The door opened, and Nella entered. There were tears in her eyes. ‘Oh! Dad,’ she exclaimed, ‘I’ve only just heard you were in the hotel. We looked for you everywhere. Come at once, Prince Eugen is dying--’ Then she saw the man sitting on the bed, and stopped. Later, when Jules was alone again, he remarked to himself, ‘I may get that hundred thousand.’ Chapter Twenty-Eight THE STATE BEDROOM ONCE MORE WHEN, immediately after the episode of the bottle of Romanée-Conti in the State dining-room, Prince Aribert and old Hans found that Prince Eugen had sunk in an unconscious heap over his chair, both the former thought, at the first instant, that Eugen must have already tasted the poisoned wine. But a moment’s reflection showed that this was not possible. If the Hereditary Prince of Posen was dying or dead, his condition was due to some other agency than the Romanée-Conti. Aribert bent over him, and a powerful odour from the man’s lips at once disclosed the cause of the disaster: it was the odour of laudanum. Indeed, the smell of that sinister drug seemed now to float heavily over the whole table. Across Aribert’s mind there flashed then the true explanation. Prince Eugen, taking advantage of Aribert’s attention being momentarily diverted; and yielding to a sudden impulse of despair, had decided to poison himself, and had carried out his intention on the spot. The laudanum must have been already in his pocket, and this fact went to prove that the unfortunate Prince had previously contemplated such a proceeding, even after his definite promise. Aribert remembered now with painful vividness his nephew’s words: ‘I withdraw my promise. Observe that--I withdraw it.’ It must have been instantly after the utterance of that formal withdrawal that Eugen attempted to destroy himself. ‘It’s laudanum, Hans,’ Aribert exclaimed, rather helplessly. ‘Surely his Highness has not taken poison?’ said Hans. ‘It is impossible!’ ‘I fear it is only too possible,’ said the other. ‘It’s laudanum. What are we to do? Quick, man!’ ‘His Highness must be roused, Prince. He must have an emetic. We had better carry him to the bedroom.’ They did, and laid him on the great bed; and then Aribert mixed an emetic of mustard and water, and administered it, but without any effect. The sufferer lay motionless, with every muscle relaxed. His skin was ice-cold to the touch, and the eyelids, half-drawn, showed that the pupils were painfully contracted. ‘Go out, and send for a doctor, Hans. Say that Prince Eugen has been suddenly taken ill, but that it isn’t serious. The truth must never be known.’ ‘He must be roused, sire,’ Hans said again, as he hurried from the room.