Hughie Erskine was in love. The girl he loved was Laura Merton, the daughter of a retired army officer. They were the best-looking couple in London, and had not a penny between them. Her father 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 miserable in those days. One morning he went to see a great friend of his, Alan Trevor, who was a painter. When he came into the studio he found Trevor putting the finishing touches to a wonderful life-size picture of a beggar-man. The beggar himself was standing on a platform in a corner of the room. He was a dried up old man with a lined face and a sad expression. Over his shoulder was thrown a rough brown coat, all torn and full of holes. His thick boots were old and mended, and with one hand he leaned on a rough stick, while with the other he held out his ancient hat for money. “ Poor old fellow! ” said Hughie. “ How miserable he looks! ” At that moment a servant came in and told Trevor that a man wanted to speak to him. Trevor went out. The old beggar-man sat down to rest for a moment. He looked so miserable that Hughie pitied him, and felt in his pockets to see what money he had. All he could find was a pound and some pennies. “ Poor old fellow, ” he thought to himself, “ he wants it more than I do, but I shan ’ t have much money myself for a week or two ” ; and he walked across the room and slipped the pound into the beggar ’ s hand. The old man jumped, and a faint smile passed across his old lips. “ Thank you, sir, ” he said, “ thank you. ” That night Trevor told Hughie that the old “ beggar ” was Baron Hausberg, one of the richest men in Europe, who had asked him a month before to paint him as a beggar. He also said that he had told the old man all about the lovely Laura and the ten thousand pounds. The next morning, as he was at breakfast, an old gentleman brought Hughie a letter from Baron Hausberg. On the envelope was written, “ A wedding present to Hughie Erskine and Laura Merton, from an old beggar ” , and inside was a cheque for ten thousand pounds.