Welcome to “The Model Millionaire Workbook Ans : ICSE Treasure Chest (Evergreen),” where we delve into the intriguing narrative of the poem “The Model Millionaire,” featured in the ICSE English Literature Treasure Chest by Evergreen Publications. This post provides thorough solutions to the workbook questions, offering a detailed analysis of this captivating text.
Within these pages, we explore the essence of “The Model Millionaire,” presenting precise answers to multiple-choice and contextual questions that unravel the core themes and characters of the poem. Gain a deeper understanding of the narrative and its characters through our meticulously crafted solutions, designed to enhance your grasp of this classic piece of literature.
Each question acts as a gateway to a richer interpretation of the poem, encouraging readers to dissect its subtle nuances and broader meanings. Contextual inquiries broaden our exploration, promoting critical engagement with the poem’s thematic and socio-cultural aspects.
Whether you’re preparing for ICSE English Literature exams or simply an aficionado of classic literature, “ICSE Treasure Chest: The Model Millionaire Workbook Answers” offers invaluable insights and support. Join us on this literary journey as we illuminate the path to understanding, one workbook answer at a time.
Table of Contents
Summary :
Hughie Erskine, the Protagonist of the Story
Hughie Erskine was a wonderfully good looking young man with his crisp brown hair, his clearcut profile and his grey eyes. He was very popular among men and women. He had every accomplishment except that of making money. He failed to build a career although he tried various professions. He tried his hand at the Stock Exchange for six months, he had been a tea merchant for some time. He tried selling dry sherry but he was unsuccessful.
Hughie’s Legacy
Hughie’s father had bequeathed him his cavalry sword, and a book titled a ‘History of the Peninsular War’ in fifteen volumes. Hughie hung the sword over his looking glass and put the book on a shelf between Ruf’s Guide and Bailey’s Magazine. He lived on two hundred a year that an old aunt allowed him. Having failed in almost every profession, Hughie became nothing. a delightful, ineffectual Youngman with a perfect profile and no career.
Hughie’s falling in Love
To make the matters worse Hughie fell in love with a rich girl Laura Merton. She was the daughter of a retired colonel who had lost his temper and digestion in India and had never found either of them again. Laura loved him and he was ready to do anything for her. They were the handsomest couple in London. The colonel was also fond of Hughie but he was against the engagement. The Colonel had put the condition that he would only allow them to get married if Hughie had ten thousand pounds of his own.
Hughie’s Meeting with the Poor ‘Beggar’
One day Hughie visited his friend Alan Trevor who was a painter. When Hughie entered the studio Alan was giving the finishing touches to a wonderful life size picture of a beggar. The beggar himself was standing on a platform in a corner of the studio. He was a wizened old man with a piteous expression on his face. With one hand he leant on a rough stick, while with the other he held out his battered hat for ‘alms’.
Hughie’s Generosity
When Alan went out for a few minutes to meet the frame maker, the old beggar sat down on the wooden bench lying behind him. Hughie was so touched by the beggar’s miserable looks that he put a sovereign and some coppers that he had in the beggar’s hand. The old beggar smiled and thanked him.
Hughie’s Meeting with Alan at Palette Club
Later that night Hughie went to the Palette Club at about eleven o’clock. He found Alan in the smoking room. They had a talk about the old man working as the model of a beggar-man. Alan told Hughie that the model of his picture was not a beggar but a millionaire. Hughie was utterly surprised. At first he did not believe what he heard from Alan. The name of the millionaire was Baron Hausberg. Hughie went home unhappily whereas Alan laughed loudly. Hughie had mistaken the Baron for a beggar and given him a sovereign. He felt very bad for treating the rich man as a beggar. He feared that the Baron would have taken his act of generosity as an insult.
A Messenger from Baron Hausberg meets Hughie
The next morning a messenger from Baron Hausberg came and brought a letter to Hughie. The Wedding present envelope contained a cheque for ten thousand pounds which was a to Hughie and Laura Merton from Baron Hausberg. On the day of the marriage Alan Trevor was the best man and the Baron made a speech at the wedding breakfast. Alan said, “Millionaire models are rare enough, but model millionaires are barer still”. The story brings out Hughie’s kind and sympathetic nature. It also shows the generosity of a millionaire who helps a poor young man.
