. ‘Thank you, sir,’ he said, ‘thank you.’
1. What was the advantage that the beggar took?
2. Why did Hughie have pity on the beggar?
3. Why did Hughie offer to the beggar?
4. Why did the beggar smile?
5. What did the beggar say?
Answer:
1. The beggar took the advantage of Trevor’s absence and rested for a moment on a wooden bench.
2. The beggar looked so forlorn and wretched that Hughie had pity on him.
3. Hughie offered a sovereign into the beggars hand.
4. The beggar smiled at the kindness of Hughie.
5. The beggar thanked him for his generousity.
Passage – 5.
Then Trevor arrived, and Hughie took his leave, blushing a little at what he had done. He spent the day with Laura, got a charming scolding for his extravagance, and had to walk home. That night he strolled into the Palette Club about eleven o’clock, and found Trevor sitting by himself in the smoking-room drinking hock and seltzer. ‘Well, Alan, did you get the picture finished all right?’ he said, as he lit his cigarette.
1. When did Hughie take leave?
2. Where did Hughie spend the day?
3. What did Hughie find in the Pallette club?
4. What did Hughie ask Alan?
5. Why did he get a charming scolding?
Answer:
1. When Trevor arrived Hughie took his leave.
2. Hughie spent the day with Laura.
3. In the Pallette club Hughie found Trevor sitting by himself in the smoking room drinking hock and seltzer.
4. Hughie asked Alan when he got the picture finished all right.
5. He got a charming scolding for his extravagance and walked to home.
Passage – 6.
‘My dear Alan’, cried Hughie, ‘I shall probably find him waiting for me when I go home. But of course you are only joking. Poor old wretch! I wish I could do something for him. I think it is dreadful that any one should be so miserable. I have got heaps of old clothes at home – do you think he would care for any of them? Why, his rags were falling to bits.
‘But he looks splendid in them’, said Trevor. T wouldn’t paint him in a frock-coat for anything. What you call rags I call romance. What seems poverty to you is picturesqueness to me. However, I’ll tell him of your offer.’
‘Alan’, said Hughie seriously, ‘you painters are a heartless lot.’ ‘An artist’s heart is his head’, replied Trevor; ‘and besides, our business is to realise the world as we see it, not to reform it as we know it. And now tell me how Laura is. The old model was quite interested in her.’
1. What he wished to do for him?
2. What is romance to Alan?
3. According to Hughie how were the painters?
4. What was the business of a painter?
5. Who was interested about Laura?
Answer:
1. He wished that he could do something for Hughie.
2. Alan would not paint him in a frock coat because what he called rags, he called it romance.
3. According to Hughie the painters were heartless a lot and an artists heart is his head.
4. The business of a painter is to realise the world as they see it and not to reform it.
5. The old model Baron was interested about Laura Merton.
Passage-7.
‘My dear boy,’ said Trevor, smiling, ‘that old beggar, as you call him, is one of the richest men in Europe. He could buy all London to-morrow 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.’
‘What on earth do you mean?’ exclaimed Hughie.
‘What I say,’ said Trevor. ‘The old man you saw to-day in the studio was Baron Hausberg. He is a great friend of mine, buys all my pictures and that sort of thing, and gave me a commission a month ago to paint him as a beggar. And I must say he made a magnificent figure in his rags, or perhaps I should say in my rags; they are an old suit I got in Spain.’
1. What did Trevor say about the beggar?
2. Who was the old man in the studio?
3. Describe the beggar’s activities.
4. What did he give to Trevor to paint him?
5. Who was Baron Housberg?
Answer:
1. Trevor smilingly told that the old beggar was one of the richest men in Europe. He was able to buy all London the next day without over drawing his account. He had a house in every capital. He took dinner in gold plate and could prevent Russia going to war when he chose.
2. The old man in the studio was Baron Housberg. He was a good friend of Trevor.
3. Baron Housberg bought all his pictures and a month ago gave him a commission to paint him as a beggar.
4. He gave Trevor some commission for painting him as a beggar in his studio.
5. Housberg was a Baron, a very rich person and he was a very good friend of Trevor.
Passage – 8.
