CHAPTERIINWHICHPHILEASFOGGANDPASSEPARTOUTACCEPTEACHOTHER,THEONEASMASTER,THEOTHERASMAN。
MrPhileasFogglived,in1872,atNo。7,SavilleRow,BurlingtonGardens,thehouseinwhichSheridandiedin1814。HewasoneofthemostnoticeablemembersoftheReformClub,thoughheseemedalwaystoavoidattractingattention;anenigmaticalpersonage,aboutwhomlittlewasknown,exceptthathewasapolishedmanoftheworld。PeoplesaidthatheresembledByron,-atleastthathisheadwasByronic;buthewasabearded,tranquilByron,whomightliveonathousandyearswithoutgrowingold。
CertainlyanEnglishman,itwasmoredoubtfulwhetherPhileasFoggwasaLondoner。Hewasneverseenon`Change,norattheBank,norinthecounting-roomsofthe`City';noshipsevercameintoLondondocksofwhichhewastheowner;hehadnopublicemployment;hehadneverbeenenteredatanyoftheInnsofCourt,eitherattheTemple,orLincoln'sInn,orGray'sInn;
norhadhisvoiceeverresoundedintheCourtofChancery,orintheExchequer,ortheQueen'sBench,ortheEcclesiasticalCourts。Hecertainlywasnotamanufacturer;norwasheamerchantoragentlemanfarmer。Hisnamewasstrangetothescientificandlearnedsocieties,andheneverwasknowntotakepartinthesagedeliberationsoftheRoyalInstitutionortheLondonInstitution,theArtisan'sAssociationortheInstitutionofArtsandSciences。Hebelonged,infact,tononeofthenumeroussocietieswhichswarmintheEnglishcapital,fromtheHarmonictothatoftheEntomologists,foundedmainlyforthepurposeofabolishingperniciousinsects。
PhileasFoggwasamemberoftheReform,andthatwasall。
Thewayinwhichhegotadmissiontothisexclusiveclubwassimpleenough。
HewasrecommendedbytheBarings,withwhomhehadanopencredit。
Hischequeswereregularlypaidatsightfromhisaccountcurrent,whichwasalwaysflush。
WasPhileasFoggrich?Undoubtedly。Butthosewhoknewhimbestcouldnotimaginehowhehadmadehisfortune,andMrFoggwasthelastpersontowhomtoapplyfortheinformation。Hewasnotlavish,nor,onthecontrary,avaricious;forwheneverheknewthatmoneywasneededforanoble,useful,orbenevolentpurpose,hesupplieditquietlyandsometimesanonymously。
Hewas,inshort,theleastcommunicativeofmen。Hetalkedverylittleandseemedallthemoremysteriousforhistaciturnmanner。Hisdailyhabitswerequiteopentoobservation;butwhateverhedidwassoexactlythesamethingthathehadalwaysdonebefore,thatthewitsofthecuriouswerefairlypuzzled。
Hadhetravelled?Itwaslikely,fornooneseemedtoknowtheworldmorefamiliarly;therewasnospotsosecludedthathedidnotappeartohaveanintimateacquaintancewithit。Heoftencorrected,withafewclearwords,thethousandconjecturesadvancedbymembersoftheclubastolostandunheard-oftravellers,pointingoutthetrueprobabilities,andseemingasifgiftedwithasortofsecondsight,sooftendideventsjustifyhispredictions。Hemusthavetravelledeverywhere,atleastinthespirit。
ItwasatleastcertainthatPhileasFogghadnotabsentedhimselffromLondonformanyyears。Thosewhowerehonouredbyabetteracquaintancewithhimthantherest,declaredthatnobodycouldpretendtohaveeverseenhimanywhereelse。Hissolepastimeswerereadingthepapersandplayingwhist。Heoftenwonatthisgame,which,asasilentone,harmonizedwithhisnature;buthiswinningsneverwentintohispurse,beingreservedasafundforhischarities。MrFoggplayed,nottowin,butforthesakeofplaying。Thegamewasinhiseyesacontest,strugglewithadifficulty,yetamotionless,unwearyingstruggle,congenialtohistastes。
PhileasFoggwasnotknowntohaveeitherwifeorchildren,whichmayhappentothemosthonestpeople;eitherrelativesornearfriends,whichiscertainlymoreunusual。HelivedaloneinhishouseinSavilleRow,whithernonepenetrated。Asingledomesticsufficedtoservehim。Hebreakfastedanddinedattheclub,athoursmathematicallyfixed,inthesameroom,atthesametable,nevertakinghismealswithothermembers,muchlessbringingaguestwithhim;andwenthomeatexactlymidnight,onlytoretireatoncetobed。HeneverusedthecosychamberswhichtheReformprovidesforitsfavouredmembers。Hepassedtenhoursoutofthetwenty-fourinSavilleRow,eitherinsleepingormakinghistoilet。Whenhechosetotakeawalkitwaswitharegularstepintheentrancehallwithitsmosaicflooring,orinthecirculargallerywithitsdomesupportedbytwentyredporphyryIoniccolumns,andilluminedbybluepaintedwindows。Whenhebreakfastedordinedalltheresourcesoftheclub-itskitchensandpantries,itsbutteryanddairy-aidedtocrowdhistablewiththeirmostsucculentstores;hewasservedbythegravestwaiters,indresscoats,andshoeswithswan-skinsoles,whoprofferedtheviandsinspecialporcelain,andonthefinestlinen;clubdecanters,ofalostmould,containedhissherry,hisport,andhiscinnamon-spicedclaret;whilehisbeverageswererefreshinglycooledwithice,broughtatgreatcostfromtheAmericanlakes。
Iftoliveinthisstyleistobeeccentric,itmustbeconfessedthatthereissomethinggoodineccentricity。
ThemansioninSavilleRow,thoughnotsumptuous,wasexceedinglycomfortable。
Thehabitsofitsoccupantweresuchastodemandbutlittlefromthesoledomestic,butPhileasFoggrequiredhimtobealmostsuperhumanlypromptandregular。Onthisvery2ndofOctoberhehaddismissedJamesForster,becausethatlucklessyouthhadbroughthimshaving-waterateighty-fourdegreesFahrenheitinsteadofeighty-six;andhewasawaitinghissuccessor,whowasdueatthehousebetweenelevenandhalf-past。
PhileasFoggwasseatedsquarelyinhisarmchair,hisfeetclosetogetherlikethoseofagrenadieronparade,hishandsrestingonhisknees,hisbodystraight,hisheaderect;hewassteadilywatchingacomplicatedclockwhichindicatedthehours,theminutes,theseconds,thedays,themonths,andtheyears。Atexactlyhalf-pastelevenMrFoggwould,accordingtohisdailyhabit,quitSavilleRow,andrepairtotheReform。
ArapatthismomentsoundedonthedoorofthecosyapartmentwherePhileasFoggwasseated,andJamesForster,thedismissedservant,appeared。
`Thenewservant,'saidhe。
Ayoungmanofthirtyadvancedandbowed。
`YouareaFrenchman,Ibelieve,'askedPhileasFogg,`andyournameisJohn?'
