AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS(环游世界80天)-第14部分

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s　married　against　her　will　to　the　old　rajah　of　Bundelcund；　and；　knowing　the　fate　that　awaited　her；　she　escaped；　was　retaken；　and　devoted　by　the　rajah's　relatives；　who　had　an　interest　in　her　death；　to　the　sacrifice　from　which　it　seemed　she　could　not　escape。　
The　Parsee's　narrative　only　confirmed　Mr　Fogg　and　his　companions　in　their　generous　design。　It　was　decided　that　the　guide　should　direct　the　elephant　towards　the　pagoda　of　Pillaji；　which　he　acomordingly　approached　as　quickly　as　possible。　They　halted；　half…an…hour　afterwards；　in　a　copse；　some　five　hundred　feet　from　the　pagoda；　where　they　were　well　concealed；　but　they　could　hear　the　groans　and　cries　of　the　fakirs　distinctly。　
They　then　discussed　the　means　of　getting　at　the　victim。　The　guide　was　familiar　with　the　pagoda　of　Pillaji；　in　which；　as　he　declared；　the　young　woman　was　imprisoned。　Could　they　enter　any　of　its　doors　while　the　whole　party　of　Indians　was　plunged　in　a　drunken　sleep　or　was　it　safer　to　attempt　to　make　a　hole　in　the　walls？　This　could　only　be　determined　at　the　moment　and　the　place　themselves；　but　it　was　certain　that　the　abduction　must　be　made　that　night；　and　not　when；　at　break　of　day；　the　victim　was　led　to　her　funeral　pyre。　Then　no　human　intervention　could　save　her。　
As　soon　as　night　fell；　about　six　o'clock；　they　decided　to　make　a　reconnaissance　around　the　pagoda。　The　cries　of　the　fakirs　were　just　ceasing；　the　Indians　were　in　the　act　of　plunging　themselves　into　the　drunkenness　caused　by　liquid　Opium　mingled　with　hemp；　and　it　might　be　possible　to　slip　between　them　to　the　temple　itself。　
The　Parsee；　leading　the　others；　noiselessly　crept　through　the　wood；　and　in　ten　minutes　they　found　themselves　on　the　banks　of　a　small　stream；　whence；　by　the　light　of　the　rosin　torches；　they　perceived　a　pyre　of　wood；　on　the　top　of　which　lay　the　embalmed　body　of　the　rajah；　which　was　to　be　burned　with　his　wife。　The　pagoda；　whose　minarets　loomed　above　the　trees　in　the　deepening　dusk；　Stood　a　hundred　steps　away。　
‘Come！'　whispered　the　guide。　
He　slipped　more　cautiously　than　ever　through　the　brush；　followed　by　his　companions；　the　silence　around　was　only　broken　by　the　low　murmuring　of　the　wind　among　the　branches。　
Soon　the　Parsee　stopped　on　the　borders　of　the　glade；　which　was　lit　up　by　the　torches。　The　ground　was　covered　by　groups　of　the　Indians；　motionless　in　their　drunken　sleep；　it　seemed　a　battle…field　strewn　with　the　dead。　Men；　women；　and　children　lay　together。　
In　the　background；　among　the　trees；　the　pagoda　of　Pillaji　loomed　indistinctly。　Much　to　the　guide's　disappointment；　the　guards　of　the　rajah；　lighted　by　torches；　were　watching　at　the　doors　and　marching　to　and　fro　with　naked　sabres；　probably　the　priests；　too；　were　watching　within。　
The　Parsee；　now　convinced　that　it　was　impossible　to　force　an　entrance　to　the　temple；　advanced　no　farther；　but　led　his　companions　back　again。　Phileas　Fogg　and　Sir　Francis　Cromarty　also　saw　that　nothing　could　be　attempted　in　that　direction。　They　stopped；　and　engaged　in　a　whispered　colloquy。　
‘It　is　only　eight　now；'　said　the　brigadier；　‘and　these　guards　may　also　go　to　sleep。'　
‘It　is　not　impossible；'　returned　the　Parsee。　They　lay　down　at　the　foot　of　a　tree；　and　waited。　
The　time　seemed　long；　the　guide　ever　and　anon　left　them　to　take　an　observation　on　the　edge　of　the　wood；　but　the　guards　watched　steadily　by　the　glare　of　the　torches；　and　a　dim　light　crept　through　the　windows　of　the　pagoda。　
They　waited　till　midnight；　but　no　change　took　place　among　the　guards；　and　it　became　apparent　that　their　yielding　to　sleep　could　not　be　counted　on。　The　other　plan　must　be　carried　out；　an　opening　in　the　walls　of　the　pagoda　must　be　made。　It　remained　to　ascertain　whether　the　priests　were　watching　by　the　side　of　their　victim　as　assiduously　as　were　the　soldiers　at　the　door。　
After　a　last　consultation；　the　guide　announced　that　he　was　ready　for　the　attempt；　and　advanced；　followed　by　the　others。　They　took　a　roundabout　way；　so　as　to　get　at　the　pagoda　on　the　rear。　They　reached　the　walls　about　half…past　twelve；　without　having　met　anyone；　here　there　was　no　guard；　nor　were　there　either　windows　or　doors。　
