The Grand Babylon Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Grand Babylon Hotel is a novel by Arnold Bennett
, published in 1902
, about the mysterious disappearance of a German prince. It originally appeared as a serial in the Daily Mail
.
Strange things are happening in the hotel. First, Racksole
notices the headwaiter, Jules, winking at his daughter's friend,
Reginald Dimmock, while they consume their expensive steak. He
dismisses the headwaiter. The next day Miss Spencer, the pretty,
efficient hotel clerk who has been employed there for years,
disappears. It appears that she just took her things and left, no one knows when or
where. And Prince Eugen, a prince regnant of Posen, who was to come to
the hotel and meet his youthful uncle Prince Aribert (he and the nephew are of the
same age), never turns up. Then the body of Dimmock, who was an equerry to the princes, come ahead to
prepare for their visit, is found. He was obviously
poisoned. And soon after, Dimmock's body disappears.
The same evening the hotel is having a ball in the Gold Room, hosted by
a Mr and Mrs Sampson Levi. There is a special secret window though
which one can observe the room and the guests. Racksole
looks out of it and sees among the guests the dismissed headwaiter,
Jules. Racksole runs out to confront him and throw him out, but can't
find him. He comes back to the secret window to find Jules,
staring intensely into the ball room. Racksole orders him out of the
hotel for the second time.
Prince Aribert, who met Nella in Paris while he was travelling incognito under the
name of Count Steenbock, confides the whole story to her. He tells her
that Prince Eugen never arrived, and no one knows where he is. He was
last seen at Ostend. His Majesty the Emperor sent a telegram to
Aribert, requesting the whereabouts of Eugen. Aribert, who does not
know whether there might be a secret love affair, or an abduction, is facing a
dilemma. At last he decides to go to Berlin and state the facts to the
Emperor. Nella promises him help and support in London.
After the departure of Aribert, an old lady signs into the hotel under
the name of 'Baroness Zerlinski'. Some chance remarks about hotel
rooms convinced Nella, who was substituting for the hotel clerk, that it was, in fact
Miss Spenser in disguise. When she finds out that Miss Spenser
suddenly checks out and departs for Ostend, Nella too
goes to Ostend, leaving a short message for her father as to her
whereabouts.
In Ostend, Nella follows Miss Spenser into a house, and
tries to find out what's going on, threatening the latter with a
revolver. Miss Spenser says that she was
under orders of Jules, the headwaiter, whose real name is Tom Jackson
and who is, she claims, her husband. She says that Jackson/Jules
quarrelled with Dimmock and that he had some "money business" with
Prince Eugen. She admits that the Prince was a captive in that same
house, and she looked after him. He was abducted to prevent him
arriving to London, for it would have "upset the scheme". Then Miss
Spenser fakes a faint, and Nella, who comes nearer to see if she can
help her, is overpowered. Nella loses consciousness.
Arnold Bennett
- Early life :Bennett was born in a modest house in Hanley in the Potteries district of Staffordshire. Hanley is one of a conurbation of six towns which joined together at the beginning of the twentieth century as Stoke-on-Trent. Enoch Bennett, his father, qualified as a solicitor in 1876, and the...
, published in 1902
1902 in literature
The year 1902 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:* April - Mark Twain purchases a home in Terrytown, New York.* June 4 - Mark Twain receives an honorary doctorate of literature degree from the University of Missouri....
, about the mysterious disappearance of a German prince. It originally appeared as a serial in the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
.
Plot introduction
The main protagonists are an American millionaire, Theodore Racksole, and his daughter Nella (Helen). While staying at the supremely exclusive Grand Babylon Hotel, Nella asks for a steak and Bass beer for dinner, but the order is refused. To get her what she wants Racksole buys the entire hotel, for £400,000 "and a guinea" (so the previous owner can say that he haggled with the multi-millionaire businessman).Strange things are happening in the hotel. First, Racksole
notices the headwaiter, Jules, winking at his daughter's friend,
Reginald Dimmock, while they consume their expensive steak. He
dismisses the headwaiter. The next day Miss Spencer, the pretty,
efficient hotel clerk who has been employed there for years,
disappears. It appears that she just took her things and left, no one knows when or
where. And Prince Eugen, a prince regnant of Posen, who was to come to
the hotel and meet his youthful uncle Prince Aribert (he and the nephew are of the
same age), never turns up. Then the body of Dimmock, who was an equerry to the princes, come ahead to
prepare for their visit, is found. He was obviously
poisoned. And soon after, Dimmock's body disappears.
The same evening the hotel is having a ball in the Gold Room, hosted by
a Mr and Mrs Sampson Levi. There is a special secret window though
which one can observe the room and the guests. Racksole
looks out of it and sees among the guests the dismissed headwaiter,
Jules. Racksole runs out to confront him and throw him out, but can't
find him. He comes back to the secret window to find Jules,
staring intensely into the ball room. Racksole orders him out of the
hotel for the second time.
Prince Aribert, who met Nella in Paris while he was travelling incognito under the
name of Count Steenbock, confides the whole story to her. He tells her
that Prince Eugen never arrived, and no one knows where he is. He was
last seen at Ostend. His Majesty the Emperor sent a telegram to
Aribert, requesting the whereabouts of Eugen. Aribert, who does not
know whether there might be a secret love affair, or an abduction, is facing a
dilemma. At last he decides to go to Berlin and state the facts to the
Emperor. Nella promises him help and support in London.
After the departure of Aribert, an old lady signs into the hotel under
the name of 'Baroness Zerlinski'. Some chance remarks about hotel
rooms convinced Nella, who was substituting for the hotel clerk, that it was, in fact
Miss Spenser in disguise. When she finds out that Miss Spenser
suddenly checks out and departs for Ostend, Nella too
goes to Ostend, leaving a short message for her father as to her
whereabouts.
In Ostend, Nella follows Miss Spenser into a house, and
tries to find out what's going on, threatening the latter with a
revolver. Miss Spenser says that she was
under orders of Jules, the headwaiter, whose real name is Tom Jackson
and who is, she claims, her husband. She says that Jackson/Jules
quarrelled with Dimmock and that he had some "money business" with
Prince Eugen. She admits that the Prince was a captive in that same
house, and she looked after him. He was abducted to prevent him
arriving to London, for it would have "upset the scheme". Then Miss
Spenser fakes a faint, and Nella, who comes nearer to see if she can
help her, is overpowered. Nella loses consciousness.