`Jean,ifmonsieurpleases,'repliedthenewcomer,`JeanPassepartout,asurnamewhichhasclungtomebecauseIhaveanaturalaptnessforgoingoutofonebusinessintoanother。IbelieveI'mhonest,monsieur,but,tobeoutspoken,I'vehadseveraltrades。I'vebeenanitinerantsinger,acircus-rider,whenIusedtovaultlikeLeotard,anddanceonaropelikeBlondin。ThenIgottobeaprofessorofgymnastics,soastomakebetteruseofmytalents;andthenIwasasergeantfiremanatParis,andassistedatmanyabigfire。ButIquittedFrancefiveyearsagoand,wishingtotastethesweetsofdomesticlife,tookserviceasavalethereinEngland。
Findingmyselfoutofplace,andhearingthatMonsieurPhileasFoggwasthemostexactandsettledgentlemanintheUnitedKingdom,Ihavecometomonsieurinthehopeoflivingwithhimatranquillife,andforgettingeventhenameofPassepartout。'
`Passepartoutsuitsme,'respondedMrFogg。`Youarewellrecommendedtome;Ihearagoodreportofyou。Youknowmyconditions?'
`Yes,monsieur。'
`Good。Whattimeisit?'
`Twenty-twominutesaftereleven,'returnedPassepartout,drawinganenormoussilverwatchfromthedepthsofhispocket。
`Youaretooslow,'saidMrFogg。
`Pardonme,monsieur,itisimpossible——'
`Youarefourminutestooslow。Nomatter;it'senoughtomentiontheerror。Nowfromthismoment,twenty-nineminutesaftereleven,a。m。,thisWednesday,October2nd,youareinmyservice。'
PhileasFogggotup,tookhishatinhislefthand,putitonhisheadwithanautomaticmotion,andwentoffwithoutaword。
Passepartoutheardthestreetdoorshutonce;itwashisnewmastergoingout。Hehearditshutagain;itwashispredecessor,JamesForster,departinginhisturn。PassepartoutremainedaloneinthehouseinSavilleRow。
CHAPTERIIINWHICHPASSEPARTOUTISCONVINCEDTHATHEHASATLASTFOUNDHISIDEAL。
`Faith,'mutteredPassepartout,somewhatflurried,`I'veseenpeopleatMadameTussaud'saslivelyasmynewmaster!'
MadameTussaud's`people,'letitbesaid,areofwax,andaremuchvisitedinLondon;speechisallthatiswantingtomakethemhuman。
DuringhisbriefinterviewwithMrFogg,Passepartouthadbeencarefullyobservinghim。Heappearedtobeamanaboutfortyyearsofage,withfine,handsomefeatures,andatall,well-shapedfigure;hishairandwhiskerswerelight,hisforeheadcompactandunwrinkled,hisfaceratherpale,histeethmagnificent。Hiscountenancepossessedinthehighestdegreewhatphysiognomistscall`reposeinaction,'aqualityofthosewhoactratherthantalk。Calmandphlegmatic,withacleareye,MrFoggseemedaperfecttypeofthatEnglishcomposurewhichAngelicaKauffmannhassoskilfullyrepresentedoncanvas。Seeninthevariousphasesofhisdailylife,hegavetheideaofbeingperfectlywell-balanced,asexactlyregulatedasaLeroychronometer。PhileasFoggwas,indeed,exactitudepersonified,andthiswasbetrayedevenintheexpressionofhisveryhandsandfeet;
forinmen,aswellasinanimals,thelimbsthemselvesareexpressiveofthepassions。
Hewassoexactthathewasneverinahurry,wasalwaysready,andwaseconomicalalikeofhisstepsandhismotions。Henevertookonesteptoomany,andalwayswenttohisdestinationbytheshortestcut;hemadenosuperfluousgestures,andwasneverseentobemovedoragitated。Hewasthemostdeliberatepersonintheworld,yetalwaysreachedhisdestinationattheexactmoment。
Helivedalone,andsotospeak,outsideofeverysocialrelation;andasheknewthatinthisworldaccountmustbetakenoffriction,andthatfrictionretards,heneverrubbedagainstanybody。
AsforPassepartout,hewasatrueParisianofParis。SincehehadabandonedhisowncountryforEngland,takingserviceasavalet,hehadinvainsearchedforamasterafterhisownheart。PassepartoutwasbynomeansoneofthosepertduncesdepictedbyMoliè;re,withaboldgazeandanoseheldhighintheair;hewasanhonestfellow,withapleasantface,lipsatrifleprotruding,soft-manneredandserviceable,withagoodroundhead,suchasonelikestoseeontheshouldersofafriend。Hiseyeswereblue,hiscomplexionrubicund,hisfigurealmostportlyandwell-built,hisbodymuscular,andhisphysicalpowersfullydevelopedbytheexercisesofhisyoungerdays。Hisbrownhairwassomewhattumbled;
forwhiletheancientsculptorsaresaidtohaveknowneighteenmethodsofarrangingMinerva'stresses,Passepartoutwasfamiliarwithbutoneofdressinghisown:threestrokesofalarge-toothcombcompletedhistoilet。
