AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS(环游世界80天)-第22部分

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reatures；　to　whom　the　English　merchants　sell　every　year　the　miserable　drug　called　opium；　to　the　amount　of　one　million　four　hundred　thousand　pounds　…　thousands　devoted　to　one　of　the　most　despicable　vices　which　afflict　humanity！　The　Chinese　government　has　in　vain　attempted　to　deal　with　the　evil　by　stringent　laws。　It　passed　gradually　from　the　rich；　to　whom　it　was　at　first　exclusively　reserved；　to　the　lower　classes；　and　then　its　ravages　could　not　be　arrested。　Opium　is　smoked　everywhere；　at　all　times；　by　men　and　women；　in　the　Celestial　Empire；　and；　once　acomustomed　to　it；　the　victims　cannot　dispense　with　it；　except　by　suffering　horrible　bodily　contortions　and　agonies。　A　great　smoker　can　smoke　as　many　as　eight　pipes　a　day；　but　he　dies　in　five　years。　It　was　in　one　of　these　dens　that　Fix　and　Passepartout；　in　search　of　a　friendly　glass；　found　themselves。　Passepartout　had　no　money；　but　willingly　acomepted　Fix's　invitation　in　the　hope　of　returning　the　obligation　at　some　future　time。　
They　ordered　two　bottles　of　port；　to　which　the　Frenchman　did　ample　justice；　whilst　Fix　observed　him　with　close　attention。　They　chatted　about　the　journey；　and　Passepartout　was　especially　merry　at　the　idea　that　Fix　was　going　to　continue　it　with　them。　When　the　bottles　were　empty；　however；　he　rose　to　go　and　tell　his　master　of　the　change　in　the　time　of　the　sailing　of　the　‘Carnatic'。　
Fix　caught　him　by　the　arm；　and　said；　‘Wait　a　moment。'　
‘What　for；　Mr　Fix？'　
‘I　want　to　have　a　serious　talk　with　you。'　
‘A　serious　talk！'　cried　Passepartout；　drinking　up　the　little　wine　that　was　left　in　the　bottom　of　his　glass。　‘Well；　we'll　talk　about　it　to…morrow；　I　haven't　time　now。'　
‘Stay！　What　I　have　to　say　concerns　your　master。'　
Passepartout；　at　this；　looked　attentively　at　his　companion。　Fix's　face　seemed　to　have　a　singular　expression。　He　resumed　his　seat。　
‘What　is　it　that　you　have　to　say？'　
Fix　placed　his　hand　upon　Passepartout's　arm；　and；　lowering　his　voice；　said；　‘You　have　guessed　who　I　am？'　
‘Parbleu！'　said　Passepartout；　smiling。　‘Then　I'm　going　to　tell　you　everything……'　
‘Now　that　I　know　everything；　my　friend！　Ah！　that's　very　good。　But　go　on；　go　on。　First；　though；　let　me　tell　you　that　those　gentlemen　have　put　themselves　to　a　useless　expense。'　
‘Useless！'　said　Fix。　‘You　speak　confidently。　It's　clear　that　you　don't　know　how　large　the　sum　is。'　
‘Of　course　I　do；'　returned　Passepartout。　‘Twenty　thousand　pounds。'　
‘Fifty…five　thousand！'　answered　Fix；　pressing　his　companion's　hand。　
‘What！'　cried　the　Frenchman。　‘Has　Monsieur　Fogg　dared　…　fifty…five　thousand　pounds！　Well；　there's　all　the　more　reason　for　not　losing　an　instant；'　he　continued；　getting　up　hastily。　
Fix　pushed　Passepartout　back　in　his　chair；　and　resumed：　‘Fifty…five　thousand　pounds；　and　if　I　sucomeed；　I　get　two　thousand　pounds。　If　you'll　help　me；　I'll　let　you　have　five　hundred　of　them。'　
‘Help　you？'　cried　Passepartout；　whose　eyes　were　standing　wide　open。　
‘Yes；　help　me　keep　Mr　Fogg　here　for　two　or　three　days。'　
‘Why；　what　are　you　saying？　Those　gentlemen　are　not　satisfied　with　following　my　master　and　suspecting　his　honour；　but　they　must　try　to　put　obstacles　in　his　way！　I　blush　for　them！'　
‘What　do　you　mean？'　
‘I　mean　that　it　is　a　piece　of　shameful　trickery。　They　might　as　well　waylay　Mr　Fogg　and　put　his　money　in　their　pockets！'　
‘That's　just　what　we　count　on　doing。'　
‘It's　a　conspiracy；　then；'　cried　Passepartout；　who　became　more　and　more　excited　as　the　liquor　mounted　in　his　head；　for　he　drank　without　perceiving　it。　‘A　real　conspiracy！　And　gentlemen；　too。　Bah！'　
Fix　began　to　be　puzzled。　
‘Members　of　the　Reform　Club！'　continued　Passepartout。　‘You　must　know；　Monsieur　Fix；　that　my　master　is　an　honest　man；　and　that；　when　he　makes　a　wager；　he　tries　to　win　it　fairly！'　
‘But　who　do　you　think　I　am？'　asked　Fix；　looking　at　him　intently。　
