AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS(环游世界80天)-第3部分

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ral　cups　of　tea；　for　which　the　Reform　is　famous。　He　rose　at　thirteen　minutes　to　one；　and　directed　his　steps　towards　the　large　hall；　a　sumptuous　apartment　adorned　with　lavishly…framed　paintings。　A　flunkey　handed　him　an　uncut　Times；　which　he　proceeded　to　cut　with　a　skill　which　betrayed　familiarity　with　this　delicate　operation。　The　perusal　of　this　paper　absorbed　Phileas　Fogg　until　a　quarter　before　four；　whilst　the　Standard；　his　next　task；　ocomupied　him　till　the　dinner　hour。　Dinner　passed　as　breakfast　had　done；　and　Mr　Fogg　reappeared　in　the　reading…room　and　sat　down　to　the　Pall　Mall　at　twenty　minutes　before　six。　Half…an…hour　later　several　members　of　the　Reform　came　in　and　drew　up　to　the　fireplace；　where　a　coal　fire　was　steadily　burning。　They　were　Mr　Fogg's　usual　partners　at　whist：　Andrew　Stuart；　an　engineer；　John　Sullivan　and　Samuel　Fallentin；　bankers；　Thomas　Flanagan；　a　brewer；　and　Gauthier　Ralph；　one　of　the　Directors　of　the　Bank　of　England；　…　all　rich　and　highly　respectable　personages；　even　in　a　club　which　comprises　the　princes　of　English　trade　and　finance。　
‘Well；　Ralph；'　said　Thomas　Flanagan；　‘what　about　that　robbery？'　
‘Oh；'　replied　Stuart；　‘the　bank　will　lose　the　money。'　
‘On　the　contrary；'　broke　in　Ralph；　‘I　hope　we　may　put　our　hands　on　the　robber。　Skilful　detectives　have　been　sent　to　all　the　principal　ports　of　America　and　the　Continent；　and　he'll　be　a　clever　fellow　if　he　slips　through　their　fingers。'　
‘But　have　you　got　the　robber's　description？'　asked　Stuart。　
‘In　the　first　place　he　is　no　robber　at　all；'　returned　Ralph；　positively。　
‘What！　a　fellow　who　makes　off　with　fifty　…　five　thousand　pounds；　no　robber？'　
‘No。'　
‘Perhaps　he's　a　manufacturer；　then。'　
‘The　Daily　Telegraph　says　that　he　is　a　gentleman。'　
It　was　Phileas　Fogg；　whose　head　now　emerged　from　behind　his　newspapers；　who　made　this　remark。　He　bowed　to　his　friends；　and　entered　into　the　conversation。　The　affair　which　formed　its　subject；　and　which　was　town　talk；　had　ocomurred　three　days　before　at　the　Bank　of　England。　A　package　of　bank…notes；　to　the　value　of　fifty…five　thousand　pounds；　had　been　taken　from　the　principal　cashier's　table；　that　functionary　being　at　the　moment　engaged　in　registering　the　receipt　of　three　shillings　and　sixpence。　Of　course　he　could　not　have　his　eyes　everywhere。　Let　it　be　observed　that　the　Bank　of　England　reposes　a　touching　confidence　in　the　honesty　of　the　public。　There　are　neither　guards　nor　gratings　to　protect　its　treasures；　gold；　silver；　bank…notes　are　freely　exposed；　at　the　merry　of　the　first　comer。　A　keen　observer　of　English　customs　relates　that；　being　in　one　of　the　rooms　of　the　Bank　one　day；　he　had　the　curiosity　to　examine　a　gold　ingot　weighing　some　seven　or　eight　pounds。　He　took　it　up；　scrutinized　it；　passed　it　to　his　neighbour；　he　to　the　next　man；　and　so　on　until　the　ingot；　going　from　hand　to　hand；　was　transferred　to　the　end　of　a　dark　entry；　nor　did　it　return　to　its　place　for　half…an…hour。　Meanwhile；　the　cashier　had　not　so　much　as　raised　his　head。　But　in　the　present　instance　things　had　not　gone　so　smoothly。　The　package　of　notes　not　being　found　when　five　o'clock　sounded　from　the　ponderous　clock　in　the　‘drawing　office；'　the　amount　was　passed　to　the　acomount　of　profit　and　loss。　As　soon　as　the　robbery　was　discovered；　picked　detectives　hastened　off　to　Liverpool；　Glasgow；　Havre；　Suez；　Brindisi；　New　York；　and　other　ports；　inspired　by　the　proffered　reward　of　two　thousand　pounds；　and　five　per　cent　on　the　sum　that　might　be　recovered。　Detectives　were　also　charged　with　narrowly　watching　those　who　arrived　at　or　left　London　by　rail；　and　a　judicial　examination　was　at　once　entered　upon。　
There　were　real　grounds　for　supposing；　as　the　Daily　Telegraph　said；　that　the　thief　did　not　belong　to　a　professional　band。　On　the　day　of　the　robbery　a　well…dressed　gentleman　of　polished　manners；　and　with　a　well…to…do　air；　had　been　observed　going　to　and　fro　in　the　paying…room；　where　the　crime　was　committed。　A　description　of　him　was　easily　procured　and　sent　to　the　detectives；　and　some　hopeful　spirits；　of　whom　Ralph　was　one；　did　not　despair　of　his　apprehension。　The　papers　and　clubs　were　full　of　the　affair；　and　everywhere　people　were　discussing　the　probabilities　of　a　sucomessful　pursuit；　and　the　Reform　Club　was　especially　agitated；　several　of　its　members　being　Bank　officials。　