ItwouldberashtopredicthowPassepartout'slivelynaturewouldagreewithMrFogg。Itwasimpossibletotellwhetherthenewservantwouldturnoutasabsolutelymethodicalashismasterrequired;experiencealonecouldsolvethequestion。Passepartouthadbeenasortofvagrantinhisearlyyears,andnowyearnedforrepose;butsofarhehadfailedtofindit,thoughhehadalreadyservedintenEnglishhouses。Buthecouldnottakerootinanyofthese;withchagrinhefoundhismastersinvariablywhimsicalandirregular,constantlyrunningaboutthecountry,oronthelook-outforadventure。Hislastmaster,youngLordLongferry,MemberofParliament,afterpassinghisnightsintheHaymarkettaverns,wastoooftenbroughthomeinthemorningonpolicemen'sshoulders。Passepartout,desirousofrespectingthegentlemanwhomheserved,venturedamildremonstranceonsuchconduct;whichbeingill-received,hetookhisleave。HearingthatMrPhileasFoggwaslookingforaservant,andthathislifewasoneofunbrokenregularity,thatheneithertravellednorstayedfromhomeovernight,hefeltsurethatthiswouldbetheplacehewasafter。Hepresentedhimself,andwasaccepted,ashasbeenseen。
Athalf-pasteleven,then,PassepartoutfoundhimselfaloneinthehouseinSavilleRow。Hebeganitsinspectionwithoutdelay,scouringitfromcellartogarret。Soclean,well-arranged,solemnamansionpleasedhim;
itseemedtohimlikeasnail'sshell,lightedandwarmedbygas,whichsufficedforboththesepurposes。WhenPassepartoutreachedthesecondstoreyherecognizedatoncetheroomwhichhewastoinhabit,andhewaswellsatisfiedwithit。Electricbellsandspeakingtubesaffordedcommunicationwiththelowerstories;whileonthemantelstoodanelectricclock,preciselylikethatinMrFogg'sbedchamber,bothbeatingthesamesecondatthesameinstant。`That'sgood,that'lldo,'saidPassepartouttohimself。
Hesuddenlyobserved,hungovertheclock,acardwhich,uponinspection,provedtobeaprogrammeofthedailyroutineofthehouse。Itcomprisedallthatwasrequiredoftheservant,fromeightinthemorning,exactlyatwhichhourPhileasFoggrose,tillhalf-pasteleven,whenheleftthehousefortheReformClub,-allthedetailsofservice,theteaandtoastattwenty-threeminutespasteight,theshaving-wateratthirty-sevenminutespastnine,andthetoiletattwentyminutesbeforeten。Everythingwasregulatedandforeseenthatwastobedonefromhalf-pastelevena。m。tillmidnight,thehouratwhichthemethodicalgentlemanretired。
MrFogg'swardrobewasamplysuppliedandinthebesttaste。Eachpairoftrousers,coat,andvestboreanumber,indicatingthetimeofyearandseasonatwhichtheywereinturntobelaidoutforwearing;andthesamesystemwasappliedtothemaster'sshoes。Inshort,thehouseinSavilleRow,whichmusthavebeenaverytempleofdisorderandunrestundertheillustriousbutdissipatedSheridan,wascosiness,comfort,andmethodidealized。Therewasnostudy,norweretherebooks,whichwouldhavebeenquiteuselesstoMrFogg;forattheReformtwolibraries,oneofgeneralliteratureandtheotheroflawandpolitics,wereathisservice。Amoderatesizedsafestoodinhisbedroom,constructedsoastodefyfireaswellasburglars;butPassepartoutfoundneitherarmsnorhuntingweaponsanywhere;
everythingbetrayedthemosttranquilandpeaceablehabits。
Havingscrutinizedthehousefromtoptobottom,herubbedhishands,abroadsmileoverspreadhisfeatures,andhesaidjoyfully,`ThisisjustwhatIwanted!Ah,weshallgetontogether,MrFoggandI!Whatadomesticandregulargentleman!Arealmachine;well,Idon'tmindservingamachine。'
CHAPTERIIIINWHICHACONVERSATIONTAKESPLACEWHICHSEEMSLIKELYTOCOSTPHILEAS
FOGGDEAR。
PhileasFogg,havingshutthedoorofhishouseathalf-pasteleven,andhavingputhisrightfootbeforehisleftfivehundredandseventy-fivetimes,andhisleftfootbeforehisrightfivehundredandseventy-sixtimes,reachedtheReformClub,animposingedificeinPallMall,whichcouldnothavecostlessthanthreemillions。Herepairedatoncetothedining-room,theninewindowsofwhichopenuponatastefulgarden,wherethetreeswerealreadygildedwithanautumncolouring;andtookhisplaceatthehabitualtable,thecoverofwhichhadalreadybeenlaidforhim。
Hisbreakfastconsistedofaside-dish,abroiledfishwithReadingsauce,ascarletsliceofroastbeefgarnishedwithmushrooms,arhubarbandgooseberrytart,andamorselofCheshirecheese,thewholebeingwasheddownwithseveralcupsoftea,forwhichtheReformisfamous。Heroseatthirteenminutestoone,anddirectedhisstepstowardsthelargehall,asumptuousapartmentadornedwithlavishly-framedpaintings。AflunkeyhandedhimanuncutTimes,whichheproceededtocutwithaskillwhichbetrayedfamiliaritywiththisdelicateoperation。TheperusalofthispaperabsorbedPhileasFogguntilaquarterbeforefour,whilsttheStandard,hisnexttask,occupiedhimtillthedinnerhour。Dinnerpassedasbreakfasthaddone,andMrFoggreappearedinthereading-roomandsatdowntothePallMallattwentyminutesbeforesix。Half-an-hourlaterseveralmembersoftheReformcameinanddrewuptothefireplace,whereacoalfirewassteadilyburning。TheywereMrFogg'susualpartnersatwhist:
AndrewStuart,anengineer;JohnSullivanandSamuelFallentin,bankers;
ThomasFlanagan,abrewer;andGauthierRalph,oneoftheDirectorsoftheBankofEngland;-allrichandhighlyrespectablepersonages,eveninaclubwhichcomprisestheprincesofEnglishtradeandfinance。
`Well,Ralph,'saidThomasFlanagan,`whataboutthatrobbery?'
