Twenty thousand pounds! cried Sullivan. Twenty thousand pounds, which you would lose by a single accidental delay!
The unforeseen does not exist, quietly replied Phileas Fogg.
But, Mr. Fogg, eighty days are only the estimate of the least possible time in which the journey can be made. In order not to exceed it, you must jump mathematically from the trains upon the steamers, and from the steamers upon the trains again.
I will jumpmathematically.
You are joking.
A true Englishman doesnt joke when he is talking about so serious a thing as a wager, replied Phileas Fogg, solemnly. I will bet twenty thousand pounds against anyone who wishes that I will make the tour of the world in eighty days or less; in nineteen hundred and twenty hours, or a hundred and fifteen thousand two hundred minutes. Do you accept?
After consulting each other, the gentlemen agreed to accept the wager.
Good, said Mr. Fogg. The train leaves for Dover[46] at a quarter before nine. I will take it.
This very evening? asked Stuart.
This very evening, returned Phileas Fogg. He took out and consulted a pocket calender, and added, As today is Wednesday, the 2nd of October, I shall be due in London in this very room of the Reform Club, on Saturday, the 21st of December, at a quarter before 9 p.m., or else the twenty thousand pounds, now deposited in my name at Barings, will belong to you, in fact and in right, gentlemen. Here is a cheque for the amount.
A memorandum of the wager was at once drawn up and signed by the six parties.
Chapter IV
Having won twenty guineas at whist, and taken leave of his friends, Phileas Fogg, at twenty-five minutes past seven, left the Reform Club.
When he got to his mansion, Mr. Fogg called out, Passepartout!
Passepartout did not reply. It could not be he who was called; it was not the right hour.
Passepartout! repeated Mr. Fogg, without raising his voice.
Passepartout made his appearance.
Ive called you twice, observed his master.
But it is not midnight, responded the other, showing his watch.
I know it; I dont blame you. We start for Dover and Calais[47] in ten minutes.
A puzzled grin overspread Passepartouts round face; clearly he had not comprehended his master.
Monsieur is going to leave home?
Yes, returned Phileas Fogg. We are going round the world.
Passepartout opened wide his eyes, raised his eyebrows, held up his hands; he was stupefied.
Round the world! he murmured.
In eighty days, responded Mr. Fogg. So we havent a moment to lose.
But the baggage? gasped Passepartout, swaying his head from right to left.
Well have no trunks; only a carpet-bag[48], with two shirts and three pairs of stockings for me, and the same for you. Well buy our clothes on the way. Make haste!
Passepartout tried to reply, but could not. He went out, mounted to his own room, fell into a chair, and muttered: Thats good, that is! And I, who wanted to remain quiet!
Around the world in eighty days! Was his master a fool? No. Was this a joke, then? They were going to Dover; good! To Calais; good again!
By eight oclock Passepartout had packed the carpet-bag; then he carefully shut the door of his room, and descended to Mr. Fogg.
Mr. Fogg was quite ready. He took the carpetbag, opened it, and slipped into it a roll of Bank of England notes.
You have forgotten nothing? asked he.
Nothing, monsieur.
Good! Take this carpet-bag, handing it to Passepartout. Take good care of it, for there are twenty thousand pounds in it.
Passepartout nearly dropped the bag.
They then descended, and at the end of Saville Row they took a cab and drove rapidly to Charing Cross[49]. The cab stopped before the railway station at twenty minutes past eight. Passepartout jumped off the box and followed his master, who, after paying the cabman, was about to enter the station, when a poor beggar-woman, with a child in her arms, approached, and mournfully asked for alms.
Mr. Fogg took out the twenty guineas he had just won at whist, and handed them to the beggar, saying, Here, my good woman. Im glad that I met you; and passed on.
Passepartout saw it; his masters action touched his susceptible heart.
Two first-class tickets for Paris having been speedily purchased, Mr. Fogg was crossing the station to the train, when he perceived his five friends of the Reform.
Well, gentlemen, said he, Im off, you see; and you will be able to examine my passport when I get back.