‘Parbleu！　An　agent　of　the　members　of　the　Reform　Club；　sent　out　here　to　interrupt　my　master's　journey。　But；　though　I　found　you　out　some　time　ago；　I've　taken　good　care　to　say　nothing　about　it　to　Mr　Fogg。'　
‘He　knows　nothing；　then？'　
‘Nothing；'　replied　Passepartout；　again　emptying　his　glass。　
The　detective　passed　his　hand　across　his　forehead；　hesitating　before　he　spoke　again。　What　should　he　do？　Passepartout's　mistake　seemed　sincere；　but　it　made　his　design　more　difficult。　It　was　evident　that　the　servant　was　not　the　master's　acomomplice；　as　Fix　had　been　inclined　to　suspect。　
‘Well；'　said　the　detective　to　himself；　‘as　he　is　not　an　acomomplice；　he　will　help　me。'　
He　had　no　time　to　lose：　Fogg　must　be　detained　at　Hong　Kong；　so　he　resolved　to　make　a　clean　breast　of　it。　
‘Listen　to　me；'　said　Fix　abruptly。　‘I　am　not；　as　you　think；　an　agent　of　the　members　of　the　Reform　Club……'　
‘Bah！'　retorted　Passepartout；　with　an　air　of　raillery。　
‘I　am　a　police　detective；　sent　out　here　by　the　London　office。'　
‘You；　a　detective？'　
‘I　will　prove　it。　Here　is　my　commission。'　
Passepartout　was　speechless　with　astonishment　when　Fix　displayed　this　document；　the　genuineness　of　which　could　not　be　doubted。　
‘Mr　Fogg's　wager；'　resumed　Fix；　‘is　only　a　pretext；　of　which　you　and　the　gentlemen　of　the　Reform　are　dupes。　He　had　a　motive　for　securing　your　innocent　complicity。'　
‘But　why？'　
‘Listen。　On　the　28th　of　last　September　a　robbery　of　fifty…five　thousand　pounds　was　committed　at　the　Bank　of　England　by　a　person　whose　description　was　fortunately　secured。　Here　is　this　description；　it　answers　exactly　to　that　of　Mr　Phileas　Fogg。'　
‘What　nonsense！'　cried　Passepartout；　striking　the　table　with　his　fist。　‘My　master　is　the　most　honourable　of　men！'　
‘How　can　you　tell？　You　know　scarcely　anything　about　him。　You　went　into　his　service　the　day　he　came　away；　and　he　came　away　on　a　foolish　pretext；　without　trunks；　and　carrying　a　large　amount　in　bank…notes。　And　yet　you　are　bold　enough　to　assert　that　he　is　an　honest　man！'　
‘Yes；　yes；'　repeated　the　poor　fellow；　mechanically。　‘Would　you　like　to　be　arrested　as　his　acomomplice？'　Passepartout；　overcome　by　what　he　had　heard；　held　his　head　between　his　hands；　and　did　not　dare　to　look　at　the　detective。　Phileas　Fogg；　the　saviour　of　Aouda；　that　brave　and　generous　man；　a　robber！　And　yet　how　many　presumptions　there　were　against　him！　Passepartout　essayed　to　reject　the　suspicions　which　forced　themselves　upon　his　mind；　he　did　not　wish　to　believe　that　his　master　was　guilty。　
‘Well；　what　do　you　want　of　me？'　said　he；　at　last；　with　an　effort。　
‘See　here；'　replied　Fix；　‘I　have　tracked　Mr　Fogg　to　this　place；　but　as　yet　I　have　failed　to　receive　the　warrant　of　arrest　for　which　I　sent　to　London。　You　must　help　me　to　keep　him　here　in　Hong　Kong……'　
‘I！　But　I……'　
‘I　will　share　with　you　the　two　thousand　pounds　reward　offered　by　the　Bank　of　England。'　
‘Never！'　replied　Passepartout；　who　tried　to　rise；　but　fell　back；　exhausted　in　mind　and　body。　
‘Mr　Fix；'　he　stammered；　‘even　should　what　you　say　be　true　…　if　my　master　is　really　the　robber　you　are　seeking　for　…　which　I　deny　…　I　have　been；　am；　in　his　service；　I　have　seen　his　generosity　and　goodness；　and　I　will　never　betray　him　…　not　for　all　the　gold　in　the　world。　I　come　from　a　village　where　they　don't　eat　that　kind　of　bread！'　
‘You　refuse？'　
‘I　refuse。'　
‘Consider　that　I've　said　nothing；'　said　Fix；　‘and　let　us　drink。'　
‘Yes；　let　us　drink！'　
Passepartout　felt　himself　yielding　more　and　more　to　the　effects　of　the　liquor。　Fix；　seeing　that　he　must；　at　all　hazards；　be　separated　from　his　master；　wished　to　entirely　overcome　him。　Some　pipes　full　of　opium　lay　upon　the　table。　Fix　slipped　one　into　Passepartout's　hand。　He　took　it　put　it　between　his　lips；　lit　it；　drew　several　puffs；　and　his　head；　becoming　heavy　under　the　influence　of　the　narcotic；　fell　upon　the　table。　
‘At　last！'　said　Fix；　seeing　Passepartout　unconscious。　‘Mr　Fogg　will　not　be　informed　of　the　〃Carnatic's〃　departure；　and；　if　he　is；　he　will　have　to　go　without　this　cursed　Frenchman！'　
And；　after　paying　his　bill；　Fix　left　the　tavern。　

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