`Oh,'repliedStuart;`thebankwilllosethemoney。'
`Onthecontrary,'brokeinRalph,`Ihopewemayputourhandsontherobber。SkilfuldetectiveshavebeensenttoalltheprincipalportsofAmericaandtheContinent,andhe'llbeacleverfellowifheslipsthroughtheirfingers。'
`Buthaveyougottherobber'sdescription?'askedStuart。
`Inthefirstplaceheisnorobberatall,'returnedRalph,positively。
`What!afellowwhomakesoffwithfifty-fivethousandpounds,norobber?'
`No。'
`Perhapshe'samanufacturer,then。'
`TheDailyTelegraphsaysthatheisagentleman。'
ItwasPhileasFogg,whoseheadnowemergedfrombehindhisnewspapers,whomadethisremark。Hebowedtohisfriends,andenteredintotheconversation。
Theaffairwhichformeditssubject,andwhichwastowntalk,hadoccurredthreedaysbeforeattheBankofEngland。Apackageofbank-notes,tothevalueoffifty-fivethousandpounds,hadbeentakenfromtheprincipalcashier'stable,thatfunctionarybeingatthemomentengagedinregisteringthereceiptofthreeshillingsandsixpence。Ofcoursehecouldnothavehiseyeseverywhere。LetitbeobservedthattheBankofEnglandreposesatouchingconfidenceinthehonestyofthepublic。Thereareneitherguardsnorgratingstoprotectitstreasures;gold,silver,bank-notesarefreelyexposed,atthemerryofthefirstcomer。AkeenobserverofEnglishcustomsrelatesthat,beinginoneoftheroomsoftheBankoneday,hehadthecuriositytoexamineagoldingotweighingsomesevenoreightpounds。
Hetookitup,scrutinizedit,passedittohisneighbour,hetothenextman,andsoonuntiltheingot,goingfromhandtohand,wastransferredtotheendofadarkentry;nordiditreturntoitsplaceforhalf-an-hour。
Meanwhile,thecashierhadnotsomuchasraisedhishead。Butinthepresentinstancethingshadnotgonesosmoothly。Thepackageofnotesnotbeingfoundwhenfiveo'clocksoundedfromtheponderousclockinthe`drawingoffice,'theamountwaspassedtotheaccountofprofitandloss。Assoonastherobberywasdiscovered,pickeddetectiveshastenedofftoLiverpool,Glasgow,Havre,Suez,Brindisi,NewYork,andotherports,inspiredbytheprofferedrewardoftwothousandpounds,andfivepercentonthesumthatmightberecovered。DetectiveswerealsochargedwithnarrowlywatchingthosewhoarrivedatorleftLondonbyrail,andajudicialexaminationwasatonceenteredupon。
Therewererealgroundsforsupposing,astheDailyTelegraphsaid,thatthethiefdidnotbelongtoaprofessionalband。Onthedayoftherobberyawell-dressedgentlemanofpolishedmanners,andwithawell-to-doair,hadbeenobservedgoingtoandfrointhepaying-room,wherethecrimewascommitted。Adescriptionofhimwaseasilyprocuredandsenttothedetectives;andsomehopefulspirits,ofwhomRalphwasone,didnotdespairofhisapprehension。Thepapersandclubswerefulloftheaffair,andeverywherepeoplewerediscussingtheprobabilitiesofasuccessfulpursuit;andtheReformClubwasespeciallyagitated,severalofitsmembersbeingBankofficials。
Ralphwouldnotconcedethattheworkofthedetectiveswaslikelytobeinvain,forhethoughtthattheprizeofferedwouldgreatlystimulatetheirzealandactivity。ButStuartwasfarfromsharingthisconfidence;
andastheyplacedthemselvesatthewhist-table,theycontinuedtoarguethematter。StuartandFlanaganplayedtogether,whilePhileasFogghadFallentinforhispartner。Asthegameproceededtheconversationceased,exceptingbetweentherubbers,whenitrevivedagain。
`Imaintain,'saidStuart,`thatthechancesarefavourofthethief,whomustbeashrewdfellow。'
Well,butwherecanheflyto?'askedRalph。`Nocountryissafeforhim。'
`Pshaw!'
`Wherecouldhego,then?'
`Oh,Idon'tknowthat。Theworldisbigenough。'
`Itwasonce,'saidPhileasFogg,inalowtone。`Cut,sir,'headded,handingthecardstoThomasFlanagan。
Thediscussionfellduringtherubber,afterwhichStuarttookupitsthread。
`Whatdoyoumeanby"once"?Hastheworldgrownsmaller?'
