Read the given passage and answer the four questions that follow:-
Unless one is wealthy, there is no use in being a charming fellow. Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed. The poor should be practical and prosaic. It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating. These are the great truths of modern life which Hughie Erskine never realized. Intellectually, he was not of much importance. He never said a brilliant or even ill-natured thing in his life. But he was wonderfully good-looking, as popular with men as he was with women, and had every accomplishment except making money. His father had bequeathed him a 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 from an old aunt. 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? He had been a tea-merchant for a little longer but soon tired of pekoe and souchong. Then he tried selling dry sherry. That did not answer. Ultimately, he became nothing; a delightful, ineffectual young man with a perfect profile and no profession.
To make matters worse, he was in love with Laura Merton, the daughter of a retired Colonel. Laura adored him, and he worshipped her, but neither had a penny to their name. Though the Colonel liked Hughie, he refused to approve their engagement.
What does the phrase "Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed" imply?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Only the wealthy can afford to engage in romantic pursuits.
A privilege is a special advantage enjoyed by a few, and a profession is a way of earning a living. The line means that romance is a luxury for the rich; a person without a job cannot live on it. The next lines repeat the idea: the poor should be practical, and a permanent income is better than being fascinating. Hughie's own story proves it, since the Colonel will not approve the engagement of a penniless man.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Love requires effort and hard work, regardless of wealth. — Incorrect. Opposite meaning: the line is all about wealth, while this option sets wealth aside ("regardless of wealth").
Option 3: Romantic relationships are often undervalued by the wealthy. — Incorrect. Misread: the line calls romance a privilege of the rich, something they enjoy, not something they undervalue.
Option 4: Financial struggles make love more meaningful and practical. — Incorrect. Contradicted: the passage shows money troubles blocking love: neither Hughie nor Laura has a penny, so they cannot marry.