The Grand Babylon Hotel · Chapter
XXVIII: The State Bedroom Once More explained
Prince Eugen has taken laudanum in a suicide attempt.
What happens
Prince Eugen has taken laudanum in a suicide attempt. Prince Aribert and old Hans discover him unconscious and struggle to revive him. A doctor is called, and Nella Racksole assists as a nurse. Despite initial failure of emetics, Eugen regains consciousness but insists he is dying. He confesses his despair over debts and disgrace, and urges Aribert to keep his suicide secret. Meanwhile, Theodore Racksole returns to the hotel having captured Jules, and Nella believes her father can still save Eugen.
Themes in this chapter
Mystery and Intrigue
The suicide attempt is kept secret from the hotel and the public, and the plot against Eugen remains partially unexplained.
Royalty and Aristocracy
Eugen's despair over debts and disgrace highlights the pressures of royal life, while Aribert contemplates the burdens of monarchy.
Father-Daughter Relationship
Nella's faith in her father's ability to save Eugen underscores their bond and mutual trust.
Characters to notice
- Prince Aribert
Discovers Eugen's suicide attempt, tries to revive him, and struggles with his own hopes for a life with Nella.
- Prince Eugen
Takes laudanum in despair over debts and disgrace; regains consciousness but insists he is dying.
- Nella Racksole
Assists as a nurse during Eugen's crisis and later seeks her father's help to save Eugen.
- Hans
Helps carry Eugen to bed, fetches the doctor, and later reports Racksole's return with Jules.
- Theodore Racksole
Returns to the hotel having captured Jules; Nella believes he can save Eugen.
- Jules
Captured by Theodore Racksole; his arrival is reported by Hans.
Key passages
“It must have been instantly after the utterance of that formal withdrawal that Eugen attempted to destroy himself.”
Eugen tried to kill himself right after he took back his promise.
Aribert realizes the timing of the suicide attempt.
“The world went on as usual, it appeared. It was an absurd world.”
Life outside continued normally, which struck Aribert as ridiculous.
Aribert's reflection on the indifference of the world to personal tragedy.
“I die because I wish to die. It is bound to be so.”
Eugen insists he is dying by his own choice and that it is inevitable.
Eugen's fatalistic acceptance of his death.