The tattered clothes he was wearing were supplied by Alan. For reasons which Alan does not really understand, the millionaire baron had asked to be painted as a beggar. The amused Alan tells Hughie that the old man he was painting was Baron Hausberg, one of the wealthiest men in Europe and someone who often buys Alan's paintings. Hughie is unhappy that his friend told "that old beggar" all about his private life. Alan goes on to say that he told the old man all about Hughie, Laura Merton and the condition which Colonel Merton set that prevents their marriage. The artist tells his friend that, after he left, the old man asked several questions about him. Hughie leaves soon afterwards.Īlan and Hughie meet up again later. Although it means that he will have to economize more than usual for the rest of the month, Hughie gives the coin to the old man, who appears very happy to receive it. He finds that the highest denomination coin which he has is a sovereign. When Alan leaves the room, Hughie looks in his pockets. He thinks it is unfair that, although Alan's paintings regularly sell for two thousand guineas, he only pays his models one shilling an hour to pose for him and does not give them a percentage of the money which he makes from sales of their portraits. Hughie, however, cannot help feeling sorry for the man. Both Alan and Hughie agree that the old man is an excellent subject for a painting. His face is heavily wrinkled and he looks extremely sad. In the other hand, he is holding out an old hat as if to ask for money. He has a rough walking stick in one hand. The old man is wearing a tattered brown cloak and boots which have been mended many times. He finds that Alan is painting a portrait of an old man who appears to be a beggar. Hughie goes to see his artist friend Alan Trevor. He has often told Hughie that he will only allow him to get engaged to Laura after he has earned ten thousand pounds. Laura's father, Colonel Merton, is fond of Hughie but, due to his poor financial prospects, he does not want the young man to marry his daughter. Hughie has fallen in love with a young woman named Laura Merton and she loves him in return.
Having no job, Hughie's only source of income is two hundred pounds a year which is given to him by an elderly aunt. He has tried his hand at several different businesses, all of which have failed. He was left nothing of any great value in his father's will. Hughie is handsome, charming and popular but he has been very unlucky as far as financial matters are concerned. The protagonist of the story is a young man called Hughie Erskine.
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