Oh, that would be quite unnecessary, Mr. Fogg, said Ralph politely. We will trust your word, as a gentleman of honour.
You do not forget when you are due in London again? asked Stuart.
In eighty days; on Saturday, the 21st of December, 1872, at a quarter before 9 p.m. Goodbye, gentlemen.
Phileas Fogg and his servant seated themselves in a first-class carriage at twenty minutes before nine; five minutes later the whistle screamed, and the train slowly glided out of the station.
The night was dark, and a fine, steady rain was falling. Passepartout suddenly uttered a cry of despair.
Whats the matter? asked Mr. Fogg.
Alas! In my hurryII forgot
What?
To turn off the gas in my room!
Very well, young man, returned Mr. Fogg, coolly; it will burnat your expense.
Chapter V
Phileas Fogg did not suspect that his departure from London would create a lively sensation at the West End[50]. The news of the bet soon got into the papers throughout England. The tour of the world was talked about, disputed, argued. Some took sides with Phileas Fogg, but the large majority shook their heads and declared against him; it was absurd, impossible, they declared, that the tour of the world could be made, except theoretically and on paper, in this minimum of time, and with the existing means of travelling. People in general thought him a lunatic, and blamed his Reform Club friends for having accepted this wager.
A few readers of the Daily Telegraph even dared to say, Why not, after all? Stranger things happened. At last a long article appeared, on the 7th of October, in the bulletin of the Royal Geographical Society[51], which demonstrated the utter folly of the enterprise. Everything, it said, was against the travellers, every obstacle imposed alike by man and by nature. A miraculous agreement of the times of departure and arrival, which was impossible, was absolutely necessary to his success. There were accidents to machinery, the liability of trains to run off the line, collisions, bad weather, the blocking up by snowwere not all these against Phileas Fogg? Is it uncommon for the best ocean steamers to be two or three days behind time? But a single delay would suffice to fatally break the chain of communication. This article made a great deal of noise, and was copied into all the papers.
Everybody knows that England is the world of betting men; to bet is in the English temperament. Not only the members of the Reform, but the general public, made wagers for or against Phileas Fogg, as if he were a race-horse. But everybody was going against Fogg, and the bets stood a hundred and fifty and two hundred to one; and a week after his departure an incident occurred.
The commissioner of police was sitting in his office at nine oclock one evening, when the following telegraphic dispatch was put into his hands:
Suez to London.
Rowan, Commissioner of Police,
Scotland Yard[52]:
Ive found the bank robber, Phileas Fogg. Send without delay warrant of arrest to Bombay.
Fix, Detective.The effect of this dispatch was instantaneous. The polished gentleman disappeared to give place to the bank robber. His photograph was minutely examined, and it betrayed, feature by feature, the description of the robber. The mysterious habits of Phileas Fogg were recalled; his solitary ways, his sudden departure; and it seemed clear that he had wanted to elude the detectives.
Chapter VI
The circumstances under which this telegraphic dispatch about Phileas Fogg was sent were as follows. The steamer Mongolia[53], built of iron, of two thousand eight hundred tons burden, and five hundred horse-power, was due at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, the 9th of October, at Suez. The Mongolia plied regularly between Brindisi and Bombay via the Suez Canal, and was one of the fastest steamers, always making more than ten knots an hour between Brindisi and Suez, and nine and a half between Suez and Bombay.
Two men were promenading up and down the wharves, among the crowd of natives and strangers. One was the British consul at Suez. The other was a small, slight-built personage, with a nervous, intelligent face, and bright eyes. He was just now manifesting signs of impatience, nervously pacing up and down, and unable to stand still for a moment. This was Fix, one of the detectives who had been dispatched from England in search of the bank robber; it was his task to watch every passenger who arrived at Suez, and to follow up all who seemed to be suspicious characters. The detective was evidently inspired by the hope of obtaining the splendid reward, and awaited with a feverish impatience, easy to understand, the arrival of the steamer Mongolia.
So you say, consul, asked he for the twentieth time, that this steamer is never behind time?