‘Well, to begin with, Hughie’, said Trevor, ‘it never entered my mind that you went about distributing alms in that reckless way. I can understand your kissing a pretty model, but your giving a sovereign to an ugly one – by Jove, no! Besides, the fact is that I really was not at home today to any one; and when you came in I didn’t know whether Hausberg would like his name mentioned. You know he wasn’t in full dress.
‘What a duffer he must think me!’ said Hughie.
‘Not at all. He was in the highest spirits after you left; kept chuckling to himself and rubbing his old wrinkled hands together. I couldn’t make out why he was so interested to know all about you; but I see it all now. He’ll invest your sovereign for you, Hughie, pay you the interest every six months, and have a capital story to tell after dinner.’
1. What did Trevor say to Hughie?
2. What was the real fact?
3. What was the opinion of Trevor?
4. What did Trevor fail to make out?
5. What he had to say about Hughie?
Answer:
1. Trevor said that he did not expect Hughie to give alms in the reckless way.
2. The real fact was that he was not at home and he did not if Housberg would like his name mentioned.
3. The opinion of Trevor was that he could not make out why he was so interested to know about Hughie.
4. Trevor failed to make out why he was so interested about Hughie.
5. About Hughie he said that he would invest his sovereign for Hughie. He would pay him the interest every six months.
Passage – 9.
I am an unlucky devil’, growled Hughie. ‘The best thing I can do is to go to bed; and, my dear Alan, you mustn’t tell anyone. I shouldn’t dare show my face in the Row.’
‘Nonsense! It reflects the highest credit on your philanthropic spirit, Hughie. And don’t run away. Have another cigarette, and you can talk about Laura as much as you like.’ However, Hughie wouldn’t stop, but walked home, feeling very unhappy, and leaving Alan Trevor in fits of laughter.
1. Why did Hughie think himself unlucky?
2. What he can do best?
3. What did Trevor tell Hughie?
4. How did Trevor pacify Hughie?
5. What was the condition of Hughie?
Answer:
1. Hughie thought himself unlucky as he gave a sovereign to the Baron without knowing his identity.
2. He could do best to go to bed and he should not dare to show his face to anyone for shame.
3. Trevor told Hughie not to run away and requested to smoke another cigarette. He could talk about Laura as much as he liked.
4. Trevor pacified Hughie by saying that he should forget that incident and think about Laura, his lover.
5. Hughie was very unhappy and left Alan Trevor in fits of laughter.
Passage-10.
“The Baron”, said the old gentleman, with a smile, ‘has commissioned me to bring you this letter;’ and he extended a sealed envelope. On the outside was written, ‘A wedding present to Hugh Erskine and Laura Merton, from an old beggar,’ and inside was a cheque for £ 10,000. When they were married Alan Trevor was the bestman, and the Baron made a speech at the wedding breakfast.
‘Millionaire models,’ remarked Alan, ‘are rare enough; but, by Jove, model millionaires are rarer still!’
1. Why did Hughie want apology?
2. Why did the Baron send to Hughie?
3. What was written on the envelope?
4. What was inside the envelope?
5. What did Alan remark in the wedding ceremony?
Answer:
1. Hughie wanted apology because he gave a Sovereign to the Baron considering him a real beggar?
2. Baron sent an envelope to Hughie.
3. On the outside of the envelope it was written-A wedding present to Hughie Errkine and Laura Merton from an old beggar.
4. Inside the envelope there was a cheque of £ 10,000.
5. Alan remarked, ‘Millionaire models’ ‘are rare enough; but, by Jove, model millionaires are rarer still.
The Model Millionaire About the Story
Oscar wilde’s short story ‘The Model Millionaire’ tells us about a young man, who helps a beggar only to discover the begger as a millionaire. In the story the author shows that the rich are not always heartless or unsympathetic. Hughie Erskine, a nice fellow is a failure in his life. He is ambitious and is in love with a girl named Laura Merton. But he is unable to marry her as he has not ten thousand pounds of his own.
