The identity of the gray-haired "willowy woman" Count Rostov sees at the end of A Gentleman in Moscow is left ambiguous. The willowy woman on the last page of A Gentleman in Moscow is Count Rostov's girlfriend, Anna. READ ALSO: 15 empowering books for young black women to read in 2021, Tuko.co.ke published the list of 15 empowering books for young Black women. Towles's approach in A Gentleman in Moscow was described as a "gorgeous sleight of hand" by The New York Times: What saves the book is the gorgeous sleight of hand that draws it to a satisfying end, and the way he chooses themes that run deeper than mere sociopolitical commentary: parental duty, friendship, romance, the call of home. The unnamed Kremlin official that decides to "round up the usual suspects" has apparently decided to overlook him, and we are led to believe that he plans to live out a quiet life in the Russian countryside with Anna rather than live the life of an exile in Paris. Her potential manifests itself during games of hide-and-seek that she wins in record time. Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? (Image credit: Paula Lobo/ABC via Getty Images). "I'll tell you what is convenient," he said after a moment. 'A Gentleman in Moscow' tells the story of Count Alexander Rostov, who is sentenced to live out the rest of his life on "house arrest" in the Metropol hotel, following his "conviction" by a Bolshevik tribunal. Initially, the Count covers his living expenses using a stash of gold coins hidden in a large desk he kept with him. At that moment, it somehow seemed to the Count that no one was out of place; that every little thing happening was part of some master plan; and that within the context of that plan, he was meant to sit in the chair between the potted palms and wait. Its an amazing, wonderful story and I am very excited to get to play such a fabulous role, says Ewan McGregor, who is also serves as. She finally sees the negative effects of communism and how millions of people are starving. It is possible Rostov feigned his lost passport in order to evade identification by the ruthless KGB. Nina, the daughter of a Ukrainian bureaucrat staying at the hotel, has somehow obtained a passkey that provides access to all the Metropols rooms and hidden spaces. He was raised on his Rostov family's estate "Idlehour" in Nizhny Novgorod. Apotheosis; Afterword: Afterwards . In the end, a parent's responsibility could not be more simple: To bring a child safely into adulthood so that she could have a chance to experience a life of purpose and, God willing, contentment. (including. A Gentleman in Moscow immerses us in another elegantly drawn era with the story of Count Alexander Rostov. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. A Gentleman in Moscow is written by Amor Towles, and it tells the story of Count Alexander Rostov, who is a Russian aristocrat. Mishka was able to visit the Count once after completing his eight-year sentence, but now he is dead. Thankfully for him, he is spared a death sentence, and instead gets imprisoned in the attic of the luxurious Metropol, an opulent hotel which is located on the opposite side of the street from the Kremlin. New York Times best-selling author Amor Towles. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Instead, the men spend the next hour catching up. He responds that he is awake now. After years of luxury, Rostov must see out his days in an attic room in the opulent Hotel Metropol, opposite the Kremlin. There are so many questions that linger in the mind of the readers at the end of the novel, and it is essential that the ending of the novel must be explained. This really was a special book, one which at times felt almost magical. Mishka is a poet and Alexanders best friend. Other members of the crew besides Miller include Ben Vanstone ("The Last Kingdom") who will serve as a writer, executive producer, and showrunner. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. Instant PDF downloads. Around and About; An Assembly; Archaeologies; & Advent, 1923 / An Actress, an Apparition, an Apiary; Addendum; & 1924 / Anonymity, 1930; Arachnes Art; & An Afternoon Assignation, An Alliance; Absinthe; Addendum; 1938 / An Arrival; & Adjustments, Ascending, Alighting; Addendum; 1946; Antics; Antitheses; an Accident; & Addendum, 1952 / America & 1953 / Apostles and Apostates, 1954 / Applause and Acclaim; Achilles Agonistes; Arrivederci; & Adulthood, An Announcement; Anecdotes; An Association; & Antagonists at Arms (And an Absolution). On the contrary, his life in bondage was quite rich and purposeful. A Gentleman In Moscow on Paramount Plus and Showtime brings Amor Towles bestseller to life. (full context) On June 23, Andrey is riding the bus after paying a visit to Sofia. Though this is not a fantasy novel, it reminded me of C.S. Having worked as an investment professional in Manhattan for over twenty years, he now devotes himself