Workbook MCQs :
Answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate options.
1. Select the option that shows the correct relationship between statement (1) and statement (2).
1. ‘He had every accomplishment except that of making money.
2. ‘Ultimately he became nothing, a delightful, ineffectual young man with a perfect profile and no profession.
(a) 1 is the cause for 2.
(b) 2 is an example of 1.
(c) 1 is in contradiction of 2.
(d) 1 is independent of 2.
Answer :- (a) 1 is the cause for 2
2. On having a look at the model, Hughie says, ‘What an amazing model !” Which of the following words best describes his mood?
(a) envious
(b) frustrated
(c) happy
(d) surprised
Answer :- (d) surprised
3. Choose the option that lists the sequence of events in the correct order.
1. Hughie gives some money to the old beggar in his friend’s studio.
2. Trevor is giving the finishing touches to a wonderful picture.
3. Hughie comes to know that the old beggar was in fact Baron Hausberg, a millionaire.
4. Hughie thought that the old beggar looked miserable and his clothes were worn out.
(a) 3, 2, 4, 1
(b) 2, 4, 1, 3
(c) 1.3, 4, 2
(d) 3, 2, 1, 4
Answer :- (b) 2, 4, 1, 3
4. Which of the following statements in NOT true of Hughie ?
(a) Hughie is the friend of a painter named Trevor.
(b) Hughie takes pity on the old beggar.
(c) Hughie does not know that the old beggar is a millionaire named Baron Hausberg.
(d) Hughie makes a wonderful picture of the millionaire man and gets a lot of money.
Answer :- (d) Hughie makes a wonderful picture of the millionaire man and gets a lot of money.
5. Hughie’s giving a sovereign to the beggar who actually was a millionaire, shows that he is ……..
(a) foolish and ignorant
(b) innocent and stupid
(c) kind and sympathetic
(d) hard-hearted and boastful
Answer :- (c) kind and sympathetic
6. According to the writer romance is the privilege of the ………
(a) poor
(b) rich
(c) talented
(d) deserving
Answer :- (b) rich
7. Hughie’s father has bequeathed him a History of the Peninsular war in fifteen volumes and a ……….
(a) beautiful bungalow
(b) ten thousand pounds
(c) a cavalry sword
(d) gun
Answer :- (c) a cavalry sword
8. Laura Merton adored Hughie but she was not prepared to disregard her……..
(a) mother’s ambition
(b) father’s wishes
(c) own aspirations
(d) dear friends
Answer :- (b) father’s wishes
9. Alan Trevor was not only a painter but also ………
(a) a musician
(b) a dancer
(c) an artist
(d) a businessman
Answer :- (c) an artist
10. The beggar in Trevor’s studio had in one hand a stick and …….. other. in the
(a) a bag
(b) a begging bowl
(c) a few currently notes
(d) a battered hat
Answer :- (b) a begging bowl
11. Trevor Says, “Such beggars are not to be met with everyday”. In which tone is this sentence spoken?
(a) humorous
(b) ironical
(c) contemptuous
(d) all of the above
Answer :- (b) ironical
12. “Don’t run away, Hughie,” he said, as he went out. “I will be back in a moment. Where had ‘he’ gone?
(a) to the kitchen
(b) to talk to Baron Hausberg
(c) to see the frame maker
(d) to fetch paint
Answer :- (c) to see the frame maker
13. To see what money he had. Hughie felt in his pockets. What could he find?
(a) a sovereign
(b) a sovereign and some coppers
(c) some stray coins
(d) all of the above
Answer :- (b) a sovereign and some coppers
14. According to Trevor, an artist’s heart is in his
(a) mind
(b) head
(c) soul
(d) feelings
Answer :- (b) head
15. When they were married who made a speech at the wedding breakfast?
(a) Alan Trevor
(b) Baron Hausberg
(c) Laura Merton
(d) None of the above
Answer :- (b) Baron Hausberg
Comprehension Passages :
Passage – 1
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
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?
(I) Who is ‘he’ referred to in the first line? How does ‘he’ look?