He got a chance to meet Baron Housberg, a billionaire. But he does not know him. But the meeting proves to be a turning point in his life. The Baron gifted him ten thousand pounds by which he is able to marry Laura Merton. It was simply because Hughie has given him one sovereign in his friend’s studio, when he was posing as a beggar. The Baron seems to have been greatly influenced by his generous nature. The desire to help him reveals that the Baron himself is a generous and kind person.
The Model Millionaire About the Author
Oscar wilde was an Irish poet. He was one of the most popular playwrights in London. He is famous for his wit and clever use of language. Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin in the year 1854, on 16th October. He was educated in Dublin and Oxford. His first volume of poems was published in the year 1881. He wrote fiction, drama and essays for novelty.
He had a versatile genious and so entered into the all departments of literature. His important works are ‘The Happy Prince’, ‘Seflish Giant’, ‘The picture of Dorian Gray’, ‘Lady windermere’s Fan’ and ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’. He passed away on 30th November, 1900 in Paris, France.
The Model Millionaire Brief Summary
ughie Erskine was a very good looking young man with his crisp brown hair, his clear-cut profile and his grey eyes. He was very popular among men and women. He had every accomplishment besides making money. He kept changing everything but he failed to build a career. For six months he tried his hand on the Stock Exchange. For a little longer he was a tea merchant. Afterwards he had tried to sell a dry sherry. But in all the fields he was a failure.
Hughie’s father willed him his cavalry sword, and a history of the peninsular in fifteen volumes. Hughie hung the first over his looking glass and put the second on a shelf between Ruff’s Guide and Bailey’s Magazine. He lived on two hundred a year that an old aunt allowed him. He failed in every career. He became nothing, a delightful ineffective youth with a perfect profile without profession.
Hughie fell in love with a rich girl Laura Merton, the daughter of a retired colonel; who had lost his temper and digestion in India and had never found of them again. Laura loved him and he was also loved to kiss her shoestrings. They were a couple in London. The colonel also liked Hughie but he was not in favour of engagement. He was ready to allow them to get married if Hughie had ten thousand pounds of his own.
Once Hughie visited his painter friend Alan Trevor. Alan was giving the finishing touches to a wonderful life size picture of a beggar in his studio when Hughie entered there. In one corner of the studio the beggar was standing. He was a wizened old man with a face like wrinkled parchment and with the most piteous expression.
In one hand he had a rough stick and in other hand he held out his battered hat for alms. Alan went out to meet the frame maker. The old beggar sat down on the wooden bench behind him. Looking at the miserable looks of the beggar Hughie was touched very much. He put a sovereign and some coppers in the beggars hand. The beggar thanked him with a smile.
Hughie went to the Palette Club at 11pm at night. There he found Alan in the smoking room. They talked about the model of the beggar. Alan informed Hughie that the model of his picture was not at all a beggar but a millionaire. Hearing from Alan he was surprised. The name of the millionaire was Baron Housberg. Unhappily Hughie returned home but Alan laughed loudly. Hughie having mistaken the Baron for a beggar gave him sovereign. He was very sorry for his mistake to treat a richman to a beggar.
He had fear in mind that the Baron might take his act of generousity as an insult. In the next morning Baron’s messenger brought a letter for Hughie. In the envelope there was a cheque of ten thousand pounds, which was a wedding gift to Hughie and Laura Merton from Baron Housberg. In the marriage day Alan Trevor was the best man and the Baron gave a lecture at the wedding breakfast. He said, ‘Millionaire models were rare enough, but model millionaires are rarer still’.
Glossary
1. Privilege — advantage
2. fascinating charming
3. accomplishment — success
4. bequeathed — willed,
5. Peko’e — a quality tea,
6. gloom — looking dejected
7. ineffectual — unsucessful
8. freckled — small spots on skin
9. repose — rest
10. buoyant — cheerful
11. pitious — kind
12. wizened — wrinkled due to age
13. forlorn — sad,
14. hansoms — a horse carriage
15. conquest — victory/win
16. relentless — cruel
17. extravagance — spending lavishly
18. duffer — stupid
19. growled — made low sound
20. stammered — stuttered.
