Afewmomentsafter,MrFoggpressedtheyoungwoman\'shand,and,havingconfidedtoherhispreciouscarpet-bag,wentoffwiththesergeantandhislittlesquad。But,beforegoing,hehadsaidtothesoldiers,`Myfriends,Iwilldividefivethousanddollarsamongyou,ifwesavetheprisoners。\'
Itwasthenalittlepastnoon。
Aoudaretiredtoawaiting-room,andthereshewaitedalone,thinkingofthesimpleandnoblegenerosity,thetranquilcourageofPhileasFogg。
Hehadsacrificedhisfortune,andwadnowriskinghislife,allwithouthesitation,fromduty,insilence。
Fixdidnothavethesamethoughts,andcouldscarcelyconcealhisagitation。
Hewalkedfeverishlyupanddowntheplatform,butsoonresumedhisoutwardcomposure。HenowsawthefollyofwhichhehadbeenguiltyinlettingFogggoalone。What!Thisman,whomhehadjustfollowedaroundtheworld,waspermittednowtoseparatehimselffromhim!Hebegantoaccuseandabusehimself,and,asifheweredirectorofpolice,administeredtohimselfasoundlectureforhisgreenness。
`Ihavebeenanidiot!\'hethought。`Andthismanwillseeit。Hehasgone,andwon\'tcomeback!ButhowisitthatI,Fix,whohaveinmypocketawarrantforhisarrest,havebeensofascinatedbyhim?Decidedly,I
amnothingbutanass!\'
Soreasonedthedetective,whilethehourscreptbyalltooslowly。
Hedidnotknowwhattodo。SometimeshewastemptedtotellAoudaall;
buthecouldnotdoubthowtheyoungwomanwouldreceivehisconfidences。
Whatcourseshouldhetake?HethoughtofpursuingFoggacrossthevastwhiteplains;itdidnotseemimpossiblethathemightovertakehim。Footstepswereeasilyprintedonthesnow!Butsoon,underanewsheet,everyimprintwouldbeeffaced。
Fixbecamediscouraged。Hefeltasortofinsurmountablelongingtoabandonthegamealtogether。HecouldnowleaveFortKearneystation,andpursuehisjourneyhomewardinpeace。
Towardstwoo\'clockintheafternoon,whileitwassnowinghard,longwhistleswereheardapproachingfromtheeast。Agreatshadow,precededbyawildlight,slowlyadvanced,appearingstilllargerthroughthemist,whichgaveitafantasticaspect。Notrainwasexpectedfromtheeast,neitherhadtherebeentimeforthesuccouraskedforbytelegraphtoarrive;
thetrainfromOmahatoSanFranciscowasnotduetillthenextday。Themysterywassoonexplained。
Thelocomotive,whichwasslowlyapproachingwithdeafeningwhistles,wasthatwhich,havingbeendetachedfromthetrain,hadcontinueditsroutewithsuchterrificrapidity,carryingofftheunconsciousengineerandstoker。Ithadrunseveralmiles,when,thefirebecominglowforwantoffuel,thesteamhadslackened;andithadfinallystoppedanhourafter,sometwentymilesbeyondFortKearney。NeithertheengIneernorthestokerwasdead,and,afterremainingforsometimeintheirswoon,hadcometothemselves。Thetrainhadthenstopped。Theengineer,whenhefoundhimselfinthedesert,andthelocomotivewithoutcars,understoodwhathadhappened。
Hecouldnotimaginehowthelocomotivehadbecomeseparatedfromthetrain;
buthedidnotdoubtthatthetrainleftbehindwasindistress。
Hedidnothesitatewhattodo。ItwouldbeprudenttocontinueontoOmaha,foritwouldbedangeroustoreturntothetrain,whichtheIndiansmightstillbeengagedinpillaging。Nevertheless,hebegantorebuildthefireinthefurnace;thepressureagainmounted,andthelocomotivereturned,runningbackwardstoFortKearney。Thisitwaswhichwaswhistlinginthemist。
Thetravellersweregladtoseethelocomotiveresumeitsplaceattheheadofthetrain。Theycouldnowcontinuethejourneysoterriblyinterrupted。
Aouda,onseeingthelocomotivecomeup,hurriedoutofthestation,andaskedtheconductor,`Areyougoingtostart?\'
`Atonce,madam。\'
`Buttheprisoners-ourunfortunatefellowtravellers——\'
`Icannotinterruptthetrip,\'repliedtheconductor。`Wearealreadythreehoursbehindtime。\'
`AndwhenwillanothertrainpassherefromSanFrancisco?\'
`Tomorrowevening,madam。\'
`Tomorrowevening!Butthenitwillbetoolate!Wemustwait——\'
`Itisimpossible,\'respondedtheconductor。`Ifyouwishtogo,pleasegetin。\'
`Iwillnotgo,\'saidAouda。
Fixhadheardthisconversation。Alittlewhilebefore,whentherewasnoprospectofproceedingonthejourney,hehadmadeuphismindtoleaveFortKearney;butnowthatthetrainwasthere,readytostart,andhehadonlytotakehisseatinthecar,anirresistibleinfluenceheldhimback。Thestationplatformburnedhisfeet,andhecouldnotstir。Theconflictinhismindagainbegan;angerandfailurestifledhim。Hewishedtostruggleontotheend。
Meanwhilethepassengersandsomeofthewounded,amongthemColonelProctor,whoseinjurieswereserious,hadtakentheirplacesinthetrain。
Thebuzzingoftheoverheatedboilerwasheard,andthesteamwasescapingfromthevalves。Theengineerwhistled,thetrainstarted,andsoondisappeared,minglingitswhitesmokewiththeeddiesofthedenselyfallingsnow。
Thedetectivehadremainedbehind。
Severalhourspassed。Theweatherwasdismal,anditwasverycold。
Fixsatmotionlessonabenchinthestation;hemighthavebeenthoughtasleep。Aouda,despitethestorm,keptcomingoutofthewaiting-room,goingtotheendoftheplatform,andpeeringthroughthetempestofsnow,asiftopiercethemistwhichnarrowedthehorizonaroundher,andtohear,ifpossible,somewelcomesound。Sheheardandsawnothing。Thenshewouldreturn,chilledthrough,toissueoutagainafterthelapseofafewmoments,butalwaysinvain。
Eveningcame,andthelittlebandhadnotreturned。Wherecouldtheybe?HadtheyfoundtheIndians,andweretheyhavingaconflictwiththem,orweretheystillwanderingamidthemist?Thecommanderofthefortwasanxious,thoughhetriedtoconcealhisapprehensions。Asnightapproached,thesnowfelllessplentifully,butitbecameintenselycold。Absolutesilencerestedontheplains。Neitherflightofbirdnorpassingofbeasttroubledtheperfectcalm。
ThroughoutthenightAouda,fullofsadforebodings,herheartstifledwithanguish,wanderedaboutonthevergeoftheplains。Herimaginationcarriedherfaroff,andshowedherinnumerabledangers。Whatshesufferedthroughthelonghoursitwouldbeimpossibletodescribe。
Fixremainedstationaryinthesameplace,butdidnotsleep。Onceamanapproachedandspoketohim,andthedetectivemerelyrepliedbyshakinghishead。
Thusthenightpassed。Atdawn,thehalf-extinguisheddiscofthesunroseaboveamistyhorizon;butitwasnowpossibletorecognizeobjectstwomilesoff。PhileasFoggandtheSquadhadgonesouthward;inthesouthallwasstillvacancy。Itwasthenseveno\'clock。
Thecaptain,whowasreallyalarmed,didnotknowwhatcoursetotake。
Shouldhesendanotherdetachmenttotherescueofthefirst?Shouldhesacrificemoremen,withsofewchancesofSavingthosealreadysacrificed?
HiShesitationdidnotlastlong,however。Callingoneofhislieutenants,hewasonthepointoforderingareconnaissance,whengunshotswereheard。
Wasitasignal?Thesoldiersrushedoutofthefort,andhalf-a-mileofftheyperceivedalittlebandreturningingoodorder。
MrFoggwasmarchingattheirhead,andjustbehindhimwerePassepartoutandtheothertwotravellers,rescuedfromtheSioux。
TheyhadmetandfoughttheIndianstenmilessouthofFortKearney。
Shortlybeforethedetachmentarrived,Passepartoutandhiscompanionshadbeguntostrugglewiththeircaptors,threeofwhomtheFrenchmanhadfelledwithhisfists,whenhismasterandthesoldiershasteneduptotheirrelief。
Allwerewelcomedwithjoyfulcries。PhileasFoggdistributedtherewardhehadpromisedtothesoldiers,whilePassepartout,notwithoutreason,mutteredtohimself,`ItmustcertainlybeconfessedthatIcostmymasterdear!\'
Fix,withoutsayingaword,lookedatMrFogg,anditwouldhavebeendifficulttoanalyzethethoughtswhichstruggledwithinhim。AsforAouda,shetookherprotector\'shandandpresseditinherown,toomuchmovedtospeak。
Meanwhile,Passepartoutwaslookingaboutforthetrain;hethoughtheshouldfinditthere,readytostartforOmaha,andhehopedthatthetimelostmightberegained。
`Thetrain!Thetrain!\'criedhe。
`Gone,\'repliedFix。
`Andwhendoesthenexttrainpasshere?\'saidPhileasFogg。
`Nottillthisevening。\'
`Ah!\'returnedtheimpassiblegentlemanquietly。
CHAPTERXXXIINWHICHFIXTHEDETECTIVECONSIDERABLYFURTHERSTHEINTERESTSOFPHILEAS
FOGG。
PhileasFoggfoundhimselftwentyhoursbehindtime。Passepartout,theinvoluntarycauseofthisdelay,wasdesperate。Hehadruinedhismaster!