`Certainly,'returnedRalph。`IagreewithMrFogg。Theworldhasgrownsmaller,sinceamancannowgoroundittentimesmorequicklythanahundredyearsago。Andthatiswhythesearchforthisthiefwillbemorelikelytosucceed。'
`Andalsowhythethiefcangetawaymoreeasily。'
`Besogoodastoplay,MrStuart,'saidPhileasFogg。
ButtheincredulousStuartwasnotconvinced,andwhenthehandwasfinished,Saideagerly:`Youhaveastrangeway,Ralph,ofprovingthattheworldhasgrownsmaller。So,becauseyoucangorounditinthreemonths——'
`Ineightydays,'interruptedPhileasFogg。
`Thatistrue,gentlemen,'addedJohnSullivan。
`Onlyeightydays,nowthatthesectionbetweenRothalandAllahabad,ontheGreatIndianPeninsulaRailway,hasbeenopened。HereistheestimatemadebytheDailyTelegraph:——FromLondontoSuezviâ;MontCenisandBrindisi,byrailandsteamboats7days。
FromSueztoBombay,bysteamer13"
FromBombaytoCalcutta,byrail3"
FromCalcuttatoHongKong,bysteamer——13"
FromHongKongtoYokohama(Japan),bysteamer——6"
FromYokohamatoSanFrancisco,bysteamer————————————————————————————
22"
FromSanFranciscotoNewYork,byrail————————————————————————————-
7"
FromNewYorktoLondon,bysteamerandrail——————————————9"
Total————————————-80days。`Yes,ineightydays!'exclaimedStuart,whoinhisexcitementmadeafalsedeal。`Butthatdoesn'ttakeintoaccountbadweather,contrarywinds,ship-wrecks,railwayaccidents,andsoon。'
`Allincluded,'returnedPhileasFogg,continuingtoplaydespitethediscussion。
`ButsupposetheHindoosorIndianspulluptherails,'repliedStuart;
`supposetheystopthetrains,pillagetheluggage-vans,andscalpthepassengers!'
`Allincluded,'calmlyretortedFogg;adding,ashethrewdownthecards,`Twotrumps。'
Stuart,whoseturnitwastodeal,gatheredthemup,andwenton:`Youareright,theoretically,MrFogg,butpractically——'
`Practicallyalso,MrStuart。'
`I'dliketoseeyoudoitineightydays。'
`Itdependsonyou。Shallwego?'
`Heavenpreserveme!ButIwouldwagerfourthousandpoundsthatsuchajourney,madeundertheseconditions,isimpossible。'
`Quitepossible,onthecontrary,'returnedMrFogg。
`Well,makeit,then!'
`Thejourneyroundtheworldineightydays?'
`Yes。'
`Ishouldlikenothingbetter。'
`When?'
`Atonce。OnlyIwarnyouthatIshalldoitatyourexpense。'
`It'sabsurd!'criedStuart,whowasbeginningtobeannoyedatthepersistencyofhisfriend。`Come,let'sgoonwiththegame。'
`Dealoveragain,then,'saidPhileasFogg。`There'safalsedeal。'
Stuarttookupthepackwithafeverishhand;thensuddenlyputthemdownagain。
`Well,MrFogg,'saidhe,`itshallbeso:Iwillwagerthefourthousandonit。'
`Calmyourself,mydearStuart,'saidFallentin。`It'sonlyajoke。'
`WhenIsayI'llwager,'returnedStuart,`Imeanit。'
`Allright,'saidMrFogg;andturningtotheothershecontinued:`I
haveadepositoftwentythousandatBaring'swhichIwillwillinglyriskuponit。'
`Twentythousandpounds!'criedSullivan。`Twentythousandpounds,whichyouwouldlosebyasingleaccidentaldelay!'
`Theunforeseendoesnotexist,'quietlyrepliedPhileasFogg。
`But,MrFogg,eightydaysareonlytheestimateoftheleastpossibletimeinwhichthejourneycanbemade。'
`Awell-usedminimumsufficesforeverything。'
`But,inordernottoexceedit,youmustjumpmathematicallyfromthetrainsuponthesteamers,andfromthesteamersuponthetrainsagain。'
`Iwilljump-mathematically。'
`Youarejoking。'
`AtrueEnglishmandoesn'tjokewhenheistalkingaboutsoseriousathingasawager,'repliedPhileasFogg,solemnly。`Iwillbettwentythousandpoundsagainstanyonewhowishes,thatIwillmakethetouroftheworldineightydaysorless;innineteenhundredandtwentyhours,orahundredandfifteenthousandtwohundredminutes。Doyouaccept?'