Plot : The story The Model Milionaire by Oscar wilde has a well knit plot. Hughie Erskine, the hero of the story is handsome, popular and charming. But his financial condition was not well. He tried to succeed in various business but all in Vain. His one of the elderly aunts gave him two hundred pounds a year. He has fallen in love with Laura Merton a young woman. Colonel Merton Laura’s father liked Hughie but as he was poor he denied the marriage proposal.
He gave a condition to Hughie to earn ten thousand pounds and only then he will allow her daughter to marry. Once Hughie went to meet his painter friend Alan Trevor. Alan was busy in painting an old beggar ‘with torn clothes and a stick in his hand. In other hand he had an old hat to beg for money. His wrinkled face was very sad. Before leaving the room Alan gave the old beggar a sovereign and the beggar was very happy
At night Hughie and Alan met again. The old man asked him many questions about him, Alan told him all with his love affair. Huaring that Hughie was not happy. At that time Alan told him that the beggar was a millionaire actually. Then Hughie was ashamed to give him a sovereign. The next day a messenger from Baron came to Hughie and gave him an envelope. The envelope contained a wedding gift from ‘an Old beggar’. Hughie found a cheque inside the envelope of ten thousand pounds. Thus Hughie and Laura got married.
Theme : Some qualities of human life like generousity, friendship, pity, love and gratitude are beautifully depicted in the short story. ‘The Model Millionaire’ by Oscar Wilde. Apart from that the story contains the theme of commitment, charity, connection, struggle and happiness. Hughie, the protagonist was be fooled to think that the Baron was a beggar.
His assumption was based on the dress and what he told him. That is why Hughie hands the Baron a sovereign. The act of kindness is the fact that he gives more than he can really afford to. The generousity of Hughie has an unexpected positive consequences. The Baron repays him with ten thousand pounds as wedding present. In this way the story establishes the idea that if there are millionaire models there are also model millionaries with golden hearts.
The Model Millionaire Characters
Hughie Erskine :
Hughie Erskine, the hero of the story is a handsome, good looking man with crisp brown hair. He has a clearcut profile and grey eyes. He is popular to everybody, men and women. He tries many professions but he was unsuccessful in all his endeavour. So, he was very unhappy and fed up.
He was sincerely in love with Laura Merton and was always ready to kiss her shoestrings. Laura also loved him. But his poverty appeared as a bar as Laura’s father refused to get his daughter married with Hughie unless he earned ten thousand pounds.
Hughie’s heart was golden. He was a kind hearted person as being touched by the miserable financial condition of the poor beggar in his friend’s studio, he gave him a sovereign that he had. This act of his kindness changed his life. Actually, the beggar was Baron Housberg a millionaire. He repaid his kindness by giving him a gift of ten thousand pounds.
Alan Trevor :
Alan Trevor was a friend of Hughie. He was a successful painter. He is a strange rough fellow /with a freckled face and a redragged beard. But when he took the brush he was an ideal painter. His pictures were very famous. He believed that a painter should know only the people who were beautiful and in which the artistic pleasures were available. He was a sincere friend.
Always he used to answer the questions of Hughe’s simply. When Hughie was absent Alan told Baron Housberg everything about him. He revealed his love affair with Laura and her father’s views about marriage. The incident about Hughie’s love affairs touched his heart deeply. He presented Hughie’s ten thousand pounds. He was present at Hughie’s wedding and acted as the best person. He also praised the good gesture of Baron Housberg and called him a model millionaire.
Baron Housberg :
Baron Housberg was a millionaire in the oscar wilde’s story ‘The Model Millionaire’. Although he was a millionaire he was not at all proud of his wealth. We could call it as his fancy as he liked to pose himself as a beggar. Hughie saw him in tattered clothes and patched and cobbled boot he had pity in his mind. Pitiously he gave him a sovereign and he accepted with thanks. But the Baron had a golden heart. He came to know the problems of Hughie, he decided to help him. He sent a messenger to Hughie house with an envelope containing a cheque of ten thousand pounds. That is why Alan described him as a model millionaire.