AtthismomentthedetectiveapproachedMrFogg,and,lookinghimintentlyintheface,said——
`Seriously,sir,areyouingreathaste?\'
`Quiteseriously。\'
`Ihaveapurposeinasking,\'resumedFix。`IsitabsolutelynecessarythatyoushouldbeinNewYorkonthe11th,beforenineo\'clockintheevening,thetimethatthesteamerleavesforLiverpool?\'
`Itisabsolutelynecessary。\'
`And,ifyourjourneyhadnotbeeninterruptedbytheseIndians,youwouldhavereachedNewYorkonthemorningofthe11th?\'
`Yes;withelevenhourstosparebeforethesteamerleft。\'
`Good!youarethereforetwentyhoursbehind。Twelvefromtwentyleaveseight。Youmustregaineighthours。Doyouwishtotrytodoso?\'
`Onfoot?\'askedMrFogg。
`No;onasledge,\'repliedFix。`Onasledgewithsails。Amanhasproposedsuchamethodtome。\'
ItwasthemanwhohadspokentoFixduringthenight,andwhoseofferhehadrefused。
PhileasFoggdidnotreplyatonce;butFixhavingpointedouttheman,whowaswalkingupanddowninfrontofthestation,MrFoggwentuptohim。Aninstantalter,MrFoggandtheAmerican,whosenamewasMudge,enteredahutbuiltjustbelowthefort。
ThereMrFoggexaminedacuriousvehicle,akindofframeontwolongbeams,alittleraisedinfrontliketherunnersofasledge,anduponwhichtherewasroomforfiveorsixpersons。Ahighmastwasfixedontheframe,heldfirmlybymetalliclashings,towhichwasattachedalargebrigantinesail。Thismastheldanironstayuponwhichtohoistajib-sail。
Behind,asortofrudderservedtoguidethevehicle。Itwas,inshort,asledgeriggedlikeasloop。Duringthewinter,whenthetrainsareblockedupbythesnow,thesesledgesmakeextremelyrapidjourneysacrossthefrozenplainsfromonestationtoanother。Providedwithmoresailthanacutter,andwiththewindbehindthem,theyslipoverthesurfaceoftheprairieswithaspeedequalifnotsuperiortothatoftheexpresstrains。
Mr,Foggreadilymadeabargainwiththeownerofthisland-craft。Thewindwasfavourable,beingfresh,andblowingfromthewest。Thesnowhadhardened,andMudgewasveryconfidentofbeingabletotransportMr,FogginafewhourstoOmaha。ThencethetrainseastwardrunfrequentlytoChicagoandNewYork。Itwasnotimpossiblethatthelosttimemightyetberecovered;
andsuchanopportunitywasnottoberejected。
NotwishingtoexposeAoudatothediscomfortsoftravellingintheopenair,MrFoggproposedtoleaveherwithPassepartoutatFortKearney,theservanttakinguponhimselftoescorthertoEuropebyabetterrouteandundermorefavourableconditions。ButAoudarefusedtoSeparatefromMrFogg,andPassepartoutwasdelightedwithherdecision;fornothingcouldinducehimtoleavehismasterwhileFixwaswithhim。
Itwouldbedifficulttoguessthedetective\'sthoughts。WashisconvictionshakenbyPhileasFogg\'sreturn,ordidhestillregardhimasanexceedinglyshrewdrascal,who,hisjourneyroundtheworldcompleted,wouldthinkhimselfabsolutelysafeinEngland?PerhapsFix\'sopinionofPhileasFoggwassomewhatmodified;buthewasneverthelessresolvedtodohisduty,andtohastenthereturnofthewholepartytoEnglandasmuchaspossible。
Ateighto\'clockthesledgewasreadytostart。Thepassengerstooktheirplacesonit,andwrappedthemselvesupcloselyintheirtravellingcloaks。Thetwogreatsailswerehoisted,andunderthepressureofthewindthesledgeslidoverthehardenedsnowwithavelocityoffortymilesanhour。
ThedistancebetweenFortKearneyandOmaha,asthebirdsfly,isatmosttwohundredmiles。Ifthewindheldgood,thedistancemightbetraversedinfivehours;ifnoaccidenthappenedthesledgemightreachOmahabyoneo\'clock。
Whatajourney!Thetravellers,huddledclosetogether,couldnotspeakforthecold,intensifiedbytherapidityatwhichtheyweregoing。Thesledgespedonaslightlyasaboatoverthewaves。Whenthebreezecameskimmingtheearththesledgeseemedtobeliftedoffthegroundbyitssails。Mudge,whowasattherudder,keptinastraightline,andbyaturnofhishandcheckedthelurcheswhichthevehiclehadatendencytomake。Allthesailswereup,andthejibwassoarrangedasnottoscreenthebrigantine。Atop-mastwashoisted,andanotherjib,heldouttothewind,addeditsforcetotheothersails。Althoughthespeedcouldnotbeexactlyestimated,thesledgecouldnotbegoingatlessthanfortymilesanhour。
`Ifnothingbreaks,\'saidMudge,`weshallgetthere!\'
Mr,FogghadmadeitforMudge\'sinteresttoreachOmahawithinthetimeagreedon,bytheofferofahandsomereward。
Theprairie,acrosswhichthesledgewasmovinginastraightline,wasasflatasasea。Itseemedlikeavastfrozenlake。Therailroadwhichranthroughthissectionascendedfromthesouth-westtothenorthwestbyGreatIsland,Columbus,animportantNebraskatown,SchuylerandFremont,toOmaha。ItfollowedthroughouttherightbankofthePlatteRiver。Thesledge,shorteningthisroute,tookachordofthearedescribedbytherailway。MudgewasnotafraidofbeingstoppedbythePlatteRiver,becauseitwasfrozen。Theroad,then,wasquiteclearofobstacles,andPhileasFogghadbuttwothingstofear,-anaccidenttothesledge,andachangeorcalminthewind。
Butthebreeze,farfromlesseningitsforce,blewasiftobendthemast,which,however,themetalliclashingsheldfirmly。Theselashings,likethechordsofastringedinstrument,resoundedasifvibratedbyaviolinbow。Thesledgeslidalonginthemidstofaplaintivelyintensemelody。
`Thesechordsgivethefifthandtheoctave,\'saidMrFogg。
Theseweretheonlywordsheutteredduringthejourney。Aouda,cosilypackedinfursandcloaks,wasshelteredasmuchaspossiblefromtheattacksofthefreezingwind。AsforPassepartout,hisfacewasasredasthesun\'sdiscwhenitsetsinthemist,andhelaboriouslyinhaledthebitingair。
WithhisnaturalbuoyancyofSpirits,hebegantohopeagain。TheywouldreachNewYorkontheevening,ifnotonthemorning,ofthe11th,andtherewerestillsomechancesthatitwouldbebeforethesteamersailedforLiverpool。
Passepartoutevenfeltastrongdesiretograsphisally,Fix,bythehand。Herememberedthatitwasthedetectivewhoprocuredthesledge,theonlymeansofreachingOmahaintime;but,checkedbysomepresentiment,hekepthisusualreserve。Onething,however,Passepartoutwouldneverforget,andthatwasthesacrificewhichMrFogghadmade,withouthesitation,torescuehimfromtheSioux。MrFogghadriskedhisfortuneandhislife。
No!Hisservantwouldneverforgetthat!
Whileeachofthepartywasabsorbedinreflectionssodifferent,thesledgeflewfastoverthevastcarpetofsnow。Thecreeksitpassedoverwerenotperceived。Fieldsandstreamsdisappearedundertheuniformwhiteness。
Theplainwasabsolutelydeserted。BetweentheUnionPacificroadandthebranchwhichunitesKearneywithSaintJosephitformedagreatuninhabitedisland。Neithervillage,station,norfortappeared。Fromtimetotimetheyspedbysomephantom-liketree,whosewhiteskeletontwistedandrattledinthewind。Sometimesflocksofwildbirdsrose,orbandsofgaunt,famished,ferociousprairie-wolvesranhowlingafterthesledge。Passepartout,revolverinhand,heldhimselfreadytofireonthosewhichcametoonear。Hadanaccidentthenhappenedtothesledge,thetravellers,attackedbythesebeasts,wouldhavebeeninthemostterribledanger;butitheldonitsevencourse,Soongainedonthewolves,anderelongleftthehowlingbandatasafedistancebehind。
AboutnoonMudgeperceivedbycertainlandmarksthathewascrossingthePlatteRiver。Hesaidnothing,buthefeltcertainthathewasnowwithintwentymilesofOmaha。Inlessthananhourhelefttherudderandfurledhissails,whilstthesledge,carriedforwardbythegreatimpetusthewindhadgivenit,wentonhalfamilefurtherwithitssailsunspread。
Itstoppedatlast,andMudge,pointingtoamassofroofswhitewithsnow,said:`Wehavegotthere!\'
Arrived!Arrivedatthestationwhichisindailycommunication,bynumeroustrains,withtheAtlanticseaboard!
