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AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS(环游世界80天)-第5部分

小说: AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS(环游世界80天) 字数: 每页4000字

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from his stupefaction; clung mechanically to the carpet…bag; with its enormous treasure。 
Just as the train was whirling through Sydenham; Passepartout suddenly uttered a cry of despair。 
‘What's the matter?' asked Mr Fogg。 
‘Alas! In my hurry … I … I forgot……' 
‘What?' 
‘To turn off the gas in my room!' 
‘Very well; young man;' returned Mr Fogg; coolly; ‘it will burn … at your expense。' 

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CHAPTER V
IN WHICH A NEW SPECIES OF FUNDS; UNKNOWN TO THE MONEYED MEN; APPEARS ON 'CHANGE。
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Phileas Fogg rightly suspected that his departure from London would create a lively sensation at the West End。 The news of the bet spread through the Reform Club; and afforded an exciting topic of conversation to its members。 From the Club it soon got into the papers throughout England。 The boasted ‘tour of the world' was talked about; disputed; argued with as much warmth as if the subject were another Alabama claim。 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。 The Times; Standard; Morning Post; and Daily New; and twenty other highly respectable newspapers scouted Mr Fogg's project as madness; the Daily Telegraph alone hesitatingly supported him。 People in general thought him a lunatic; and blamed his Reform Club friends for having acomepted a wager which betrayed the mental aberration of its proposer。 
Articles no less passionate than logical appeared on the question; for geography is one of the pet subjects of the English; and the columns devoted to Phileas Fogg's venture were eagerly devoured by all classes of readers。 At first some rash individuals; principally of the gentler sex; espoused his cause; which became still more popular when the Illustrated London News came out with his portrait; copied from a photograph in the Reform Club。 A few readers of the Daily Telegraph even dared to say; ‘Why not; after all? Stranger things have come to pass。' 
At last a long article appeared; on the 7th of October; in the bulletin of the Royal Geographical Society; which treated the question from every point of view; and 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 sucomess。 He might; perhaps; reckon on the arrival of trains at the designated hours; in Europe; where the distances were relatively moderate; but when he calculated upon crosSing India in three days; and the United States in seven; could he rely beyond misgiving upon acomomplishing his task? There were acomidents to machinery; the liability of trains to run off the line; collisions; bad weather; the blocking up by snow; … were not all these against Phileas Fogg? Would he not find himself; when travelling by steamer in winter; at the merry of the winds and fogs? 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; should Phileas Fogg once miss; even by an hour; a steamer; he would have to wait for the next; and that would irrevocably render his attempt vain。 
This article made a great deal of noise; and being copied into all the papers; seriously depressed the advocates of the rash tourist。 
Everybody knows that England is the world of betting men; who are of a higher class than mere gamblers; to bet is in the English temperament。 Not only the members of the Reform; but the general public; made heavy wagers for or against Phileas Fogg; who was set down in the betting books as if he were a race…horse。 Bonds were issued; and made their appearance on 'Change; ‘Phileas Fogg bonds' were offered at par or at a premium; and a great business was done in them。 But five days after the article in the bulletin of the Geographical Society appeared; the demand began to subside: ‘Phileas Fogg' declined。 They were offered by packages; at first of five; then of ten; until at last nobody would take less than twenty; fifty; a hundred! 
Lord Albermarle; an elderly paralytic gentleman; was now the only advocate of Phileas Fogg left。 This noble lord; who was fastened to his chair; would have given his fortune to be able to make the tour of the world; if it took ten years; and bet five thousand pounds on Phileas Fogg。 When the folly as well as the uselessness of the adventure was pointed out to him; he contented himself with replying; ‘If the thing is feasible; the first to do it ought to be an Englishman。' 
The Fogg party dwindled more and more; everybody was going against him; and the bets stood a hundred and fifty and two hundred to one; and a week after his departure an incident ocomurred which deprived him of backers at any price。 
The commissioner of police was sitting in his office at nine o'clock one evening; when the following telegraphic despatch was put into his hands:…… 
Suez to London。 ROWAN; COMMISSIONER OF POLICE; SCOTLAND YARD: 
I've found the bank robber; Phileas Fogg。 Send without delay warrant of arrest to Bombay。 
FIX; Detective。
The effect of this despatch was instantaneous。 The polished gentleman disappeared to give place to the bank robber。 His photograph; which was hung with those of the rest of the members at the Reform Club; was minutely examined; and it betrayed; feature by feature; the description of the robber which had been provided to the police。 The mysterious habits of Phileas Fogg were recalled; his solitary ways; his sudden departure; and it seemed clear that; in undertaking a tour round the world on the pretext of a wager; he had had no other end in view than to elude the detectives; and throw them off his track。 
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CHAPTER VI
IN WHICH FIX; THE DETECTIVE; BETRAYS A VERY NATURAL IMPATIENCE。
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The circumstances under which this telegraphic despatch about Phileas Fogg was sent were as follows:…… 
The steamer ‘Mongolia'; belonging to the Peninsular and Oriental Company; built of iron; of two thousand eight hundred tons burden; and five hundred horse … power; was due at eleven o'clock 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 belonging to the company; 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 who were sojourning at this once straggling village … now; thanks to the enterprise of M。 Lesseps; a fast…growing town。 One was the British consul at Suez; who; despite the prophecies of the English Government; and the unfavourable predictions of Stephenson; was in the habit of seeing; from his office window; English ships daily passing to and fro on the great canal; by which the old roundabout route from England to India by the Cape of Good Hope was abridged by at least a half。 The other was a small; slight…built personage; with a nervous; intelligent face; and bright eyes peering out from under eyebrows which he was incessantly twitching。 He was just now manifesting unmistakable 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 despatched from England in search of the bank robber; it was his task to narrowly watch every passenger who arrived at Suez; and to follow up all who seemed to be suspicious characters; or bore a resemblance to the description of the criminal; which he had received two days before from the police headquarters at London。 The detective was evidently inspired by the hope of obtaining the splendid reward which would be t

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