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The Grand Babylon Hotel · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Grand Babylon Hotel by Arnold Bennett.

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  1. Chapter 1

    I: The Millionaire and the Waiter

    Theodore Racksole, a wealthy American millionaire, arrives at the Grand Babylon Hotel and orders an 'Angel Kiss,' a drink unfamiliar to the head waiter Jules, causing tension. Jules and Miss Spencer discuss Racksole and his daughter Nella, who is staying in room 111. The chapter establishes the hotel's exclusive, anti-American atmosphere and introduces key staff and the Racksoles.

  2. Chapter 2

    How Mr. Racksole Obtained His Dinner

    Theodore Racksole, a wealthy American millionaire, impulsively purchases the Grand Babylon Hotel after being denied a steak and Bass by the waiter Jules. He negotiates directly with owner Félix Babylon, signs a contract, and retains the chef Rocco at a higher salary. Later, he dines with his daughter Nella and her friend Reginald Dimmock, revealing his acquisition.

  3. Chapter 3

    At Three A.M.

    Nella Racksole and Reginald Dimmock dine together on the terrace, discussing European royalty and the impending arrival of the Grand Duke of Posen. Meanwhile, Theodore Racksole meets with Félix Babylon to learn hotel management, and later, while exploring the hotel at night, he spies Jules acting suspiciously outside a door marked with a white ribbon.

  4. Chapter 4

    Entrance of the Prince

    Theodore Racksole deals with the aftermath of his impulsive purchase of the Grand Babylon Hotel. He dismisses the head waiter Jules after confronting him about suspicious behavior, and learns that Miss Spencer has vanished. Later, his daughter Nella takes over Miss Spencer's position at the hotel bureau, and Prince Aribert of Posen arrives, revealing that Nella knows his secret identity.

  5. Chapter 5

    V: What Occurred to Reginald Dimmock

    Prince Aribert arrives at the Grand Babylon Hotel and meets Nella and Theodore Racksole. During a private conversation with Nella, he reveals his secret identity as Count Steenbock from their Paris meeting. Their talk is interrupted when Reginald Dimmock's body is brought in on a stretcher, having collapsed and died suddenly. The doctor later declares it is not heart disease, hinting at unusual symptoms.

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  1. Chapter 6In the Gold Room
  2. Chapter 7Nella and the Prince
  3. Chapter 8Arrival and Departure of the Baroness
  4. Chapter 9Two Women and the Revolver
  5. Chapter 10At Sea
  6. Chapter 11The Court Pawnbroker
  7. Chapter 12Rocco and Room No. 111
  8. Chapter 13In the State Bedroom
  9. Chapter 14XIV: Rocco Answers Some Questions
  10. Chapter 15End of the Yacht Adventure
  11. Chapter 16The Woman with the Red Hat
  12. Chapter 17The Release of Prince Eugen
  13. Chapter 18XVIII: In the Nighttime
  14. Chapter 19XIX: Royalty at the Grand Babylon
  15. Chapter 20Mr. Sampson Levi Bids Prince Eugen Good Morning
  16. Chapter 21The Return of Félix Babylon
  17. Chapter 22In the Wine Cellars of the Grand Babylon
  18. Chapter 23Further Events in the Cellar
  19. Chapter 24The Bottle of Wine
  20. Chapter 25The Steam Launch
  21. Chapter 26The Night Chase and the Mudlark
  22. Chapter 27The Confession of Mr. Tom Jackson
  23. Chapter 28XXVIII: The State Bedroom Once More
  24. Chapter 29XXIX: Theodore Is Called to the Rescue
  25. Chapter 30XXX: Conclusion