fulltime to writing. Because Russia is NOT free, and as Towles is writing from the future, he knows that is will NOT be free for many many years to come. Who is the "willowy woman waited" on the last page of A Gentleman in Moscow? Count is pacing in his room for what has seemed an interminable amount of time. If you are the kind of person who loves expanding your intellect, then the novel "A Gentleman in Moscow" is a must-read. The Count, for his part, becomes the informal tutor of a government official named Osip Glebnikov, who wants to learndiscreetlyabout the values and culture of the West. On the last page of A Gentleman of Moscow, Count Rostow sees the "willowy woman" in a tavern. This metaphor was widely used from the middle of the nineteenth century onwardfor instance in the poem Krl Lvra (King Lear) by Czech poet Karel Havlek Borovsk. She asks Alexander to take care of her as she goes to Siberia to save her husband. Free trial is available to new customers only. He initially supports the incoming government, but he soon realizes the negative effects it has on many things including his art form of poetry. I'm a huge fan of television so I really have found the perfect job, as I've been writing about TV shows, films and interviewing major television, film and sports stars for over 25 years. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. Alexander becomes like a father to Sofia, and they build a special bond. Log in here. No trailer for A Gentleman In Moscow has been released yet, but as soon as there is we will post it on this page. Count was sentenced to a house arrest for being associated with a poem which had revolutionary overtones even though he was not the one who composed it. You will receive a verification email shortly. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! thissection. The author, Amor Towles, has previously described her person, hair, and writing as willowy nearly a dozen times throughout the book. That decade he also starred in Shallow Grave and Brassed Off. I would have loved to have met him! Probably the best book I've read over the last decade. In 1938, an unexpected arrival changes the Count's circumstances. TV Content Director on TV Times, What's On TV and TV & Satellite Week. Alexander has a sort of epiphany that his life was always meant to lead to where he was, as a father to Sofia. Sofia never came back to the hotel, nor did she communicate with Count even though she had promised to come back for her daughter after finding a good job and a better place to live. The above explanation of the ending of the novel addresses some of these questions to help the reader understand the story better. A Gentleman In Moscow sees British star Ewan McGregor slipping into the well-heeled shoes of Count Alexander Rostov for new series coming to Paramount Plus and Showtime in 2023. McGregor recently reprised his role as Obi-Wan in the Disney+ mini-series "Obi-Wan Kenobi". 2.25 stars: LibraryCin: 16 30: Aug 30, 2022 11:55PM He then tells. He has also received three Emmy nominations for Luther and for I May Destroy You. However, Count stated in the novel that he never saw Nina again, and this message was clear to the end. There are so many questions that remain answered at this point, and we shall attempt to address some of them. 10 A Gentleman in Moscow Book Club Questions. Book 2, 1923, An Actress, an Apparition, an Apiary, Book 5, Antagonists at Arms (And an Absolution). Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. She confides that her husband Leo was arrested and sentenced to five years of forced labor by the Gulag. In the end, a parent's responsibility could not be more simple: To bring a child safely into adulthood so that she could have a chance to experience a life of purpose and, God willing, contentment. Later Edit: I thought about deleting my confession because I received a few complains saying I got too personal. Such deliberate ambiguity makes us think about what we're reading without having to be spoon-fed all the relevant details. She has an intimate relationship with Alexander. Well, since the day I was born, Sofia, there was only one time when Life needed me to be in a particular place at a particular time, and that was when your mother brought you to the lobby of the Metropol. According to British author J.K. Rowling, something magical can happen when you read a book. For over 40 years, the Count has to live through some of the most turbulent times in Russian history from a place where he is unable to do anything or even realize the full impact of the events that are happening in his country. Knowledgeable about food, and skilled in dealing with people, the Count becomes the headwaiter within four years. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. A Gentleman in Moscow is one of the impressing novels that I have ever come across. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. He tells the Count that, a car waiting to return him to the hotel. Well, the woman at the end of the novel is Anna, the girlfriend of Count. * Paramount Plus price: cost, deals and content for the streaming service. He is unrepentant, and eloquently refuses to confess. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. The protagonist is the fictional Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on 24 October 1889. "A Gentleman in Moscow" will debut in 2023 on Paramount+ in the United Kingdom and other international markets where the streamer is available. from Oxford University Ph.D. from St. Andrews University. There's fantastical romance, politics, espionage, parenthood, and poetry. A Gentleman in Moscow is a 2016 novel by Amor Towles. Nina Kulikova, now a married woman, visits the Count. As time goes on, the Count cultivates a social circle of friends from his youth as well as selected residents, staff, and customers of the Hotel and its restaurants. Amor Towles (Goodreads Author) . His razor-sharp analyseswhich cut through the noise of the 24/7 news cycle, like a Japanese steak knife through a leather bootwill be dearly missed during these increasingly precarious and turbulent times. At the same time as the Count descends to the lobby, realizes quickly that it is not a young man at all, but is in fact, evening. You are already subscribed to our newsletter! Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs stairwell, he bumps into Anna. In the end, Towles's greatest narrative effect is not the moments of wonder and synchronicity but the free transformation of these peripheral workers, over decades, into confidants, equals, and, finally, friends. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." According to Variety, Harper made a statement which reads: "The book is a rare and delicious treat and I fell in love with it the moment I picked it up six years ago. There was a tug of war between my rational mind and emotional mind when I read this book. Other titles that Paramount has commissioned for this upcoming slate of originals include "Murder of God's Banker," "The Chemistry of Death," "One Must Die," "Los Enviados" ("The Envoys"), "A Thin Line," "Marie Antoinette Serial Killer," "At Midnight," "The Signal," "Impact," and many more. What happened to Nina: Nolan: 1 35: Sep 08, 2022 06:09AM Play Book Tag: [+WPF] A Gentleman in Moscow / Amor Towles. Eventually, the Count and Osip move from books to films, and soon after are trading opinions about Humphrey Bogart movies. The way the content is organized. Count developed a relationship with the famous Russian actress by the name Anna, who was working in the Metropol hotel. an American aide-de-camp of a general who stays in the Metropol in the mid-1940s. The suicidal idea was changed by the hotel's handyman, Abram, who shared with him about the honey that the bees that he kept on the roof had made. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% She is one of the people who give . Refine any search. Even so, the release window for the series is not that far off. What to Watch is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 'A Gentleman in Moscow' offers a chance to sink back into a lost attitude of aristocracy equal parts urbane and humane just what we might expect from the author of that 2011 bestseller "Rules of Civility." "[1] The Rostov siblings are aristocrats, making social visits to nearby estates by horse-drawn troika or sleigh. More books than SparkNotes. This one will almost certainly be in my top five reads for 2017. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. The novel starts with Alexander being taken to the Metropol after being sentenced to house arrest. On the face of it, it may seem strange that Anna and the count would not take the chance to get out of the country and evade the clutches of a repressive regime. The Count tells Richard about. His crime? The actor is currently filming " A Gentleman in Moscow " in Bolton, U.K., which has been transformed into snowy Soviet Russia. Read others reviews of this book for I cannot do it justice, but I will say I just loved it, loved the Count and his interactions with everyone, especially Nina, and later Sophia. Instant PDF downloads. Due to his diminished circumstances and restricted freedom, the Count has time for self-reflection. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Already a member? The Count is moved into tiny quarters, on a floor once reserved for servants, but after that he is left largely alone. In fact, there is literally a secret passage in the back of a wardrobe, which Rostov uses to good effect. It's usually a lot of fun, but it can get us in trouble when one of us is further along than the otherwhich recently happened when we were both reading A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.. At one point, I got teary-eyed because one of the characters gets hurt and must go to the hospital. The book was optioned by Lionsgate to be made into a feature film and its French translation received the 2012 Prix Fitzgerald. September 19, 2016. The "willowy woman with the graying hair" is the actress Anna, his girlfriend. and the Count states that Emile has outdone himself, once again hoping to change subjects. However, the ending of this novel leaves most of the readers in suspense because there are so many unanswered questions. Im not sure why I picked up this book. She leaves Sofia with Alexander, never to return. He watched, (the round-faced Minister of Culture). Get help and learn more about the design. " A Gentleman in Moscow is an amazing story because it manages to be a little bit of everything. His other movies have included Moulin Rouge!, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, A Life Less Ordinary, Little Voice and Black Hawk Down and he plays the iconic role of Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi in three Star Wars prequels plus the recent Disney Plus spin-off series. Please refresh the page and try again. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. . After you claim a section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft. The series is part of a slate of 150 international titles that Paramount+ intends to release by 2025 (via The Hollywood Reporter). I previously worked on Woman and Woman's Own in the 1990s. How can our friend the Count possibly have a happy ending? Collectively, these clues suggest that Count Rostov and Anna, unable to fully relinquish their homeland, have decided to hide out in rural Russia and take on new identities. "To sleep until noon and have someone bring you your breakfast on a tray. Play Book Tag: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles - 4 Stars: Diana H. 3 25: Mar 20, 2022 07:49AM Espionage Aficion. Refine any search. It troubles the Count that whereas Nina was once interested in princesses, she is increasingly caught up in the enthusiasms of the bureaucrats and union bosses they listen in on. A Gentleman in Moscow (Hardcover) by. The day after his failed suicide attempt, the Count asks the Metropols matre d for a job as a waiter. Interestingly, he's played in a series of projects with his real-life partner, Mary Elizabeth Winstead those being Season 3 of "Fargo" and "Birds of Prey." executive producer on the series. However, I thought better and the review stays because i want it to be a warning that this social platform, which should be a place to share our opinion of books with each other in a friendly manner sometimes becomes a stress factor. The A Gentleman in Moscow Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. Peter (on semi hiatus and trying to catch up), Margaret M - Hiatus - I will respond when I can. Mishka later returns to Moscow and later dies. [A Gentleman in Moscow] is laced with sparkling threads (they will tie up) and tokens (they will matter): special keys, secret compartments, gold coins, vials of coveted liquid, old-fashioned pistols, duels and scars, hidden assignations (discreet and smoky), stolen passports, a ruby necklace, mysterious letters on elegant hotel stationery . While the Count and Anna have chosen to stay in Russia rather than live as exiles away from their beloved homeland, they are choosing to do so knowing that political persecution is still completely possible. Looking back, it seems to me that there are people who play an essential role at every turn [] as if Life itself has summoned them once again to help fulfill its purpose. It allows the reader the opportunity to examine the world through different eyes. Using this premise, Amor Towles has woven prose to create an enchanting story that makes up the Count's changed course of existence. But if Towles's story is an escape we crave, it is also, ironically, a story of imprisonment. But the state of Russia is irrelevant to the inner freedom of a man. There was a problem. A historical novel set in Moscow from 1918 through the 1950s, it follows Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, a cultured and well-educated Russian nobleman who rushes back to his country in the early days of the Revolution, only to narrowly escape the firing squad and get sentenced to life imprisonment within his hotel, the Metropol. In fact, he made many friends and led a purposeful life there, hence the title "A Gentleman in Moscow". "[6] At Book Marks, a review aggregator website, the novel received a cumulative "Positive" rating based on 11 reviews: 3 "Rave", 5 "Positive", and 3 "Mixed". After days of walking, the Count returns to the site where his family estate once stood. The relationship between Anna and Alexander is very strong. There is a pressure to like some books because everybody does and you don't want to be the odd one out or you might feel reluctant to share your true feelings because some fanatics will attack you. You can view our. [13], In April 2018, it was announced that Kenneth Branagh would star as Count Rostov in the television series, and that Tom Harper would direct it. Towles is a consummate storyteller. [12], In August 2017, it was reported that a limited series based on the book was in development at Entertainment One. She says that he has taken a personal interest in. Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the 2022 Disney Plus series. For the next thirty-two years, the luxury of the Metropol will remain largely preserved, as a place for the new regimes elite to enjoy the privileges once reserved for the old elite, and also as a place where foreign journalists and dignitaries can be entertained and simultaneously spied on. The blue cap of the bellhop is handed from one boy to the next, a dress as yellow as a canary is stowed in a trunk, a little red guidebook is updated with the new names of streets, and through Emiles swinging door walks Count Alexander Ilyich Rostovwith the white dinner jacket of the Boyarsky draped across his arm. In the tumultuous U.S.S.R., almost no one is safe. He is worried about Mishkas battle with the editor, about, The narrator states that the Count is also probably right to worry about, also thinks about how he had presumed that she would be a dark-haired version of, she conveys so much heartache in her playing; Sofia tells him that she thinks of, The Count then tells another story about the Christmas that he celebrated with, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. When, in 1922, he is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the count is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. The next summer, another female presence comes into the Counts life: Anna Urbanova, a famous actress. Continue to start your free trial. How delightful that in an era as crude as ours this finely composed new novel by Amor Towles stretches out with old-World elegance. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Nina Kulikova appears in, Count then notices a young girl in a yellow dress (who is later introduced as. The Count is charged as a social parasite before a Bolshevik tribunal, with the expectation that he will be found guilty and shot. They congratulate, Frinovsky explains that he is the director of the Red October Youth Orchestra. The English director has quite a few TV titles under his belt, having directed all 12 episodes of "I May Destroy you" (for which he received the BAFTA). For if a room that exists under the governance, authority, and intent of others seems smaller than it is, then a room that exists in secret can, regardless of its dimensions, seem as vast as one cares to imagine. Occasionally beautiful, but for the most part pretentious and very, very dull. In the 1950s, Richard starts to gather intelligence on Russian politics, and asks for the Count's help in doing so. So heres all you need to know about A Gentleman In Moscow A Gentleman In Moscow will launch on Paramount Plus in the UK and Showtime in the US in 2023. Even though Count was imprisoned during the onset of Communism; he could see the changes in the government operations that reflected the hotels' operations. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Chteauneuf-du-Pape is especially key to the storyline.[4]. Ever since its opening in 1905, the hotels suites and restaurants had been a gathering spot for the glamorous, influential, and erudite; but the effortless elegance on display would not have existed without the services of the lower floor. It just sort of found its way into my hands. As a farewell gift, she gives him her passkey. Summarily taken from the suite he had inhabited for four years, he is brought to the attic and given one of the storage rooms as his new home. Teachers and parents! Feb 28. He was found guilty of being the author of seditious poetry. Bath It became known in November 2022 that BAFTA Award-winner Sam Miller will be sitting on the director's chair for "A Gentleman in Moscow," in addition to executive producing (per The Hollywood Reporter). LitCharts Teacher Editions. His second novel, A Gentleman in Moscow, published in 2016, was also a New York Times bestseller and was ranked as one of the best books of 2016 by the Chicago Tribune, the Miami Herald, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the St. Louis Dispatch, and NPR. Hes not an aristocrat like Alexander, but they share the same values and ideas. 'It instantly felt like I had known him for years': Nina Agdal flaunts her incredible figure as she reveals intimate details of how her and new boyfriend Logan Paul met In 1930, the Count runs into Nina as she and three other members of the Young Communist League are about to travel east to help collectivize farms. Nina's absence suggests that she met an unfortunate fate during Stalin's period of control over Russia. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. In the novel, Count did not give up while he was under house arrest. The Count answers all questions light-heartedly. The Count takes, The next morning, the Count is unsettled by the fact that, When the clock strikes noon, the Count suggests that he and, to the Boyarsky meeting, trying to think up a long-term solution regarding who can watch, Boyarsky and stacks them on top of his mattress to make a second bunk for, The Count returns to Marinas office, discovering that, At eleven oclock the Count starts to run back to Marinas office to pick up, the work. July, while the Count is sitting in the lobby with nothing to do, he notices, inner workings of the hotel. He says that he is, On June 16, the Count lays out everything, is Montaignes belief that constant cheerfulness is the surest sign of wisdom. Nina sets out to find her husband. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. He returns to the lobby and asks Vasily about, hiring inexperienced waiters at the Boyarsky has continued, Marina now has a junior seamstress, and, The Count realizes that the young woman is, As the Count sews, he mentions to Marina that he ran into, He thinks about the day he has had, and how Marina had been right about. There's fantastical romance, politics, espionage, parenthood, and poetry. In A Gentleman in Moscow, the counts life under house arrest is greatly influenced by his relationship with Nina, Marina, Anna, and Sofia. The novel's protagonist, guardian of Sofia, grandson of Grand Duke Demidov and Countess, and brother of Helena. Richard read analysis of Richard Vanderwhile Abram a handyman in the Metropol who also keeps bees on the roof. knows that he would have agreed to it no matter what, because his friendship with, of worries keeps him awake. On the tenth anniversary of his beloved sisters death, he prepares to jump off the hotel roof. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, https://www.enotes.com/topics/gentleman-moscow. They become close. Rostov's godfather was his father's comrade in the cavalry, Grand Duke Demidov. Magical, in fact. This means, among other things, that when he describes the willowy woman at the end of A Gentleman in Moscow, he is careful not to spell out her identity. Complete your free account to request a guide. Demidov counseled him to be strong for his sister Helena, because "adversity presents itself in many forms, and if a man does not master his circumstances, then he is bound to be mastered by them. She surprises the Count by playing a Chopin nocturne (Opus 9, number 2, in E-flat major) after only a few lessons. He tells her that he cant believe that she and, again. Other clues in the scene suggest that Count Rostov has fled home in Russia at his family's residence to stay, at least momentarily, with his grandmother. [9] It was also an International Dublin Literary Award nominee (2018 longlist). Ewan McGregor Continues With Filming Of His Latest Project ' A . Harper (War and Peace, Peaky Blinders) also executive produces with Xavier Marchand (Nautilus, Mrs Harris Goes to Paris), Ewan McGregor, and the novels writer, New York Times best-selling author Amor Towles (opens in new tab). This is how I felt when I turned the last page of, Melinda and I sometimes read the same book at the same time. Alexander later reveals that Mishka was the one who wrote the propaganda material which he was imprisoned for. Only a handymans coincidental, timely interruption stops him. A Gentleman In Moscow plot. Sofia grew up well under the care of Count and became a talented pianist. The word "willowy" most obviously refers to Anna's figure, but there is also an expression in Central and Eastern Europe (of which someone from Count Rostov's background would almost certainly have been aware): a hollow willow is one in whom secrets may be confided. As a young man, the Count was sent out of the country (as was the custom at the time) by his grandmother for wounding Helena's suitor, a cad who broke her heart. All through the years, they maintain their love for one another. The Count is an aristocrat sentenced to a lifetime confinement in the Metropol Hotel by a Bolshevik tribunal, spared only because the poem Where Is It Now? We are thrilled that Amor entrusted this brilliant team with bringing the Metropol to life and couldn't be more delighted that Ewan will be playing the Count. Paramount+ was made available in the UK and Ireland on June 2022, in September in Italy, and, come December, it will also expand to Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and France. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. In most of her film roles, she acts as an elite in society. eNotes Editorial, 7 Jan. 2021, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/who-is-the-willowy-woman-on-the-last-page-of-a-1589274. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. The Bishop, by now the manager of the entire hotel, surprises the Count at a critical moment, but the Count is able to turn the tables.