No, Mr. Fix, replied the consul.
Does it come directly from Brindisi?
Directly from Brindisi; it takes on the Indian mail there, and it leaves on Saturday at five p.m. Have patience, Mr. Fix; it will not be late. But really, I dont see how, from the description you have, you will be able to recognise your man, even if he is on board the Mongolia.
A man rather feels the presence of these fellows, consul, than recognises them. You must have a scent for them, and a scent is like a sixth sense which combines hearing, seeing, and smelling. Ive arrested more than one of these gentlemen[54] in my time, and, if my thief is on board, Ill answer for it; hell not slip through my fingers.
I hope so, Mr. Fix, for it was a heavy robbery.
A magnificent robbery, consul; fifty-five thousand pounds! We dont often have such windfalls!
Mr. Fix, said the consul, I hope youll succeed; but dont you see, the description which you have there has a singular resemblance to an honest man?
Consul, remarked the detective, dogmatically, great robbers always resemble honest folks. Fellows who have rascally faces have to remain honest; otherwise they would be arrested. To unmask honest countenances is a difficult task, I admit, but a real art.
Soon Mongolia appeared between the bank. It brought an unusual number of passengers, some of whom remained on deck to scan the picturesque panorama of the town.
Fix carefully examined each face. Presently one of the passengers came up to him and politely asked if he could point out the English consulate. Fix instinctively took the passport, and with a rapid glance read the description of its bearer. An involuntary motion of surprise nearly escaped him, for the description in the passport was identical with that of the bank robber which he had received from Scotland Yard.
Is this your passport? asked he.
No, its my masters.
And your master is
He stayed on board.
But he must go to the consuls in person.
Oh, is that necessary?
Quite indispensable.
And where is the consulate?
There, on the corner of the square, said Fix, pointing to a house two hundred steps off.
Ill go and fetch my master, who wont be much pleased, however, to be disturbed.
The passenger bowed to Fix, and returned to the steamer.
Chapter VII
The detective passed down the quay, and rapidly made his way to the consuls office.
Consul, said he, without preamble, I have strong reasons for believing that my man is a passenger on the Mongolia.
Well, Mr. Fix, replied the consul, I want to see the rascals face; but perhaps he wont come herethat is, if he is the person you suppose him to be. A robber doesnt like to leave traces.
If he is as shrewd as I think he is, consul, he will come.
To have his passport visaed[55]?
Yes. And I hope you will not visa the passport.
Why not? If the passport is genuine I have no right to refuse.
Still, I must keep this man here until I can get a warrant to arrest him from London.
Ah, thats your business. But I cannot
The consul did not finish his sentence, for as he spoke a knock was heard at the door, and two strangers entered, one of whom was the servant whom Fix had met on the quay. The other, who was his master, held out his passport. The consul took the document and carefully read it.
You are Mr. Phileas Fogg? said the consul, after reading the passport.
I am.
And this man is your servant?
He is: a Frenchman, named Passepartout.
You are from London?
Yes.
And you are going
To Bombay.
Very good, sir. You know that a visa is useless, and that no passport is required?
I know it, sir, replied Phileas Fogg; but I wish to prove, by your visa, that I came by Suez.
Very well, sir.
The consul proceeded to sign and date the passport, after which he added his official seal. Mr. Fogg paid the customary fee, coldly bowed, and went out, followed by his servant.
Well? queried the detective.
Well, he looks and acts like a perfectly honest man, replied the consul.
Possibly; but that is not the question. Do you think, consul, that this phlegmatic gentleman resembles the robber whose description I have received?
I concede that; but then, you know, all descriptions
Ill make certain of it[56], interrupted Fix. The servant seems to me less mysterious than the master; besides, hes a Frenchman, and likes to talk. Excuse me, consul.
Chapter VIII
Fix soon rejoined Passepartout, who was lounging and looking about on the quay.
Well, my friend, said the detective, coming up with him, is your passport visaed?
Ah, its you, monsieur! responded Passepartout. Thanks, yes, the passport is all right. We travel so fast! So this is Suez?