PassepartoutandFixjumpedoff,stretchedtheirstiffenedlimbs,andaidedMrFoggandtheyoungwomantodescendfromthesledge。PhileasFogggenerouslyrewardedMudge,whosehandPassepartoutwarmlygrasped,andthepartydirectedtheirstepstotheOmaharailwaystation。
ThePacificRailroadproperfindsitsterminusatthisimportantNebraskatown。OmahaisconnectedwithChicagobytheChicagoandRockIslandRailroad,whichrunsdirectlyeast,andpassesfiftystations。
AtrainwasreadytostartwhenMrFoggandhispartyreachedthestation,andtheyonlyhadtimetogetintothecars。TheyhadseennothingofOmaha;
butPassepartoutconfessedtohimselfthatthiswasnottoberegretted,astheywerenottravellingtoseethesights。
ThetrainpassedrapidlyacrosstheStateofIowa,byCouncilBluffs,DesMoines,,andIowaCity。DuringthenightitcrossedtheMississippiatDavenport,andbyRockIslandenteredIllinois。Thenextday,whichwasthe10th,atfourintheevening,itreachedChicago,alreadyrisenfromitsruins,andmoreproudlyseatedthaneveronthebordersofitsbeautifulLakeMichigan。
NinehundredmilesseparatedChicagofromNewYork;buttrainsarenotwantingatChicago。MrFoggpassedatoncefromonetotheother,andthelocomotiveofthePittsburg,FortWayne,andChicagoRailwayleftatfullspeed,asifitfullycomprehendedthatthatgentlemanhadnotimetolose。
IttraversedIndiana,Ohio,Pennsylvania,andNewJerseylikeaflash,rushingthroughthetownswithantiquenames,someofwhichhadstreetsandcar-tracks,butasyetnohouses。AtlasttheHudsoncameintoview;
andataquarter-pastelevenintheeveningofthe11th,thetrainstoppedinthestationontherightbankoftheriver,beforetheverypieroftheCunardline。
The`China\',forLiverpool,hadstartedthree-quartersofanhourbefore!
CHAPTERXXXIIINWHICHPHILEASFOGGENGAGESINADIRECTSTRUGGLEWITHBADFORTUNE。
The`China\',inleaving,seemedtohavecarriedoffPhileasFogg\'slasthope。Noneoftheothersteamerswereabletoservehisprojects。The`Pereire\',oftheFrenchTransatlanticCompany,whoseadmirablesteamersareequaltoanyinspeedandcomfort,didnotleaveuntilthe14th;theHamburgboatsdidnotgodirectlytoLiverpoolorLondon,buttoHavre;andtheadditionaltripfromHavretoSouthamptonwouldrenderPhileasFogg\'slasteffortsofnoavail。TheInmansteamerdidnotdeparttillthenextday,andcouldnotcrosstheAtlanticintimetosavethewager。
MrFogglearnedallthisinconsultinghis`Bradshaw\',whichgavehimthedailymovementsofthetransatlanticsteamers。
Passepartoutwascrushed;itoverwhelmedhimtolosetheboatbythree-quartersofanhour。Itwashisfault,for,insteadofhelpinghismaster,hehadnotceasedputtingobstaclesinhispath!Andwhenherecalledalltheincidentsofthetour,whenhecountedupthesumsexpendedinpurelossandonhisownaccount,whenhethoughtthattheimmensestake,addedtotheheavychargesofthisuselessjourney,wouldcompletelyruinMrFogg,heoverwhelmedhimselfwithbitterself-accusations。MrFogg,however,didnotreproachhim;and,onleavingtheCunardpier,onlysaid:`Wewillconsultaboutwhatisbesttomorrow。Come。\'
ThepartycrossedtheHudsonintheJerseyCityferry-boat,anddroveinacarriagetotheStNicholasHotel,onBroadway。Roomswereengaged,andthenightpassed,brieflytoPhileasFogg,whosleptprofoundly,butverylongtoAoudaandtheothers,whoseagitationdidnotpermitthemtorest。
Thenextdaywasthe12thofDecember。Fromseveninthemorningofthe12th,toaquarterbeforenineintheeveningofthe21st,therewereninedays,thirteenhours,andforty-fiveminutes。IfPhileasFogghadleftinthe`China\',oneofthefasteststeamersontheAtlantic,hewouldhavereachedLiverpool,andthenLondon,withintheperiod\"agreedupon。
MrFoggleftthehotelalone,aftergivingPassepartoutinstructionstoawaithisreturn,andinformAoudatobereadyataninstant\'snotice。
HeproceededtothebanksoftheHudson,andlookedaboutamongthevesselsmooredoranchoredintheriver,foranythatwereabouttodepart。Severalhaddeparturesignals,andwerepreparingtoputtoseaatmorningtide;
forinthisimmenseandadmirableportthereisnotonedayinahundredthatvesselsdonotsetoutforeveryquarteroftheglobe。Buttheyweremostlysailingvessels,ofwhich,ofcourse,PhileasFoggcouldmakenouse。
Heseemedabouttogiveupallhope,whenheespied,anchoredattheBattery,acable\'slengthoffatmost,atradingvessel,withascrew,well-shaped,whosefunnel,puffingacloudofsmoke,indicatedthatshewasgettingreadyfordeparture。
PhileasFogghailedaboat,gotintoit,andsoonfoundhimselfonboardthe`Henrietta\',iron-hulled,wood-builtabove。Heascendedtothedeck,andaskedforthecaptain,whoforthwithpresentedhimself。Hewasamanoffifty,asortofsea-wolf,withbigeyes,acomplexionofoxidizedcopper,redhairandthickneck,andagrowlingvoice。
`Thecaptain?\'askedMrFogg。
`Iamthecaptain。\'
`IamPhileasFogg,ofLondon。\'
`AndIamAndrewSpeedy,ofCardiff。\'
`Youaregoingtoputtosea?\'
`Inanhour。\'
`Youareboundfor——\'
`Bordeaux。\'
`Andyourcargo?\'
`Nofreight。Goinginballast。\'
`Haveyouanypassengers?\'
`Nopassengers。Neverhavepassengers。Toomuchintheway。\'
`Isyourvesselaswiftone?\'
`Betweenelevenandtwelveknots。The\"Henrietta\",wellknown。\'
`WillyoucarrymeandthreeotherpersonstoLiverpool?\'
`ToLiverpool?WhynottoChina?\'
`IsaidLiverpool。\'
`No!\'
`No?\'
`No。IamsettingoutforBordeaux,andshallgotoBordeaux。\'
`Moneyisnoobject?\'
`None。\'
Thecaptainspokeinatonewhichdidnotadmitofareply。
`Buttheownersofthe\"Henrietta\"-,\'resumedPhileasFogg。
`Theownersaremyself,\'repliedthecaptain。`Thevesselbelongstome。\'
`Iwillfreightitforyou。\'
`No。\'
`Iwillbuyitofyou。\'
`No。\'
PhileasFoggdidnotbetraytheleastdisappointment;butthesituationwasagraveone。ItwasnotatNewYorkasatHongKong,norwiththecaptainofthe`Henrietta\'aswiththecaptainofthe`Tankadere\'。Uptothistimemoneyhadsmoothedawayeveryobstacle。Nowmoneyfailed。
Still,somemeansmustbefoundtocrosstheAtlanticonaboat,unlessbyballoon,-whichwouldhavebeenventuresome,besidesnotbeingcapableofbeingputinpractice。ItseemedthatPhileasFogghadanidea,forhesaidtothecaptain,`Well,willyoucarrymetoBordeaux?\'
`No,notifyoupaidmetwohundreddollars。\'
`Iofferyoutwothousand。\'
`Apiece?\'
`Apiece。\'
`Andtherearefourofyou?\'
`Four。\'
CaptainSpeedybegantoscratchhishead。Therewereeightthousanddollarstogain,withoutchanginghisroute;forwhichitwaswellworthconqueringtherepugnancehehadforallkindsofpassengers。Besides,passengersattwothousanddollarsarenolongerpassengers,butvaluablemerchandise。`Istartatnineo\'clock,\'saidCaptainSpeedy,simply。`Areyouandyourpartyready?\'
`Wewillbeonboardatnineo\'clock,\'replied,nolesssimply,MrFogg。
Itwashalf-pasteight。Todisembarkfromthe`Henrietta\',jumpintoahack,hurrytotheStNicholas,andreturnwithAouda,Passepartout,andeventheinseparableFix,wastheworkofabrieftime,andwasperformedbyMrFoggwiththecoolnesswhichneverabandonedhim。Theywereonboardwhenthe`Henrietta\'madereadytoweighanchor。
WhenPassepartoutheardwhathislastvoyagewasgoingtocost,heutteredaprolonged`Oh!\'whichextendedthroughouthisvocalgamut。
AsforFix,hesaidtohimselfthattheBankofEnglandwouldcertainlynotcomeoutofthisaffairwellindemnified。WhentheyreachedEngland,evenifMrFoggdidnotthrowsomehandfulsofbank-billsintothesea,morethanseventhousandpoundswouldhavebeenspent!