`Weaccept,'repliedMessrsStuart,Fallentin,Sullivan,Flanagan,andRalph,afterconsultingeachother。
`Good,'saidMrFogg。`ThetrainleavesforDoverataquarterbeforenine。Iwilltakeit。'
`Thisveryevening?'askedStuart。
`Thisveryevening,'returnedPhileasFogg。Hetookoutandconsultedapocketalmanac,andadded,`Asto-dayisWednesday,thesecondofOctober,IshallbedueinLondon,inthisveryroomoftheReformClub,onSaturday,thetwenty-firstofDecember,ataquarterbeforeninep。m。;orelsethetwentythousandpounds,nowdepositedinmynameatBaring's,willbelongtoyou,infactandinright,gentlemen。Hereisachequefortheamount。'
Amemorandumofthewagerwasatoncedrawnupandsignedbythesixparties,duringwhichPhileasFoggpreservedastoicalcomposure。Hecertainlydidnotbettowin,andhadonlystakedthetwentythousandpounds,halfofhisfortune,becauseheforesawthathemighthavetoexpendtheotherhalftocarryoutthisdifficult,nottosayunattainable,project。Asforhisantagonists,theyseemedmuchagitated;notsomuchbythevalueoftheirstake,asbecausetheyhadsomescruplesaboutbettingunderconditionssodifficulttotheirfriend。
Theclockstruckseven,andthepartyofferedtosuspendthegamesothatMrFoggmightmakehispreparationsfordeparture。
`Iamquitereadynow,'washistranquilresponse。
`Diamondsaretrumps:besogoodastoplay,gentlemen。'
CHAPTERIVINWHICHPHILEASFOGGASTOUNDSPASSEPARTOUT,HISSERVANT。
Havingwontwentyguineasatwhist,andtakenleaveofhisfriends,PhileasFogg,attwenty-fiveminutespastseven,lefttheReformClub。
Passepartout,whohadconscientiouslystudiedtheprogrammeofhisduties,wasmorethansurprisedtoseehismasterguiltyoftheinexactnessofappearingatthisunaccustomedhour;for,accordingtorule,hewasnotdueinSavilleRowuntilpreciselymidnight。
MrFoggrepairedtohisbedroom,andcalledout,`Passepartout!'
Passepartoutdidnotreply。Itcouldnotbehewhowascalled;itwasnottherighthour。
`Passepartout!'repeatedMrFogg,withoutraisinghisvoice。
Passepartoutmadehisappearance。
`I'vecalledyoutwice,'observedhismaster。
`Butitisnotmidnight,'respondedtheother,showinghiswatch。
`Iknowit;Idon'tblameyou。WestartforDoverandCalaisintenminutes。'
ApuzzledgrinoverspreadPassepartout'sroundface,clearlyhehadnotcomprehendedhismaster。
`Monsieurisgoingtoleavehome?'
`Yes,'returnedPhileasFogg。`Wearegoingroundtheworld。'
Passepartoutopenedwidehiseyes,raisedhiseyebrows,helduphishands,andseemedabouttocollapse,soovercomewashewithstupefiedastonishment。
`Roundtheworld!'hemurmured。
`Ineightydays,'respondedMrFogg。`Sowehaven'tamomenttolose。'
`Butthetrunks?'gaspedPassepartout,unconsciouslyswayinghisheadfromrighttoleft。
`We'llhavenotrunks;onlyacarpet-bag,withtwoshirtsandthreepairsofstockingsforme,andthesameforyou。We'llbuyourclothesontheway。Bringdownmymackintoshandtravelling-cloak,andsomestoutshoes,thoughweshalldolittlewalking。Makehaste!'
Passepartouttriedtoreply,butcouldnot。Hewentout,mountedtohisownroom,fellintoachair,andmuttered:`That'sgood,thatis!AndI,whowantedtoremainquiet!'
Hemechanicallysetaboutmakingthepreparationsfordeparture。Aroundtheworldineightydays!Washismasterafool?No。Wasthisajoke,then?
TheyweregoingtoDover;good。ToCalais;goodagain。Afterall,Passepartout,whohadbeenawayfromFrancefiveyears,wouldnotbesorrytosetfootonhisnativesoilagain。PerhapstheywouldgoasfarasParis,anditwoulddohiseyesgoodtoseeParisoncemore。Butsurelyagentlemansocharyofhisstepswouldstopthere;nodoubt,-but,then,itwasnonethelesstruethathewasgoingaway,thissodomesticpersonhitherto!
Byeighto'clockPassepartouthadpackedthemodestcarpet-bag,containingthewardrobesofhismasterandhimself;then,stilltroubledinmind,hecarefullyshutthedoorofhisroom,anddescendedtoMrFogg。
MrFoggwasquiteready。Underhisarmmighthavebeenobservedared-boundcopyof`Bradshaw'sContinentalRailwaySteamTransitandGeneralGuide,'
withitstime-tablesshowingthearrivalanddepartureofsteamersandrailways。Hetookthecarpet-bag,openedit,andslippedintoitagoodlyrollofBankofEnglandnotes,whichwouldpasswhereverhemightgo。
`Youhaveforgottennothing?'askedhe。
`Nothing,monsieur。'
`Mymackintoshandcloak?'
`Heretheyare。'
`Good。Takethiscarpet-bag,'handingittoPassepartout。`Takegoodcareofit,fortherearetwentythousandpoundsinit。'
Passepartoutnearlydroppedthebag,asifthetwentythousandpoundswereingold,andweightedhimdown。
Masterandmanthendescended,thestreet-doorwasdouble-locked,andattheendofSavilleRowtheytookacabanddroverapidlytoCharingCross。Thecabstoppedbeforetherailwaystationattwentyminutespasteight。Passepartoutjumpedofftheboxandfollowedhismaster,who,afterpayingthecabman,wasabouttoenterthestation,whenapoorbeggar-woman,withachildinherarms,hernakedfeetsmearedwithmud,herheadcoveredwithawretchedbonnet,fromwhichhungatatteredfeather,andhershouldersshroudedinaraggedshawl,approached,andmournfullyaskedforalms。
MrFoggtookoutthetwentyguineashehadjustwonatwhist,andhandedthemtothebeggar,saying,`Here,mygoodwoman。I'mgladthatImetyou';
andpassedon。
Passepartouthadamoistsensationabouttheeyes;hismastersactiontouchedhissusceptibleheart。
Twofirst-classticketsforParishavingbeenspeedilypurchased,MrFoggwascrossingthestationtothetrain,whenheperceivedhisfivefriendsoftheReform。
`Well,gentlemen,'saidhe,`I'moff,yousee;andifyouwillexaminemypassportwhenIgetback,youwillbeabletojudgewhetherIhaveaccomplishedthejourneyagreedupon。'
`Oh,thatwouldbequiteunnecessary,MrFogg,'saidRalphpolitely。
`Wewilltrustyourword,asagentlemanofhonour。'
`YoudonotforgetwhenyouaredueinLondonagain?'askedStuart。
`Ineightydays;onSaturday,the21stofDecember,1872,ataquarterbeforeninep。m。Good-bye,gentlemen。
PhileasFoggandhisservantseatedthemselvesinafirst-classcarriageattwentyminutesbeforenine;fiveminuteslaterthewhistlescreamed,andthetrainslowlyglidedoutoftheStation。
Thenightwasdark,andafine,steadyrainwasfalling。PhileasFogg,snuglyensconcedinhiscorner,didnotopenhislips。Passepartout,notyetrecoveredfromhisstupefaction,clungmechanicallytothecarpet-bag,withitsenormoustreasure。
JustasthetrainwaswhirlingthroughSydenham,Passepartoutsuddenlyutteredacryofdespair。
`What'sthematter?'askedMrFogg。
`Alas!Inmyhurry-I-Iforgot——'
`What?'