Answer :- ‘He’ referred to in the first time is the protagonist of the story i.e., Hughie Erskine. He was handsome with brown hair, clear cut profile and grey eyes.
(II) What quality did ‘he’ not have?
Answer :- ‘He’ i.e. Hughie Erskine had various accomplishments to his credit. However, he lacked the quality of making money although he tried various businesses.
(III) What did his father bequeath to him?
Answer :- Hughie’s father had bequeathed him his cavalry sword and a History of the Peninsular War in fifteen volumes.
(IV) What was his only means of sustenance?
Answer :- Hughie had failed in all the ventures he had undertaken in order to sustain his life. The only means of sustenance now was 200 pounds allowed by an aunt.
(V) What is ‘he’ compared with on the stock exchange?
Answer :- ‘He’ is compared with a butterfly which is charming but a delicate insect. The comparison fits Hughie Erskine’s personality. People talk about bulls and bears on the stock exchange indicating rise and fall of prices of different stocks.
Passage – 2
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
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.
(I) Describe the relationship between Hughie and Laura.
Answer :- Hughie and Laura loved each other very much. Laura belonged to a rich family whereas Hughie was a poor boy. But he was ready to do anything for her. She too had deep love for him.
(II) Which two things did the colonel lose in India?
Answer :- While in India, the colonel had lost his temper and his digestion and never recovered from either of them.
(III) What had made matters worse for Hughie?
Answer :- Hughie was a poor unemployed young man. He had no income of his own. His love for Laura had made matters worse for him.
(IV) The Colonel was fond of Hughie. Still he did not allow him to marry his daughter. Why?
Answer :- The colonel was extremely fond of Hughie. Still he did not allow him to marry his daughter because he was not satisfactorily settled in life.
(V) Which sentence in the passage shows that Hughie was madly in love with Laura?
Answer :- The sentence : “and he was ready to kiss her shoe-strings” shows that he’ was madly in love with Laura.
Passage – 3
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
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.’
(I) Who is ‘he’ referred to in the first line? How does he look?
Answer :- ‘He’ referred to in the first line is the beggar-man whose painting Alan Trevor was making, He looked a strange fellow with a spotted face and a red ragged beard.
(II) What tells you that ‘he’ was a great painter?
Answer :- ‘He’ dressed a rich man, Baron Hausberg, in such a manner that he looked like a perfect beggar. Moreover, the painting prepared by Alan Trevor perfectly matched beggar’s condition. It proved that whenever he took up the brush, he was a real master in his art.
(III) Who are the only people a painter should know?
Answer :- Hughie believed that a painter should know the people who are beautiful, are an artistic pleasure to look at and an intellectual repose to talk to.
(IV) What is ‘his’ opinion about the beautiful people?
Answer :- ‘His’ opinion about the beautiful people was that they should be people like Baron Hausberg who are ready to shed their ego and present themselves even as beggars to be represented in a painting.
(V) Who according to ‘him’ rule the world?
Answer :- According to him, people of fine, refined tastes and women who are appreciated by one and all are the ones who really rule the world.
Passage – 4
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘Well, I think the models should have a percentage,’ cried Hughie, laughing; ‘they quite as hard as you do.’
‘Nonsense, nonsense! Why, look at the trouble of laying on the paint alone, and standing all day long at one’s easel! It’s all very well, Hughie, for you to talk, but I you that there are moments when Art almost attains to the dignity of manual labour. But you mustn’t chatter; I’m very busy. Smoke a cigarette, and keep quiet.’
After some time the servant came in, and told Trevor that the frame-maker wanted speak to him.
(I) Why does Hughie feel that the models should have a percentage in the sale price of a painting?
Answer :- Hughie feels that a model too shows patience and suffers pain in the same way as the creator of a painting does. Thus he should have a percentage in its sale.
(II) Why does Alan think that the work of an artist is more difficult than that of a model?
Answer :- A model has to sit or stand casually without bothering about the surroundings. On the other hand, a painter cannot create anything unique if he does not fully concentrate. So his work is more difficult than that of a model.
(III) Explain the line:
There are moments when Art almost attains to the dignity of manual labour.
Answer :- The line brings forth a significant meaning. It means Art cannot attain glorious heights unless an artist puts his heart and soul into the creation of a work.