CHAPTERXXXIIIINWHICHPHILEASFOGGSHOWSHIMSELFEQUALTOTHEOCCASION。
Anhourafter,the`Henrietta\'passedthelighthousewhichmarkstheentranceoftheHudson,turnedthepointofSandyHook,andputtosea。
DuringthedaysheskirtedLongIsland,passedFireIsland,anddirectedhercourserapidlyeastward。
Atnoonthenextday,amanmountedthebridgetoascertainthevessel\'sposition。ItmightbethoughtthatthiswasCaptainSpeedy。Nottheleastintheworld。ItwasPhileasFogg,Esquire。AsforCaptainSpeedy,hewasshutupinhiscabinunderlockandkey,andwasutteringloudcries,whichsignifiedanangeratoncepardonableandexcessive。
Whathadhappenedwasverysimple。PhileasFoggwishedtogotoLiverpool,butthecaptainwouldnotcarryhimthere。ThenPhileasFogghadtakenpassageforBordeaux,and,duringthethirtyhourshehadbeenonboard,hadsoshrewdlymanagedwithhisbank-notesthatthesailorsandstokers,whowereonlyanoccasionalcrew,andwerenotonthebesttermswiththecaptain,wentovertohiminabody。ThiswaswhyPhileasFoggwasincommandinsteadofCaptainSpeedy;whythecaptainwasaprisonerinhiscabin;
andwhy,inshort,the`Henrietta\'wasdirectinghercoursetowardsLiverpool。
Itwasveryclear,toseeMrFoggmanagethecraft,thathehadbeenasailor。
Howtheadventureendedwillbeseenanon。Aoudawasanxious,thoughshesaidnothing。AsforPassepartout,hethoughtMrFogg\'smanoeuvresimplyglorious。Thecaptainhadsaid`betweenelevenandtwelveknots\',andthe`Henrietta\'confirmedhisprediction。
If,then-fortherewere`ifs\'still-theseadidnotbecometooboisterous,ifthewinddidnotveerroundtotheeast,ifnoaccidenthappenedtotheboatoritsmachinery,the`Henrietta\'mightcrossthethreethousandmilesfromNewYorktoLiverpoolintheninedays,betweenthe12thandthe21stofDecember。Itistruethatoncearrived,theaffaironboardthe`Henrietta\',addedtothatoftheBankofEngland,-mightcreatemoredifficultiesforMrFoggthanheimaginedorcoulddesire。
Duringthefirstdays,theywentalongsmoothlyenough。Theseawasnotveryunpropitious,thewindseemedstationaryinthenorth-east,thesailswerehoisted,andthe`Henrietta\'ploughedacrossthewaveslikearealtransatlanticsteamer。
Passepartoutwasdelighted。Hismaster\'slastexploit,theconsequencesofwhichheignored,enchantedhim。Neverhadthecrewseensojollyanddexterousafellow。Heformedwarmfriendshipswiththesailors,andamazedthemwithhisacrobaticfeats。Hethoughttheymanagedthevessellikegentlemen,andthatthestokersfireduplikeheroes。Hisloquaciousgood-humourinfectedeveryone。Hehadforgottenthepast,itsvexationsanddelays。
Heonlythoughtoftheend,sonearlyaccomplished;andsometimesheboiledoverwithimpatience,asifheatedbythefurnacesofthe`Henrietta\'。
Often,also,theworthyfellowrevolvedaroundFix,lookingathimwithakeen,distrustfuleye;buthedidnotspeaktohim,fortheiroldintimacynolongerexisted。
Fix,itmustbeconfessed,understoodnothingofwhatwasgoingon。
Theconquestofthe`Henrietta\',thebriberyofthecrew,Foggmanagingtheboatlikeaskilledseaman,amazedandconfusedhim。Hedidnotknowwhattothink。For,afterall,amanwhobeganbystealingfifty-fivethousandpoundsmightendbystealingavessel;andFixwasnotunnaturallyinclinedtoconcludethatthe`Henrietta\',underFogg\'scommand,wasnotgoingtoLiverpoolatall,buttosomepartoftheworldwheretherobber,turnedintoapirate,wouldquietlyputhimselfinsafety。Theconjecturewasatleastaplausibleone,andthedetectivebegantoseriouslyregretthathehadembarkedintheaffair。
AsforCaptainSpeedy,hecontinuedtohowlandgrowlinhiscabin;
andPassepartout,whosedutyitwastocarryhimhismeals,courageousashewas,tookthegreatestprecautions。MrFoggdidnotseemeventoknowthattherewasacaptainonboard。
Onthe13ththeypassedtheedgeoftheBanksofNewfoundland,adangerouslocality;duringthewinter,especially,therearefrequentfogsandheavygalesofwind。Eversincetheeveningbeforethebarometer,suddenlyfalling,hadindicatedanapproachingchangeintheatmosphere;andduringthenightthetemperaturevaried,thecoldbecamesharper,andthewindveeredtothesouth-east。
Thiswasamisfortune。MrFogg,inordernottodeviatefromhiscourse,furledhissailsandincreasedtheforceofthesteam;butthevessel\'sspeedslackened,owingtothestateofthesea,thelongwavesofwhichbrokeagainstthestern。Shepitchedviolently,andthisretardedherprogress。
Thebreezelittlebylittleswelledintoatempest,anditwastobefearedthatthe`Henrietta\'mightnotbeabletomaintainherselfuprightonthewaves。
Passepartout\'svisagedarkenedwiththeskies,andfortwodaysthepoorfellowexperiencedconstantfright。ButPhileasFoggwasaboldmariner,andknewhowtomaintainheadwayagainstthesea;andhekeptonhiscourse,withoutevendecreasinghissteam。The`Henrietta\',whenshecouldnotriseuponthewaves,crossedthem,swampingherdeck,butpassingsafely。
Sometimesthescrewroseoutofthewater,beatingitsprotrudingend,whenamountainofwaterraisedthesternabovethewaves;butthecraftalwayskeptstraightahead。
Thewind,however,didnotgrowasboisterousasmighthavebeenfeared;
itwasnotoneofthosetempestswhichburst,andrushonwithaspeedofninetymilesanhour。Itcontinuedfresh,but,unhappily,itremainedobstinatelyinthesouth-east,renderingthesailsuseless。
The16thofDecemberwastheseventy-fifthdaysincePhileasFogg\'sdeparturefromLondon,andthe`Henrietta\'hadnotyetbeenseriouslydelayed。
Halfofthevoyagewasalmostaccomplished,andtheworstlocalitieshadbeenpassed。Insummer,successwouldhavebeenwell-nighcertain。Inwinter,theywereatthemercyofthebadseason。Passepartoutsaidnothing;buthecherishedhopeinsecret,andcomfortedhimselfwiththereflectionthat,ifthewindfailedthem,theymightstillcountonthesteam。
Onthisdaytheengineercameondeck,wentuptoMrFogg,andbegantospeakearnestlywithhim。
Withoutknowingwhy-itwaspresentiment,perhaps-Passepartoutbecamevaguelyuneasy。Hewouldhavegivenoneofhisearstohearwiththeotherwhattheengineerwassaying。Hefinallymanagedtocatchafewwords,andwassureheheardhismastersay,`Youarecertainofwhatyoutellme?\'
`Certain,sir,\'repliedtheengineer。`Youmustrememberthat,sincewestarted,wehavekeptuphotfiresinallourfurnaces,andthoughwehadcoalenoughtogoonshortsteamfromNewYorktoBordeaux,wehaven\'tenoughtogowithallsteamfromNewYorktoLiverpool。\'
`Iwillconsider,\'repliedMrFogg。
Passepartoutunderstooditall;hewasseizedwithmortalanxiety。Thecoalwasgivingout!`Ah,ifmymastercangetoverthat,\'mutteredhe,`he\'llbeafamousman!\'HecouldnothelpimpartingtoFixwhathehadoverheard。
ThenyoubelievethatwereallyaregoingtoLiverpool?\'
`Ofcourse。\'
`Ass!\'repliedthedetective,shrugginghisshouldersandturningonhisheel。
Passepartoutwasonthepointofvigorouslyresentingtheepithet,thereasonofwhichhecouldnotforthelifeofhimcomprehend;buthereflectedthattheunfortunateFixwasprobablyverymuchdisappointedandhumiliatedinhisself-esteem,afterhavingsoawkwardlyfollowedafalsescentaroundtheworld,andrefrained。
AndnowwhatcoursewouldPhileasFoggadopt?Itwasdifficulttoimagine。
Neverthelessheseemedtohavedecideduponone,forthateveninghesentfortheengineer,andsaidtohim,`Feedallthefiresuntilthecoalisexhausted。\'
Afewmomentsafter,thefunnelofthe`Henrietta\'vomitedforthtorrentsofsmoke。Thevesselcontinuedtoproceedwithallsteamon;butonthe18th,theengineer,ashehadpredicted,announcedthatthecoalwouldgiveoutinthecourseoftheday。
`Donotletthefiresgodown,\'repliedMrFogg。`Keepthemuptothelast。Letthevalvesbefilled。\'