Setting :
The story ‘The Model Millionaire’ by Oscar wilde was published in the newspaper The World in June, 1887. The setting of the story was of late nineteenth century Europe. The central characters lived and interacted with one another at that time. Baron Housberg was one of the richest men in Europe. In Alan Trevor’s studio most of the actions took place. A small part of action took place at the Palette Club where Hughie and Alan met at night.
Style :
The short story ‘The Model Millionaire’ deals with a poor person’s life like Hughie. Inspite of his poverty he was a charming young man with a beautiful face and handsome physique. The author followed the traditional style of narration in the story.
The story moved from present to future. The language is lucid and simple. The story is quite interesting with the author’s comments and humourous observations. Such as Romance is the privilege of the rich. To make the matter worse he was in love. Those saying made the story enjoyable. The concluding sentence Millionaire models are rare but model millionaires are rarer still has become a proverb almost.
Title :
The highlights of the story The Model Millionaire’ highlighted the kindness of a rich and unassuming man who presented ten thousand pounds for the wedding of true lovers, namely Hughie and Laura Merton. In this sense the title is apt and significant.
Baron Housberg is a millionaire. He was the model of a beggar in tattered clothes, torm boots holding a staff in one hand and a hat in the other to accept alms. Hughie was moved to see the wretched condition. He gave him a sovereign Later when the Baron came to know that Hughie was a very poor fellow he presented him ten thousand pounds. Thus, the Baron proved that he was not only a millionaire model but also a model millionaire because his heart was golden like the rich men should have. So, the title is apt and appropriate.
The Model Millionaire Critical Appreciation
The story The Model Millionaire by Oscar wilde is actually the good samaritan tale and in this story the samaritan is aptly rewarded. The writing style is very attractive and so, the story wins the heart of the readers. Hughie Erskine is a young and good looking man. He is poor because he is not clever. He tries many business but fails so he is fully unfit for the commercial world.
He loves Laura who is the daughter of a retired colonel. He is ready to permit his daughter to marry Hughie if he owns ten thousand pounds. Thus, his love affair was at a stake. But fortunately, he meets Baron Housberg and his life changes with his gift he is able to marry his beloved Laura. The author wants to say that only the money do not soothe one’s soul unless he utilizes the money to help the needy. The narrative style of story telling is very attractive. The author’s personal comments add to the story a new attraction.
The Model Millionaire Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Read the questions given below and tick the correct answer:
Question 1.
The author says Romance is the privilege of the …………..
a. poor
b. rich
c. talented
d. intelligent
Answer:
b. rich.
Question 2.
The poor should be practical and …………..
a. witty
b. hard working
c. prosaic
d. labourious
Answer:
c. Prosaic.
Question 3.
Hughie had crisp hair …………..
a. black
b. red
c. white
d. brown
Answer:
d. brown.
Question 4.
History of Peninsular war had volumes……………
a. ten
b. fifteen
c. twelve
d. eleven
Answer:
b. fifteen.
Question 5.
Hughie loved …………..
a. Laura Merton
b. Shelley
c. Ruby
d. Kavita
Answer:
a. Laura Merton.
Question 6.
Besides being a painter Trevor was also a/an …………..
a. architect
b. carpenter
c. artist
d. none of the above
Answer:
c. artist.
Question 7.
The beggar was an old man …………..
a. wizened
b. thain
c. fat
d. none of the above
Answer:
a. wizened.
Question 8.
Hughie gave the beggar a …………..
a. bag
b. purse
c. a sovereign
d. none of the above
Answer:
c. a sovereign.
Question 9.
The lover of Hughie was the daughter of a …………..
a. officer
b. painter
c. artist
d. colonel
Answer:
c. colonel.
Question 10.
I will be back in a moment’ where did the speaker, go?
a. to the kitchen
b. to talk to Baron
c. to see the frame maker
d. to bring paint
Answer:
c. to see the frame maker.
Question 11.
An artist’s heart is in his …………..
a. mind
b. head
c. soul
d. feelings
Answer:
b. head.
Question 12.
Who gave a speech in the wedding breakfast?
a. Alan Trevor
b. Baron Housberg
c. Laura Merton
d. None of the above
Answer:
b. Baron Housberg.