Ralph　would　not　concede　that　the　work　of　the　detectives　was　likely　to　be　in　vain；　for　he　thought　that　the　prize　offered　would　greatly　stimulate　their　zeal　and　activity。　But　Stuart　was　far　from　sharing　this　confidence；　and　as　they　placed　themselves　at　the　whist…table；　they　continued　to　argue　the　matter。　Stuart　and　Flanagan　played　together；　while　Phileas　Fogg　had　Fallentin　for　his　partner。　As　the　game　proceeded　the　conversation　ceased；　excepting　between　the　rubbers；　when　it　revived　again。　
‘I　maintain；'　said　Stuart；　‘that　the　chances　are　favour　of　the　thief；　who　must　be　a　shrewd　fellow。'　
Well；　but　where　can　he　fly　to？'　asked　Ralph。　‘No　country　is　safe　for　him。'　
‘Pshaw！'　
‘Where　could　he　go；　then？'　
‘Oh；　I　don't　know　that。　The　world　is　big　enough。'　
‘It　was　once；'　said　Phileas　Fogg；　in　a　low　tone。　‘Cut；　sir；'　he　added；　handing　the　cards　to　Thomas　Flanagan。　
The　discussion　fell　during　the　rubber；　after　which　Stuart　took　up　its　thread。　
‘What　do　you　mean　by　〃once〃？　Has　the　world　grown　smaller？'　
‘Certainly；'　returned　Ralph。　‘I　agree　with　Mr　Fogg。　The　world　has　grown　smaller；　since　a　man　can　now　go　round　it　ten　times　more　quickly　than　a　hundred　years　ago。　And　that　is　why　the　search　for　this　thief　will　be　more　likely　to　sucomeed。'　
‘And　also　why　the　thief　can　get　away　more　easily。'　
‘Be　so　good　as　to　play；　Mr　Stuart；'　said　Phileas　Fogg。　
But　the　incredulous　Stuart　was　not　convinced；　and　when　the　hand　was　finished；　Said　eagerly：　‘You　have　a　strange　way；　Ralph；　of　proving　that　the　world　has　grown　smaller。　So；　because　you　can　go　round　it　in　three　months……'　
‘In　eighty　days；'　interrupted　Phileas　Fogg。　
‘That　is　true；　gentlemen；'　added　John　Sullivan。　
‘Only　eighty　days；　now　that　the　section　between　Rothal　and　Allahabad；　on　the　Great　Indian　Peninsula　Railway；　has　been　opened。　Here　is　the　estimate　made　by　the　Daily　Telegraph：……　
From　London　to　Suez　via　Mont　Cenis　and　Brindisi；　by　rail　and　steamboats　7　days。　
From　Suez　to　Bombay；　by　steamer　13　〃　
From　Bombay　to　Calcutta；　by　rail　3　〃　
From　Calcutta　to　Hong　Kong；　by　steamer　…　…　…　…　…　13　〃　
From　Hong　Kong　to　Yokohama　（Japan）；　by　steamer　…　…　…　…　6　〃　
From　Yokohama　to　San　Francisco；　by　steamer…………………………………………………………………………　22　〃　
From　San　Francisco　to　New　York；　by　rail…………………………………………………………………………　…　7　〃　
From　New　York　to　London；　by　steamer　and　rail……………………………………　9　〃　
Total…………………………………　80　days。
‘Yes；　in　eighty　days！'　exclaimed　Stuart；　who　in　his　excitement　made　a　false　deal。　‘But　that　doesn't　take　into　acomount　bad　weather；　contrary　winds；　ship…wrecks；　railway　acomidents；　and　so　on。'　
‘All　included；'　returned　Phileas　Fogg；　continuing　to　play　despite　the　discussion。　
‘But　suppose　the　Hindoos　or　Indians　pull　up　the　rails；'　replied　Stuart；　‘suppose　they　stop　the　trains；　pillage　the　luggage…vans；　and　scalp　the　passengers！'　
‘All　included；'　calmly　retorted　Fogg；　adding；　as　he　threw　down　the　cards；　‘Two　trumps。'　
Stuart；　whose　turn　it　was　to　deal；　gathered　them　up；　and　went　on：　‘You　are　right；　theoretically；　Mr　Fogg；　but　practically……'　
‘Practically　also；　Mr　Stuart。'　
‘I'd　like　to　see　you　do　it　in　eighty　days。'　
‘It　depends　on　you。　Shall　we　go？'　
‘Heaven　preserve　me！　But　I　would　wager　four　thousand　pounds　that　such　a　journey；　made　under　these　conditions；　is　impossible。'　
‘Quite　possible；　on　the　contrary；'　returned　Mr　Fogg。　
‘Well；　make　it；　then！'　
‘The　journey　round　the　world　in　eighty　days？'　
‘Yes。'　
‘I　should　like　nothing　better。'　
‘When？'　
‘At　once。　Only　I　warn　you　that　I　shall　do　it　at　your　expense。'　
‘It's　absurd！'　cried　Stuart；　who　was　beginning　to　be　annoyed　at　the　persistency　of　his　friend。　‘Come；　let's　go　on　with　the　game。'　
‘Deal　over　again；　then；'　said　Phileas　Fogg。　‘There's　a　false　deal。'　
Stuart　took　up　the　pack　with　a　feverish　hand；　then　suddenly　put　them　down　again。　
‘Well；　Mr　Fogg；'　said　he；　‘it　shall　be　so：　I　will　wager　the　four　thousand　on　it。'　
‘Calm　yourself；　my　dear　Stuart；'　said　Fallentin。　‘It's　only　a　joke。'