TowardsnoonPhileasFogg,havingascertainedtheirposition,calledPassepartout,andorderedhimtogoforCaptainSpeedy。Itwasasifthehonestfellowhadbeencommandedtounchainatiger。Hewenttothepoop,sayingtohimself,`Hewillbelikeamadman!\'
Inafewmoments,withcriesandoaths,abombappearedonthepoop-deck。
ThebombwasCaptainSpeedy。Itwasclearthathewasonthepointofbursting。
`Wherearewe?\'werethefirstwordshisangerpermittedhimtoutter。
Hadthepoormanbeenapoplectic,hecouldneverhaverecoveredfromhisparoxysmofwrath。
`Wherearewe?\'herepeated,withpurpleface。`SevenhundredandsevenmilesfromLiverpool,\'repliedMrFogg,withimperturbablecalmness。
`Pirate!\'criedCaptainSpeedy。`Ihavesentforyou,sir——\'
`Pickaroon!\'
`-Sir,\'continuedMrFogg,`toaskyoutosellmeyourvessel。\'
`No!Byallthedevils,no!\'
`ButIshallbeobligedtoburnher。\'
`Burnthe\"Henrietta\"!\'
`Yes;atleasttheupperpartofher。Thecoalhasgivenout。\'
`Burnmyvessel!\'criedCaptainSpeedy,whocouldscarcelypronouncethewords。`Avesselworthfiftythousanddollars!\'
`Herearesixtythousand,\'repliedPhileasFogg,handingthecaptainarollofbankbills。ThishadaprodigiouseffectonAndrewSpeedy。AnAmericancanscarcelyremainunmovedatthesightofsixtythousanddollars。
Thecaptainforgotinaninstanthisanger,hisimprisonment,andallhisgrudgesagainsthispassenger。The`Henrietta\'wastwentyyearsold;itwasagreatbargain。Thebombwouldnotgooffafterall。MrFogghadtakenawaythematch。
`AndIshallstillhavetheironhull,\'saidthecaptaininasoftertone。
`Theironhullandtheengine。Isitagreed?\'
`Agreed。\'
AndAndrewSpeedy,seizingthebank-notes,countedthemandconsignedthemtohispocket。
Duringthiscolloquy,Passepartoutwasaswhiteasasheet,andFixseemedonthepointofhavinganapoplecticfit。Nearlytwentythousandpoundshadbeenexpended,andFoggleftthehullandenginetothecaptain,thatis,nearthewholevalueofthecraft!Itwastrue,however,thatfifty-fivethousandpoundshadbeenstolenfromthebank。
WhenAndrewSpeedyhadpocketedthemoney,MrFoggsaidtohim,`Don\'tletthisastonishyou,sir。YoumustknowthatIshalllosetwentythousandpounds,unlessIarriveinLondonbyaquarterbeforenineontheeveningofthe21stofDecember。ImissedthesteameratNewYork,andasyourefusedtotakemetoLiverpool——\'
`AndIdidwell!\'criedAndrewSpeedy;`forIhavegainedatleastfortythousanddollarsbyit!\'Headded,moresedately,`Doyouknowonething,Captain——\'
`Fogg。\'
`CaptainFogg,you\'vegotsomethingoftheYankeeaboutyou。\'
And,havingpaidhispassengerwhatheconsideredahighcompliment,hewasgoingaway,whenMrFoggsaid,`Thevesselnowbelongstome?\'
`Certainly,fromthekeeltothetruckofthemasts,allthewood,thatis。\'
`Verywell。Havetheinteriorseats,bunks,andframespulleddown,andburnthem。\'
Itwasnecessarytohavedrywoodtokeepthesteamuptotheadequatepressure,andonthatdaythepoop,cabins,bunks,andthesparedeckweresacrificed。Onthenextday,the19thofDecember,themasts,raftsandsparswereburned;thecrewworkedlustily,keepingupthefires。Passepartouthewed,cutandsawedawaywithallhismight。Therewasaperfectragefordemolition。
Therailings,fittings,thegreaterpartofthedeck,andtopsidesdisappearedonthe20th,andthe`Henrietta\'wasnowonlyaflathulk。
ButonthisdaytheysightedtheIrishcoastandFastnetLight。BytenintheeveningtheywerepassingQueenstown。PhileasFogghadonlytwenty-fourhoursmoreinwhichtogettoLondon;thatlengthoftimewasnecessarytoreachLiverpool,withallsteamon。Andthesteamwasabouttogiveoutaltogether!
`Sir,\'saidCaptainSpeedy,whowasnowdeeplyinterestedinMrFogg\'sproject,`Ireallycommiserateyou。Everythingisagainstyou。WeareonlyoppositeQueenstown。\'
`Ah,\'saidMrFogg,`isthatplacewhereweseethelightsQueenstown?\'
`Yes。\'
`Canweentertheharbour?\'
`Notunderthreehours。Onlyathightide。\'
`Stay,\'repliedMrFoggcalmly,withoutbetrayinginhisfeaturesthatbyasupremeinspirationhewasabouttoattemptoncemoretoconquerill-fortune。
QueenstownistheIrishportatwhichthetransatlanticsteamersstoptoputoffthemails。ThesemailsarecarriedtoDublinbyexpresstrainsalwaysheldinreadinesstostart;fromDublintheyaresentontoLiverpoolbythemostrapidboats,andthusgaintwelvehoursontheAtlanticsteamers。
PhileasFoggcountedongainingtwelvehoursinthesameway。InsteadofarrivingatLiverpoolthenexteveningbythe`Henrietta\',hewouldbetherebynoon,andwouldthereforehavetimetoreachLondonbeforeaquarterbeforenineintheevening。
The`Henrietta\'enteredQueenstownHarbouratoneo\'clockinthemorning,itthenbeinghightide;andPhileasFogg,afterbeinggraspedheartilybythehandbyCaptainSpeedy,leftthatgentlemanonthelevelledhulkofhiscraft,whichwasstillworthhalfwhathehadsolditfor。
Thepartywentonshoreatonce。FixwasgreatlytemptedtoarrestMrFoggonthespot;buthedidnot。Why?Whatstrugglewasgoingonwithinhim?Hadhechangedhismindabout`hisman\'?Didheunderstandthathehadmadeagravemistake?Hedidnot,however,abandonMrFogg。Theyallgotuponthetrain,whichwasjustreadytostart,athalf-pastone;atdawnofdaytheywereinDublin;andtheylostnotimeinembarkingonasteamerwhich,disdainingtoriseuponthewaves,invariablycutthroughthem。
PhileasFoggatlastdisembarkedontheLiverpoolquay,attwentyminutesbeforetwelve,December21st。HewasonlysixhoursdistantfromLondon。
ButatthismomentFixcameup,puthishanduponMrFogg\'sshoulder,and,showinghiswarrant,said,`YouarereallyPhileasFogg?\'
`Iam。\'
`IarrestyouintheQueen\'sname!\'
CHAPTERXXXIVINWHICHPHILEASFOGGATLASTREACHESLONDON。
PhileasFoggwasinprison。HehadbeenshutupintheCustomHouse,andhewastobetransferredtoLondonthenextday。
Passepartout,whenhesawhismasterarrested,wouldhavefallenuponFixhadhenotbeenheldbackbysomepolicemen。Aoudawasthunderstruckatthesuddennessofaneventwhichshecouldnotunderstand。PassepartoutexplainedtoherhowitwasthatthehonestandcourageousFoggwasarrestedasarobber。Theyoungwoman\'sheartrevoltedagainstsoheinousacharge,andwhenshesawthatshecouldattemptordonothingtosaveherprotector,sheweptbitterly。
AsforFix,hehadarrestedMrFoggbecauseitwashisduty,whetherMrFoggwereguiltyornot。
ThethoughtthenstruckPassepartout,thathewasthecauseofthisnewmisfortune!HadhenotconcealedFix\'serrandfromhismaster?WhenFixrevealedhistruecharacterandpurpose,whyhadhenottoldMrFogg?
Ifthelatterhadbeenwarned,hewouldnodoubthavegivenFixproofofhisinnocence,andsatisfiedhimofhismistake;atleast,Fixwouldnothavecontinuedhisjourneyattheexpenseandontheheelsofhismaster,onlytoarresthimthemomenthesetfootonEnglishsoil。Passepartoutwepttillhewasblind,andfeltlikeblowinghisbrainsout。
Aoudaandhehadremained,despitethecold,undertheporticooftheCustomHouse。Neitherwishedtoleavetheplace;bothwereanxioustoseeMrFoggagain。
Thatgentlemanwasreallyruined,andthatatthemomentwhenhewasabouttoattainhisend。Thisarrestwasfatal。HavingarrivedatLiverpoolattwentyminutesbeforetwelveonthe21stofDecember,hehadtillaquarterbeforeninethateveningtoreachtheReformClub,thatis,ninehoursandaquarter;thejourneyfromLiverpooltoLondonwassixhours。
Ifanyone,atthismoment,hadenteredtheCustomHouse,hewouldhavefoundMrFoggseated,motionless,calm,andwithoutapparentanger,uponawoodenbench。Hewasnot,itistrue,resigned;butthislastblowfailedtoforcehimintoanoutwardbetrayalofanyemotion。Washebeingdevouredbyoneofthosesecretrages,allthemoreterriblebecausecontained,andwhichonlyburstforth,withanirresistibleforce,atthelastmoment?