`Toturnoffthegasinmyroom!'
`Verywell,youngman,'returnedMrFogg,coolly;`itwillburn-atyourexpense。'
CHAPTERVINWHICHANEWSPECIESOFFUNDS,UNKNOWNTOTHEMONEYEDMEN,APPEARSON
'CHANGE。
PhileasFoggrightlysuspectedthathisdeparturefromLondonwouldcreatealivelysensationattheWestEnd。ThenewsofthebetspreadthroughtheReformClub,andaffordedanexcitingtopicofconversationtoitsmembers。FromtheClubitsoongotintothepapersthroughoutEngland。
Theboasted`touroftheworld'wastalkedabout,disputed,arguedwithasmuchwarmthasifthesubjectwereanotherAlabamaclaim。SometooksideswithPhileasFogg,butthelargemajorityshooktheirheadsanddeclaredagainsthim;itwasabsurd,impossible,theydeclared,thatthetouroftheworldcouldbemade,excepttheoreticallyandonpaper,inthisminimumoftime,andwiththeexistingmeansoftravelling。TheTimes,Standard,MorningPost,andDailyNew,andtwentyotherhighlyrespectablenewspapersscoutedMrFogg'sprojectasmadness;theDailyTelegraphalonehesitatinglysupportedhim。Peopleingeneralthoughthimalunatic,andblamedhisReformClubfriendsforhavingacceptedawagerwhichbetrayedthementalaberrationofitsproposer。
Articlesnolesspassionatethanlogicalappearedonthequestion,forgeographyisoneofthepetsubjectsoftheEnglish;andthecolumnsdevotedtoPhileasFogg'sventurewereeagerlydevouredbyallclassesofreaders。
Atfirstsomerashindividuals,principallyofthegentlersex,espousedhiscause,whichbecamestillmorepopularwhentheIllustratedLondonNewscameoutwithhisportrait,copiedfromaphotographintheReformClub。AfewreadersoftheDailyTelegraphevendaredtosay,`Whynot,afterall?Strangerthingshavecometopass。'
Atlastalongarticleappeared,onthe7thofOctober,inthebulletinoftheRoyalGeographicalSociety,whichtreatedthequestionfromeverypointofview,anddemonstratedtheutterfollyoftheenterprise。
Everything,itsaid,wasagainstthetravellers,everyobstacleimposedalikebymanandbynature。Amiraculousagreementofthetimesofdepartureandarrival,whichwasimpossible,wasabsolutelynecessarytohissuccess。
Hemight,perhaps,reckononthearrivaloftrainsatthedesignatedhours,inEurope,wherethedistanceswererelativelymoderate;butwhenhecalculateduponcrosSingIndiainthreedays,andtheUnitedStatesinseven,couldherelybeyondmisgivinguponaccomplishinghistask?Therewereaccidentstomachinery,theliabilityoftrainstorunofftheline,collisions,badweather,theblockingupbysnow,-werenotalltheseagainstPhileasFogg?Wouldhenotfindhimself,whentravellingbysteamerinwinter,atthemerryofthewindsandfogs?Isituncommonforthebestoceansteamerstobetwoorthreedaysbehindtime?Butasingledelaywouldsufficetofatallybreakthechainofcommunication;shouldPhileasFoggoncemiss,evenbyanhour,asteamer,hewouldhavetowaitforthenext,andthatwouldirrevocablyrenderhisattemptvain。
Thisarticlemadeagreatdealofnoise,andbeingcopiedintoallthepapers,seriouslydepressedtheadvocatesoftherashtourist。
EverybodyknowsthatEnglandistheworldofbettingmen,whoareofahigherclassthanmeregamblers;tobetisintheEnglishtemperament。
NotonlythemembersoftheReform,butthegeneralpublic,madeheavywagersfororagainstPhileasFogg,whowassetdowninthebettingbooksasifhewerearace-horse。Bondswereissued,andmadetheirappearanceon'Change;`PhileasFoggbonds'wereofferedatparoratapremium,andagreatbusinesswasdoneinthem。ButfivedaysafterthearticleinthebulletinoftheGeographicalSocietyappeared,thedemandbegantosubside:
`PhileasFogg'declined。Theywereofferedbypackages,atfirstoffive,thenoften,untilatlastnobodywouldtakelessthantwenty,fifty,ahundred!