(IV) Who enters the studio and what does he tell Alan?
Answer :- A servant enters the studio. He has arrived to convey an important message to Alan Trevor that the frame maker wants to speak to him.
(V) When Alan goes out what does the beggar-man do?
Answer :- When Alan goes out, the beggar-man feels relieved. He feels tired as he has been standing in the same pose for a long time. So he occupies a wooden bench behind to take rest for some time.
Passage – 5
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The old man started, and a faint smile flitted across his withered lips. Thank you. sir,’ he said, ‘thank you.’
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.
(I) What made the old man smile?
Answer :- Hughie Erskine was moved by the old beggar-man’s misery. He handed over a sovereign to him. The old man was taken aback and a smile spread across his dry lips.
(II) “Hughie left blushing a little at what he had done”. What had he done?
Answer :- Hughie had done a great and noble act of human kindness and charity by giving a sovereign to Trevor’s poor model. So when he left, he blushed a little at what he had done.
(III) Why did Hughie receive a charming scolding from Laura?
Answer :- Hughie narrated the incident to Laura how he had helped his friend’s poor beggar- model. Laura was impressed by his noble gesture. However, she scolded him for his extravagance. The scolding was charming indeed as it came from his beloved Laura.
(IV) Why did Hughie have to walk home?
Answer :- Hughie had done an act of extreme human kindness by giving a gold coin to the poor beggar-model. Consequently, he was left with very little money and now, he could not afford a carriage. So he ‘had to walk home’.
(V) What information did Hughie want to have from Alan?
Answer :- When Hughie met Alan at night at Palette Club, he wanted to know if he had finished his painting satisfactorily. That was the information Hughie wanted to have from Alan.
Passage – 6
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘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. ‘I 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.’
(I) For whom is the word ‘him’ used in the first line?
Answer :- The word ‘him’ used in the first line is for the model, Baron Hausberg. Hughie expects him to be at his home when he returns.
(II) What did Hughie have at home? What did he want to do with that?
Answer :- Hughie had lots of old clothes at home and they were not of much use to him now. He intended to give those to the poor beggar-model as he was dressed in nothing but rags.
(III) “But he looks splendid in them.” In which tone is this sentence spoken? Who utters this sentence?
Answer :- This sentence has been spoken in an appreciative tone. Hughie’s friend Trevor utters this sentence while appreciating his model.
(IV) “I’ll tell him of your offer.” Which offer is referred to in this line?
Answer :- Hughie informed Trevor that lots of his old unused clothes were lying at his home. Now, in a further gesture of large heartedness, he wanted to offer those clothes to the poor man. This was the offer.
(V) “What seems poverty, to you is picturesqueness to me.” What does the speaker mean by it?
Answer :- The rags worn by Trevor’s model showed his poverty which melted Hughie’s heart. However what looked poverty to Hughie, seemed a fascinating spectacle to Trevor because that gave him the look of a perfect beggar model.
Passage – 7
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
‘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 tomorrow without overdrawing his account. He has a house in every capital, dines off gold plates 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.’
(I) What does Alan tell Hughie about the old beggar ?
Answer :- Hughie is under the impression that Trevor’s old, beggar model is extremely poor. Hughie stuns him by conveying the information that the old man is one of the wealthiest men in Europe.
(II) What does Alan say about the ‘old beggar’s financial position?
Answer :- Alan informs Hughie that the old man is in reality very affluent. He can buy all London. He has a house in every capital, dines in gold plates and can prevent Russia going to war. This is his financial prowess.
(III) How is Baron Hausberg a friend of Alan?
Answer :- Baron Hausberg is Alan’s great friend because he buys all the paintings prepared by Alan and thus saves him from any kind of financial crisis.
(IV) What for did Baron Hausberg give the commission to Alan?
Answer :- Baron Hausberg expressed his desire to be painted as a poor, wretched beggar. That was the work Baron Hausberg assigned to Alan Trevor.
(V) What do you know about the rags which were worn by the ‘old beggar’?
Answer :- The rags worn by the ‘old beggar’ did not belong to him. Infact that was an old suit which Trevor had bought while he was in Spain.