Noonecouldtell。Therehesat,calmlywaiting-forwhat?Didhestillcherishhope?Didhestillbelieve,nowthatthedoorofthisprisonwascloseduponhim,thathewouldsucceed?
Howeverthatmayhavebeen,MrFoggcarefullyputhiswatchuponthetable,andobserveditsadvancinghands。Notawordescapedhislips,buthislookwassingularlysetandstern。Thesituation,inanyevent,wasaterribleone,andmightbethusstated:IfPhileasFoggwashonesthewasruined;ifhewasaknave,hewascaught。
Didescapeoccurtohim?Didheexaminetoseeiftherewereanypracticableoutletfromhisprison?Didhethinkofescapingfromit?Possibly;foroncehewalkedslowlyaroundtheroom。Butthedoorwaslocked,andthewindowheavilybarredwithironrods。Hesatdownagain,anddrewhisjournalfromhispocket。Onthelinewherethesewordswerewritten,`December21st,Saturday,Liverpool,\'headded,`80thday,11。40a。m。,\'andwaited。
TheCustomHouseclockstruckone。MrFoggobservedthathiswatchwastwohourstoofast。
Twohours!Admittingthathewasatthismomenttakinganexpresstrain;
hecouldreachLondonandtheReformClubbyaquarterbeforenine,P。M。
Hisforeheadslightlywrinkled。
Atthirty-threeminutespasttwoheheardasingularnoiseoutside,thenahastyopeningofdoors。Passepartout\'svoicewasaudible,andimmediatelyafterthatofFix。PhileasFogg\'seyesbrightenedforaninstant。
Thedoorswungopen,andhesawPassepartout,AoudaandFix,whohurriedtowardshim。
Fixwasoutofbreath,andhishairwasindisorder。Hecouldnotspeak。
`Sir,\'hestammered,`Sir-forgiveme-amost-unfortunateresemblance-robberarrestedthreedaysago-you-arefree!\'
PhileasFoggwasfree!Hewalkedtothedetective,lookedhimsteadilyintheface,andwiththeonlyrapidmotionhehadevermadeinhislife,orwhichheeverwouldmake,drewbackhisarms,andwiththeprecisionofamachine,knockedFixdown。
`Wellhit!\'criedPassepartout。`Parbleu!that\'swhatyoumightcallagoodapplicationofEnglishfists!\'
Fix,whofoundhimselfonthefloor,didnotutteraword。Hehadonlyreceivedhisdeserts。MrFogg,AoudaandPassepartoutlefttheCustomHousewithoutdelay,gotintoacab,andinafewmomentsdescendedatthestation。
PhileasFoggaskediftherewasanexpresstrainabouttoleaveforLondon。Itwasfortyminutespasttwo。Theexpresstrainhadleftthirty-fiveminutesbefore。
PhileasFoggthenorderedaspecialtrain。
Therewereseveralrapidlocomotivesonhand;buttherailwayarrangementsdidnotpermitthespecialtraintoleaveuntilthreeo\'clock。
AtthathourPhileasFogg,havingstimulatedtheengineerbytheofferofagenerousreward,atlastsetouttowardsLondonwithAoudaandhisfaithfulservant。
Itwasnecessarytomakethejourneyinfivehoursandahalf;andthiswouldhavebeeneasyonaclearroadthroughout。Buttherewereforceddelays,andwhenMrFoggsteppedfromthetrainattheterminus,alltheclocksinLondonwerestrikingtenminutesbeforenine。
Havingmadethetouroftheworld,hewasbehindhandfiveminutes。Hehadlostthewager!
CHAPTERXXXVINWHICHPHILEASFOGGDOESNOTHAVETOREPEATHISORDERSTOPASSEPARTOUT
TWICE。
ThedwellersinSavilleRowwouldhavebeensurprised,thenextday,iftheyhadbeentoldthatPhileasFogghadreturnedhome。Hisdoorsandwindowswerestillclosed;noappearanceofchangewasvisible。
Afterleavingthestation,MrFogggavePassepartoutinstructionstopurchasesomeprovisions,andquietlywenttohisdomicile。
Heborehismisfortunewithhishabitualtranquillity。Ruined!Andbytheblunderingofthedetective!Afterhavingsteadilytraversedthatlongjourney,overcomeahundredobstacles,bravedmanydangers,andstillfoundtimetodosomegoodonhisway,tofailnearthegoalbyasuddeneventwhichhecouldnothaveforeseen,andagainstwhichhewasunarmed;itwasterrible!Butafewpoundswereleftofthelargesumhehadcarriedwithhim。ThereonlyremainedofhisfortunethetwentythousandpoundsdepositedatBarings,andthisamountheowedtohisfriendsoftheReformClub。Sogreathadbeentheexpenseofhistour,that,evenhadhewon,itwouldnothaveenrichedhim;anditisprobablethathehadnotsoughttoenrichhimself,beingamanwhoratherlaidwagersforhonour\'ssakethanforthestakeproposed。Butthiswagertotallyruinedhim。
MrFogg\'scourse,however,wasfullydecidedupon;heknewwhatremainedforhimtodo。
AroominthehouseinSavilleRowwassetapartforAouda,whowasoverwhelmedwithgriefatherprotector\'smisfortune。FromthewordswhichMrFoggdropped,shesawthathewasmeditatingsomeseriousproject。
KnowingthatEnglishmengovernedbyafixedideasometimesresorttothedesperateexpedientofsuicide,Passepartoutkeptanarrowwatchuponhismaster,thoughhecarefullyconcealedtheappearanceofsodoing。
Firstofall,theworthyfellowhadgoneuptohisroom,andhadextinguishedegasburner,which-hadbeenburningforeightydays。Hehadfoundintheletter-boxabillfromthegascompany,andhethoughtitmorethantimetoputastoptothisexpense,whichhehadbeendoomedtobear。
Thenightpassed。MrFoggwenttobed,butdidhesleep?Aoudadidnotonceclosehereyes。Passepartoutwatchedallnight,likeafaithfuldog,athismaster\'sdoor。
MrFoggcalledhiminthemorning,andtoldhimtogetAouda\'sbreakfast,andacupofteaandachopforhimself。HedesiredAoudatoexcusehimfrombreakfastanddinner,ashistimewouldbeabsorbedalldayinputtinghisaffairstorights。Intheeveninghewouldaskpermissiontohaveafewmoments\'conversationwiththeyounglady。
Passepartout,havingreceivedhisorders,hadnothingtodobutobeythem。Helookedathisimperturbablemaster,andcouldscarcelybringhismindtoleavehim。Hisheartwasfull,andhisconsciencetorturedbyremorse;
forheaccusedhimselfmorebitterlythaneverofbeingthecauseoftheirretrievabledisaster。Yes!ifhehadwarnedMrFogg,andhadbetrayedFix\'sprojectstohim,hismasterwouldcertainlynothavegiventhedetectivepassagetoLiverpool,andthen——
Passepartoutcouldholdinnolonger。
`Mymaster!MrFogg!\'hecried。`Whydoyounotcurseme?Itwasmyfaultthat——\'
`Iblamenoone,\'returnedPhileasFogg,withperfectcalmness。`Go!\'
Passepartoutlefttheroom,andwenttofindAouda,towhomhedeliveredhismaster\'smessage。
`Madam,\'headded,`Icandonothingmyself-nothing!Ihavenoinfluenceovermymaster;butyou,perhaps——\'
`WhatinfluencecouldIhave?\'repliedAouda。`MrFoggisinfluencedbynoone。Hasheeverunderstoodthatmygratitudetohimisoverflowing?
Hasheeverreadmyheart?Myfriend,hemustnotbeleftaloneaninstant!