The　night　was　dark。　The　moon；　on　the　wane；　scarcely　left　the　horizon；　and　was　covered　with　heavy　clouds；　the　height　of　the　trees　deepened　the　darkness。　
It　was　not　enough　to　reach　the　walls；　an　opening　in　them　must　be　acomomplished；　and　to　attain　this　purpose　the　party　only　had　their　pocket…knives。　Happily　the　temple　walls　were　built　of　brick　and　wood；　which　could　be　penetrated　with　little　difficulty；　after　one　brick　had　been　taken　out；　the　rest　would　yield　easily。　
They　set　noiselessly　to　work；　and　the　Parsee　on　one　side　and　Passepartout　on　the　other　began　to　loosen　the　bricks　so　as　to　make　an　aperture　two　feet　wide。　They　were　getting　on　rapidly；　when　suddenly　a　cry　was　heard　in　the　interior　of　the　temple；　followed　almost　instantly　by　other　cries　replying　from　the　outside。　Passepartout　and　the　guide　stopped。　Had　they　been　heard？　Was　the　alarm　being　given？　Common　prudence　urged　them　to　retire；　and　they　did　so；　followed　by　Phileas　Fogg　and　Sir　Francis。　They　again　hid　themselves　in　the　wood；　and　waited　till　the　disturbance；　whatever　it　might　be；　ceased；　holding　themselves　ready　to　resume　their　attempt　without　delay。　But；　awkwardly　enough；　the　guards　now　appeared　at　the　rear　of　the　temple；　and　there　installed　themselves；　in　readiness　to　prevent　a　surprise。　
It　would　be　difficult　to　describe　the　disappointment　of　the　party；　thus　interrupted　in　their　work。　They　could　not　now　reach　the　victim；　how；　then；　could　they　save　her？　Sir　Francis　shook　his　fists；　Passepartout　was　beside　himself；　and　the　guide　gnashed　his　teeth　with　rage。　The　tranquil　Fogg　waited；　without　betraying　any　emotion。　
‘We　have　nothing　to　do　but　to　go　away；'　whispered　Sir　Francis。　
‘Nothing　but　to　go　away；'　echoed　the　guide。　
‘Stop；'　said　Fogg。　‘I　am　only　due　at　Allahabad　to…morrow　before　noon。　
‘But　what　can　you　hope　to　do？'　asked　Sir　Francis。　‘In　a　few　hours　it　will　be　daylight；　and……'　
‘The　chance　which　now　seems　lost　may　present　itself　at　the　last　moment。'　
Sir　Francis　would　have　liked　to　read　Phileas　Fogg's　eyes。　
What　was　this　cool　Englishman　thinking　of？　Was　he　planning　to　make　a　rush　for　the　young　woman　at　the　very　moment　of　the　sacrifice；　and　boldly　snatch　her　from　her　executioners？　
This　would　be　utter　folly；　and　it　was　hard　to　admit　that　Fogg　was　such　a　fool。　Sir　Francis　consented；　however；　to　remain　to　the　end　of　this　terrible　drama。　The　guide　led　them　to　the　rear　of　the　glade；　where　they　were　able　to　observe　the　sleeping　groups。　
Meanwhile　Passepartout；　who　had　perched　himself　on　the　lower　branches　of　a　tree；　was　resolving　an　idea　which　had　at　first　struck　him　like　a　flash；　and　which　was　now　firmly　lodged　in　his　brain。　
He　had　commenced　by　saying　to　himself；　‘What　folly！'　and　then　he　repeated；　‘Why　not；　after　all？　It's　a　chance　…　perhaps　the　only　one；　and　with　such　sots！'　Thinking　thus；　he　slipped；　with　the　suppleness　of　a　serpent；　to　the　lowest　branches；　the　ends　of　which　bent　almost　to　the　ground。　
The　hours　passed；　and　the　lighter　shades　now　announced　the　approach　of　day；　though　it　was　not　yet　light。　This　was　the　moment。　The　slumbering　multitude　became　animated；　the　tambourines　sounded；　songs　and　cries　arose；　the　hour　of　the　sacrifice　had　come。　The　doors　of　the　pagoda　swung　open；　and　a　bright　light　escaped　from　its　interior；　in　the　…midst　of　which　Mr　Fogg　and　Sir　Francis　espied　the　victim。　She　seemed；　having　shaken　off　the　stupor　of　intoxication；　to　be　striving　to　escape　from　her　executioner。　Sir　Francis's　heart　throbbed；　and　convulsively　seizing　Mr　Fogg's　hand；　found　in　it　an　open　knife。　Just　at　this　moment　the　crowd　began　to　move。　The　young　woman　had　again　fallen　into　a　stupor　caused　by　the　fumes　of　hemp；　and　passed　among　the　fakirs；　who　escorted　her　with　their　wild；　religious　cries。　
Phileas　Fogg　and　his　companions；　mingling　in　the　rear　ranks　of　the　crowd；　followed；　and　in　two　minutes　they　reached　the　banks　of　the　stream；　and　stopped　fifty　paces　from　the　pyre；　upon　which　still　lay　the　rajah's　corpse。　In　the　semi…obscurity　they　saw　the　victim；　quite　senseless；　stretched　out　beside　her　husband's　body。　Then　a　torch　was　brought；　and　the　wood；　sold　with　oil；　instantly　took　fire。　
At　this　m