LordAlbermarle,anelderlyparalyticgentleman,wasnowtheonlyadvocateofPhileasFoggleft。Thisnoblelord,whowasfastenedtohischair,wouldhavegivenhisfortunetobeabletomakethetouroftheworld,ifittooktenyears;andbetfivethousandpoundsonPhileasFogg。Whenthefollyaswellastheuselessnessoftheadventurewaspointedouttohim,hecontentedhimselfwithreplying,`Ifthethingisfeasible,thefirsttodoitoughttobeanEnglishman。'
TheFoggpartydwindledmoreandmore,everybodywasgoingagainsthim,andthebetsstoodahundredandfiftyandtwohundredtoone;andaweekafterhisdepartureanincidentoccurredwhichdeprivedhimofbackersatanyprice。
Thecommissionerofpolicewassittinginhisofficeatnineo'clockoneevening,whenthefollowingtelegraphicdespatchwasputintohishands:——SueztoLondon。ROWAN,COMMISSIONEROFPOLICE,SCOTLANDYARD:
I'vefoundthebankrobber,PhileasFogg。SendwithoutdelaywarrantofarresttoBombay。
FIX,Detective。Theeffectofthisdespatchwasinstantaneous。Thepolishedgentlemandisappearedtogiveplacetothebankrobber。Hisphotograph,whichwashungwiththoseoftherestofthemembersattheReformClub,wasminutelyexamined,anditbetrayed,featurebyfeature,thedescriptionoftherobberwhichhadbeenprovidedtothepolice。ThemysterioushabitsofPhileasFoggwererecalled;hissolitaryways,hissuddendeparture;anditseemedclearthat,inundertakingatourroundtheworldonthepretextofawager,hehadhadnootherendinviewthantoeludethedetectives,andthrowthemoffhistrack。
CHAPTERVIINWHICHFIX,THEDETECTIVE,BETRAYSAVERYNATURALIMPATIENCE。
ThecircumstancesunderwhichthistelegraphicdespatchaboutPhileasFoggwassentwereasfollows:——
Thesteamer`Mongolia',belongingtothePeninsularandOrientalCompany,builtofiron,oftwothousandeighthundredtonsburden,andfivehundredhorse-power,wasdueateleveno'clocka。m。onWednesday,the9thofOctober,atSuez。The`Mongolia'pliedregularlybetweenBrindisiandBombayviâ;theSuezCanal,andwasoneofthefasteststeamersbelongingtothecompany,alwaysmakingmorethantenknotsanhourbetweenBrindisiandSuez,andnineandahalfbetweenSuezandBombay。
Twomenwerepromenadingupanddownthewharves,amongthecrowdofnativesandstrangerswhoweresojourningatthisoncestragglingvillage-now,thankstotheenterpriseofM。Lesseps,afast-growingtown。OnewastheBritishconsulatSuez,who,despitethepropheciesoftheEnglishGovernment,andtheunfavourablepredictionsofStephenson,wasinthehabitofseeing,fromhisofficewindow,Englishshipsdailypassingtoandfroonthegreatcanal,bywhichtheoldroundaboutroutefromEnglandtoIndiabytheCapeofGoodHopewasabridgedbyatleastahalf。Theotherwasasmall,slight-builtpersonage,withanervous,intelligentface,andbrighteyespeeringoutfromundereyebrowswhichhewasincessantlytwitching。Hewasjustnowmanifestingunmistakablesignsofimpatience,nervouslypacingupanddown,andunabletostandstillforamoment。ThiswasFix,oneofthedetectiveswhohadbeendespatchedfromEnglandinsearchofthebankrobber;itwashistasktonarrowlywatcheverypassengerwhoarrivedatSuez,andtofollowupallwhoseemedtobesuspiciouscharacters,orborearesemblancetothedescriptionofthecriminal,whichhehadreceivedtwodaysbeforefromthepoliceheadquartersatLondon。Thedetectivewasevidentlyinspiredbythehopeofobtainingthesplendidrewardwhichwouldbetheprizeofsuccess,andawaitedwithafeverishimpatience,easytounderstand,thearrivalofthesteamer`Mongolia'。
`Soyousay,consul,'askedheforthetwentiethtime,`thatthissteamerisneverbehindtime?'
`No,MrFix,'repliedtheconsul。`ShewasbespokenyesterdayatPortSaid,andtherestofthewayisofnoaccounttosuchacraft。Irepeatthatthe`Mongolia'hasbeeninadvanceofthetimerequiredbythecompany'sregulations,andgainedtheprizeawardedforexcessofspeed。'
`DoesshecomedirectlyfromBrindisi?'
`DirectlyfromBrindisi;shetakesontheIndianmailsthere,andsheleftthereSaturdayatfivep。m。Havepatience,MrFix;shewillnotbelate。ButreallyIdon'tseehow,frthedescriptionyouhave,youwillbeabletorecognizeyourman,evenifheisonboardthe"Mongolia"。'
`Amanratherfeelsthepresenceofthesefellows,consul,thanrecognizesthem。Youmusthaveascentforthem,andascentislikeasixthsensewhichcombineshearing,seeingandsmelling。I'vearrestedmorethanoneofthesegentlemeninmytime,andifmythiefisonboard,I'llanswerforit,he'llnotslipthroughmyfingers。'
`Ihopeso,MrFix,foritwasaheavyrobbery。'
`Amagnificentrobbery,consul;fifty-fivethousandpounds!Wedon'toftenhavesuchwindfalls。Burglarsaregettingtobesocontemptiblenowadays!
Afellowgetshungforahandfulofshillings!'
`MrFix,'saidtheconsul,`Ilikeyourwayoftalking,andhopeyou'llsucceed;butIfearyouwillfinditfarfromeasy。Don'tyousee,thedescriptionwhichyouhavetherehasasingularresemblancetoanhonestman?'
`Consul,'remarkedthedetective,dogmatically,greatrobbersalwaysresemblehonestfolks。Fellowswhohaverascallyfaceshaveonlyonecoursetotake,andthatistoremainhonest;otherwisetheywouldbearrestedoff-hand。Theartisticthingis,tounmaskhonestcountenances;it'snolighttask,Iadmit,butarealart。'
MrFixevidentlywasnotwantinginatingeofself-conceit。