Yousayheisgoingtospeakwithmethisevening?\'
`Yes,madam;probablytoarrangeforyourprotectionandcomfortinEngland。\'
`Weshallsee,\'repliedAouda,becomingsuddenlypensive。
Throughoutthisday(Sunday)thehouseinSavilleRowwasasifuninhabited,andPhileasFogg,forthefirsttimesincehehadlivedinthathouse,didnotsetoutforhisclubwhenWestminsterclockstruckhalf-pasteleven。
WhyshouldhepresenthimselfattheReform?Hisfriendsnolongerexpectedhimthere。AsPhileasFogghadnotappearedinthesaloonontheeveningbefore(Saturday,the21stofDecember,ataquarterbeforenine),hehadlosthiswager。Itwasnotevennecessarythatheshouldgotohisbankersforthetwentythousandpounds;forhisantagonistsalreadyhadhischequeintheirhands,andtheyhadonlytofillitoutandsendittotheBaringstohavetheamounttransferredtotheircredit。
MrFogg,therefore,hadnoreasonforgoingout,andsoheremainedathome。Heshuthimselfupinhisroom,andbusiedhimselfputtinghisaffairsinorder。Passepartoutcontinuallyascendedanddescendedthestairs。
Thehourswerelongforhim。Helistenedathismaster\'sdoor,andlookedthroughthekeyhole,asifhehadaperfectrightsotodo,andasifhefearedthatsomethingterriblemighthappenatanymoment。SometimeshethoughtofFix,butnolongerinanger。Fix,likealltheworld,hadbeenmistakeninPhileasFogg,andhadonlydonehisdutyintrackingandarrestinghim;whilehe,Passepartout。Thisthoughthauntedhim,andheneverceasedcursinghismiserablefolly。
Findinghimselftoowretchedtoremainalone,heknockedatAouda\'sdoor,wentintoherroom,seatedhimself,withoutspeaking,inacorner,andlookedruefullyattheyoungwoman。Aoudawasstillpensive。
Abouthalf-pastsevenintheeveningMrFoggsenttoknowifAoudawouldreceivehim,andinafewmomentshefoundhimselfalonewithher。
PhileasFoggtookachair,andsatdownnearthefireplace,oppositeAouda。Noemotionwasvisibleonhisface。FoggreturnedwasexactlytheFoggwhohadgoneaway;therewasthesamecalm,thesameimpassibility。
Hesatseveralminuteswithoutspeaking;then,bendinghiseyesonAouda,`Madam,\'saidhe,`willyoupardonmeforbringingyoutoEngland?\'
`I,MrFogg!\'repliedAouda,checkingthepulsationsofherheart。
`Pleaseletmefinish,\'returnedMrFogg。`WhenIdecidedtobringyoufarawayfromthecountrywhichwassounsafeforyou,Iwasrich,andcountedonputtingaportionofmyfortuneatyourdisposal;thenyourexistencewouldhavebeenfreeandhappy。ButnowIamruined。\'
`Iknowit,MrFogg,\'repliedAouda;`andIaskyouinmyturn,willyouforgivemeforhavingfollowedyou,and-whoknows?-forhaving,perhaps,delayedyou,andthuscontributedtoyourruin?\'
`Madam,youcouldnotremaininIndia,andyoursafetycouldonlybeassuredbybringingyoutosuchadistancethatyourpersecutorscouldnottakeyou。\'
`So,MrFogg,\'resumedAouda,`notcontentwithrescuingmefromaterribledeath,youthoughtyourselfboundtosecuremycomfortinaforeignland?\'
`Yes,madam;butcircumstanceshavebeenagainstme。Still,IbegtoplacethelittleIhaveleftatyourservice。\'
`Butwhatwillbecomeofyou,MrFogg?\'
`Asforme,madam,\'repliedthegentleman,coldly,`Ihaveneedofnothing。\'
`Buthowdoyoulookuponthefate,sir,whichawaitsyou?\'
`AsIaminthehabitofdoing。\'
`Atleast,\'saidAouda,`wantshouldnotovertakeamanlikeyou。Yourfriends——\'
`Ihavenofriends,madam。\'
`Yourrelatives——\'
`Ihavenolongeranyrelatives。\'
`Ipityyou,then,MrFogg,forsolitudeisasadthing,withnohearttowhichtoconfideyourgriefs。Theysay,though,thatmiseryitself,sharedbytwosympatheticsoulsmaybebornewithpatience。
`Theysayso,madam。\'
`MrFogg,\'saidAouda,risingandseizinghishand,`doyouwishatonceakinswomanandfriend?Willyouhavemeforyourwife?\'
MrFogg,atthis,roseinturn。Therewasanunwontedlightinhiseyes,andslighttremblingofhislips。Aoudalookedintohisface。Thesincerity,rectitude,firmnessandsweetnessofthissoftglanceofanoblewoman,whocoulddarealltosavehimtowhomsheowedall,atfirstastonished,thenpenetratedhim。Heshuthiseyesforaninstant,asiftoavoidherlook。Whenheopenedthemagain,`Iloveyou!\'hesaid,simply。`Yes,byallthatisholiest,Iloveyou,andIamentirelyyours!\'
`Ah!\'criedAouda,pressinghishandtoherheart。
Passepartoutwassummonedandappearedimmediately。MrFoggstillheldAouda\'shandinhisown;Passepartoutunderstood,andhisbig,roundfacebecameasradiantasthetropicalsunatitszenith。
MrFoggaskedhimifitwasnottoolatetonotifytheReverendSamuelWilson,ofMaryleboneParish,thatevening。
Passepartoutsmiledhismostgenialsmile,andsaid,`Nevertoolate。\'
Itwasfiveminutespasteight。
`Willitbefortomorrow,Monday?\'
`Fortomorrow,Monday,\'saidFogg,turningtoAouda。
`Yes;fortomorrow,Monday,\'shereplied。
Passepartouthurriedoffasfastashislegscouldcarryhim。
CHAPTERXXXVIINWHICHPHILEASFOGG\'SNAMEISONCEMOREATAPREMIUMON\'CHANGE。
ItistimetorelatewhatachangetookplaceinEnglishpublicopinion,whenittranspiredthattherealbankrobber,acertainJamesStrand,hadbeenarrested,onthe17thofDecember,atEdinburgh。Threedaysbefore,PhileasFogghadbeenacriminal,whowasbeingdesperatelyfollowedupbythepolice;nowhewasanhonourablegentleman,mathematicallypursuinghiseccentricjourneyroundtheworld。
Thepapersresumedtheirdiscussionaboutthewager;allthosewhohadlaidbets,fororagainsthim,revivedtheirinterest,asifbymagic;
the`PhileasFoggbends\'againbecamenegotiable,andmanynewwagersweremade。PhileasFogg\'snamewasoncemoreatapremiumon\'Change。
HisfivefriendsoftheReformClubpassedthesethreedaysinastateoffeverishsuspense。WouldPhileasFogg,whomtheyhadforgotten,reappearbeforetheireyes!Wherewasheatthismoment?The17thofDecember,thedayofJamesStrand\'sarrest,wastheseventy-sixthsincePhileasFogg\'sdeparture,andnonewsofhimhadbeenreceived。Washedead?Hadheabandonedtheeffort,orwashecontinuinghisjourneyalongtherouteagreedupon?
AndwouldheappearonSaturday,the21stofDecember,ataquarterbeforenineintheevening,onthethresholdoftheReformClubsaloon?
Theanxietyinwhich,forthreedays,Londonsocietyexisted,cannotbedescribed。TelegramsweresenttoAmericaandAsiafornewsofPhileasFogg。MessengersweredespatchedtothehouseinSavilleRowmorningandevening。Nonews。Thepolicewereignorantwhathadbecomeofthedetective,Fix,whohadsounfortunatelyfollowedupafalsescent。Betsincreased,nevertheless,innumberandvalue。PhileasFogg,likearacehorse,wasdrawingnearhislastturning-point。Thebondswerequoted,nolongeratahundredbelowpar,butattwenty,atten,andatfive;andparalyticoldLordAlbemarlebeteveninhisfavour。
AgreatcrowdwascollectedinPallMailandtheneighbouringstreetsonSaturdayevening;itseemedlikeamultitudeofbrokerspermanentlyestablishedaroundtheReformClub。Circulationwasimpeded,andeverywheredisputes,discussions,andfinancialtransactionsweregoingon。Thepolicehadgreatdifficultyinkeepingbackthecrowd,andasthehourwhenPhileasFoggwasdueapproached,theexcitementrosetoitshighestpitch。
ThefiveantagonistsofPhileasFogghadmetinthegreatsaloonoftheclub。JohnSullivanandSamuelFallentin,thebankers,AndrewStuart,theengineer,GauthierRalph,thedirectoroftheBankofEngland,andThomasFlanagan,thebrewer,oneandallwaitedanxiously。
Whentheclockindicatedtwentyminutespasteight,AndrewStuartgotup,saying,`Gentlemen,intwentyminutesthetimeagreeduponbetweenMrFoggandourselveswillhaveexpired。\'
`WhattimedidthelasttrainarrivefromLiverpool?\'askedThomasFlanagan。
`Attwenty-threeminutespastseven,\'repliedGauthierRalph;`andthenextdoesnotarrivetilltenminutesaftertwelve。\'
`Well,gentlemen,\'resumedAndrewStuart,`ifPhileasFogghadcomeinthe7。23train,hewouldhavegotherebythistime。Wecan,therefore,regardthebetaswon。\'
`Wait;don\'tletusbetoohasty,\'repliedSamuelFallentin。`YouknowthatMrFoggisveryeccentric。Hispunctualityiswellknown;heneverarrivestoosoon,ortoolate;andIshouldnotbesurprisedifheappearedbeforeusatthelastminute。\'
`Why,\'saidAndrewStuartnervously,`ifIshouldseehim,Ishouldnotbelieveitwashe。\'
`Thefactis,\'resumedThomasFlanagan,`MrFogg\'sprojectwasabsurdlyfoolish。Whateverhispunctuality,hecouldnotpreventthedelayswhichwerecertaintooccur;andadelayofonlytwoorthreedayswouldbefataltohistour。\'
`Observe,too,\'addedJohnSullivan,`thatwehavereceivednointelligencefromhim,thoughtherearetelegraphiclinesallalonghisroute。\'
`Hehaslost,gentlemen,\'saidAndrewStuart,-`hehasahundredtimeslost!Youknow,besides,thatthe\"China\"-theonlysteamerhecouldhavetakenfromNewYorktogethereintime-arrivedyesterday。IhaveseenalistofthepassengersandthenameofPhileasFoggisnotamongthem。
Evenifweadmitthatfortunehasfavouredhim,hecanscarcelyhavereachedAmerica。Ithinkhewillbeatleasttwentydaysbehindhand,andthatLordAlbemarlewillloseacoolfivethousand。\'
`Itisclear,\'repliedGauthierRalph;`andwehavenothingtodobuttopresentMrFogg\'schequeatBaringstomorrow。\'
Atthismoment,thehandsoftheclubclockpointedtotwentyminutestonine。
`Fiveminutesmore,\'saidAndrewStuart。
Thefivegentlemenlookedateachother。Theiranxietywasbecomingintense;but,notwishingtobetrayit,theyreadilyassentedtoMrFallentin\'sproposalofarubber。
`Iwouldn\'tgiveupmyfourthousandofthebet,\'saidAndrewStuart,ashetookhisseat,`forthreethousandninehundredandninety-nine。\'
Theclockindicatedeighteenminutestonine。
Theplayerstookuptheircards,butcouldnotkeeptheireyesofftheclock。Certainly,howeversecuretheyfelt,minuteshadneverseemedsolongtothem!
`Seventeenminutestonine,\'saidThomasFlanagan,ashecutthecardswhichRalphhandedtohim。
Thentherewasamomentofsilence。Thegreatsaloonwasperfectlyquiet;
butthemurmursofthecrowdoutsidewereheard,withnowandthenashrillcry。Thependulumbeattheseconds,whicheachplayereagerlycounted,ashelistenedwithmathematicalregularity。
`Sixteenminutestonine!\'saidJohnSullivan,inavoicewhichbetrayedhisemotion。
Oneminutemore,andthewagerwouldbewon。AndrewStuartandhispartnerssuspendedtheirgame。Theylefttheircards,andcountedtheseconds。
Atthefortiethsecond,nothing。Atthefiftieth,stillnothing。
Atthefifty-fifth,aloudcrywasheardinthestreet,followedbyapplause,hurrahs,andsomefiercegrowls。
Theplayersrosefromtheirseats。
Atthefifty-seventhsecondthedoorofthesaloonopened;andthependulumhadnotbeatthesixtiethsecondwhenPhileasFoggappeared,followedbyanexcitedcrowdwhohadforcedtheirwaythroughtheclubdoors,andinhiscalmvoice,said,`HereIam,gentlemen!\'
CHAPTERXXXVIIINWHICHITISSHOWNTHATPHILEASFOGGGAINEDNOTHINGBYHISTOURAROUND
THEWORLD,UNLESSITWEREHAPPINESS。
Yes;PhileasFogginperson。
Thereaderwillrememberthatatfiveminutespasteightintheevening-aboutfiveandtwentyhoursafterthearrivalofthetravellersinLondon-PassepartouthadbeensentbyhismastertoengagetheservicesoftheReverendSamuelWilsoninacertainmarriageceremony,whichwastotakeplacethenextday。
Passepartoutwentonhiserrandenchanted。Hesoonreachedtheclergyman\'shouse,butfoundhimnotathome。Passepartoutwaitedagoodtwentyminutes,andwhenheleftthereverendgentleman,itwasthirty-fiveminutespasteight。Butinwhatastatehewas!Withhishairindisorder,andwithouthishat,heranalongthestreetasnevermanWasseentorunbefore,overturningpassers-by,rushingoverthesidewalklikeawaterspout。
InthreeminuteshewasinSavilleRowagain,andstaggeredbreathlesslyintoMrFogg\'sroom。
Hecouldnotspeak。`Whatisthematter?\'askedMrFogg。
`Mymaster!\'gaspedPassepartout,-`marriage-impossible——\'
`Impossible?\'
`Impossible-fortomorrow。\'
`Whyso?\'
`Becausetomorrow-isSunday!\'
`Monday,\'repliedMrFogg。`No-today-isSaturday。\'
`Saturday?Impossible!\'
`Yes,yes,yes,yes!\'criedPassepartout。`Youhavemadeamistakeofoneday!Wearrivedtwenty-fourhoursaheadoftime;butthereareonlytenminutesleft!\'
Passepartouthadseizedhismasterbythecollar,andwasdragginghimalongwithirresistibleforce。
PhileasFogg,thuskidnapped,withouthavingtimetothink,lefthishouse,jumpedintoacab,promisedahundredpoundstothecabman,and,havingrunovertwodogsandoverturnedfivecarriages,reachedtheReformClub。
Theclockindicatedaquarterbeforeninewhenheappearedinthegreatsaloon。
PhileasFogghadaccomplishedthejourneyroundtheworldineightydays!
PhileasFogghadwonhiswageroftwentythousandpounds!
Howwasitthatamansoexactandfastidiouscouldhavemadethiserrorofaday?HowcamehetothinkthathehadarrivedinLondononSaturday,thetwenty-firstdayofDecember,whenitwasreallyFriday,thetwentieth,theseventy-ninthdayonlyfromhisdeparture?
Thecauseoftheerrorisverysimple。
PhileasFogghad,withoutsuspectingit,gainedonedayonhisjourney,andthismerelybecausehehadtravelledconstantlyeastward;hewould,onthecontrary,havelostadayhadhegoneintheoppositedirection,thatiswestward。
Injourneyingeastwardhehadgonetowardsthesun,andthedaysthereforediminishedforhimasmanytimesfourminutesashecrosseddegreesinthisdirection。Therearethreehundredandsixtydegreesonthecircumferenceoftheearth;andthesethreehundredandsixtydegrees,multipliedbyfourminutes,givespreciselytwenty-fourhours-thatis,thedayunconsciouslygained。Inotherwords,whilePhileasFogg,goingeastward,sawthesunpassthemeridianeightytimes,hisfriendsinLondononlysawitpastthemeridianseventy-ninetimes。ThisiswhytheyawaitedhimattheReformClubonSaturday,andnotSunday,asMrFoggthought。
AndPassepartout\'sfamousfamilywatch,whichhadalwayskeptLondontime,wouldhavebetrayedthisfact,ifithadmarkedthedaysaswellasthehoursandminutes!
PhileasFogg,then,hadwonthetwentythousandpounds;butashehadspentnearlynineteenthousandontheway,thepecuniarygainwassmall。
Hisobjectwas,however,tobevictorious,andnottowinmoney。HedividedtheonethousandpoundsthatremainedbetweenPassepartoutandtheunfortunateFix,againstwhomhecherishednogrudge。Hededucted,however,fromPassepartout\'ssharethecostofthegaswhichhadburnedinhisroomfornineteenhundredandtwentyhours,forthesakeofregularity。
Thatevening,MrFogg,astranquilandphlegmaticasever,saidtoAouda:
`Isourmarriagestillagreeabletoyou?\'
`MrFogg,\'repliedshe,`itisformetoaskthatquestion。Youwereruined,butnowyouarerichagain。\'
`Pardonme,madam;myfortunebelongstoyou。Ifyouhadnotsuggestedourmarriage,myservantwouldnothavegonetotheReverendSamuelWilson\'s,Ishouldnothavebeenapprisedofmyerror,and——\'
`DearMrFogg!\'saidtheyoungwoman。
`DearAouda!\'repliedPhileasFogg。Itneednotbesaidthatthemarriagetookplaceforty-eighthoursafter,andthatPassepartout,glowinganddazzling,gavethebrideaway。Hadhenotsavedher,andwashenotentitledtothishonour?
Thenextday,assoonasitwaslight,Passepartoutrappedvigorouslyathismaster\'sdoor。MrFoggopenedit,andasked,`What\'sthematter,Passepartout?\'
`Whatisit,sir?Why,I\'vejustthisinstantfoundout——\'
`What?\'
`Thatwemighthavemadethetouroftheworldinonlyseventy-eightdays。\'
`Nodoubt,\'returnedMrFogg,`bynotcrossingIndia。ButifIhadnotcrossedIndia,IshouldnothavesavedAouda;shewouldnothavebeenmywife,and——\'
MrFoggquietlyshutthedoor。
PhileasFogghadwonhiswager,andhadmadehisjourneyaroundtheworldineightydays。Todothishehademployedeverymeansofconveyance-steamers,railways,carriages,yachts,trading-vessels,sledges,elephants。Theeccentricgentlemanhadthroughoutdisplayedallhismarvellousqualitiesofcoolnessandexactitude。Butwhatthen?Whathadhereallygainedbyallthistrouble?
Whathadhebroughtbackfromthislongandwearyjourney?
Nothing,sayyou?Perhapsso;nothingbutacharmingwoman,who,strangeasitmayappear,madehimthehappiestofmen!
Truly,wouldyounotforlessthanthatmakethetouraroundtheworld?