Читать книгу Вокруг света за 80 дней / Around the World in Eighty Days - Жюль Верн, Жуль Верн - Страница 4

Phileas Fogg shut the door of his house at half-past eleven, and reached the Reform Club, and took his place at the habitual table[20]. He rose at thirteen minutes to one, and directed his steps towards the large hall. Half an hour later several members of the Reform came in and drew up to the fireplace. They were Mr. Fogg’s usual partners at whist: Andrew Stuart[21], an engineer; John Sullivan[22] and Samuel Fallentin[23], bankers; Thomas Flanagan[24], a brewer; and Gauthier Ralph[25], one of the Directors of the Bank of England-all rich and highly respectable personages.

“Well, Ralph,” said Thomas Flanagan, “what about that robbery?”

“Oh,” replied Stuart, “the Bank will lose the money.”

“No,” broke in Ralph, “I hope we may put our hands on the robber. Skilful detectives are in all principal ports of America and the Continent. The criminal will be a clever fellow if he slips through their fingers.”

“Do you have the robber’s description?” asked Stuart.

“First, he is no robber at all,” returned Ralph, positively.

“What! a fellow who makes off[26] fifty-five thousand pounds, no robber?”

“No.”

“Perhaps he’s a manufacturer, then.”

“The Daily Telegraph[27] says that he is a gentleman.”

Phileas Fogg bowed to his friends, and entered into the conversation. The affair occurred three days before at the Bank of England. A package of banknotes, to the value of fifty-five thousand pounds, disappeared from the principal cashier’s[28] table, who was registering the receipt of three shillings and sixpence. Of course, he can’t notice everything. And the Bank of England has no guards to protect its treasures.

When the robbery was discovered, many detectives ran to Liverpool, Glasgow, Havre, Suez, Brindisi, New York[29], and other ports. The reward was two thousand pounds, and five per cent on the sum! Detectives were watching those who arrived at or left London.

As the Daily Telegraph said, the thief did not belong to a professional band. On the day of the robbery a well-dressed gentleman of polished manners[30] was in the paying room. His description was sent to the detectives. Everywhere people were discussing the probabilities of a successful pursuit. The Reform Club was especially agitated.

“I think,” said Stuart, “that the chances are in favour of[31] the thief. He must be a shrewd[32] fellow.”

“Well, but where will he go?” asked Ralph. “No country is safe for him.”

“Oh, I don’t know that. The world is big enough.”

“It was once,” said Phileas Fogg.

“What do you mean by `once`? Is the world small now?”

“Certainly,” returned Ralph. “I agree with Mr. Fogg. The world is small now. 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 succeed.”

“And also why the thief can get away more easily.”

Stuart said eagerly:

“Is the world small indeed? 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. Here is the estimate made by the Daily Telegraph:

From London to Suez via Mont Cenis and Brindisi[33], by rail and steamboats – 7 days

From Suez to Bombay[34], by steamer – 13”

From Bombay to Calcutta[35], by rail – 3”

From Calcutta to Hong Kong[36], by steamer – 13”

From Hong Kong to Yokohama[37] (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. “But think about bad weather, contrary winds, shipwrecks, railway accidents, and so on. The Hindoos or Indians can stop the trains, pillage the luggage-vans[38], and scalp the passengers.”

“All included[39],” returned Phileas Fogg.

“You are right, theoretically, Mr. Fogg, but practically-”

“Practically also, Mr. Stuart. Shall we go?”

“No! But I will 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. When?”

“At once. Only I warn you that you pay for it.”

“It’s absurd!” cried Stuart, who was annoyed at the persistency of his friend. “Come, let’s play. Mr. Fogg, I will wager the four thousand on it.”

“My dear Stuart,” said Fallentin. “It’s only a joke.”

“When I say I’ll wager,” returned Stuart, “I mean it.”

“All right,” said Mr. Fogg; and continued: “I have a deposit of twenty thousand at Baring’s[40] which I will willingly risk upon it.”

“Twenty thousand pounds!” cried Sullivan. “Twenty thousand pounds, which you will lose by a single accidental delay!”

“No,” quietly replied Phileas Fogg.

“But, Mr. Fogg, in order not to exceed it, you must jump from the trains upon the steamers, and from the steamers upon the trains again – very fast.”

“I will jump.”

“You are joking.”

“A true Englishman doesn’t joke when he is talking about serious things,” replied Phileas Fogg, solemnly. “I will bet twenty thousand pounds against anyone who wants me to make the tour of the world in eighty days or less; in nineteen hundred and twenty hours, or a hundred and fifteen thousand two hundred minutes. Do you accept?”

“We accept,” replied Stuart, Fallentin, Sullivan, Flanagan, and Ralph.

“Good,” said Mr. Fogg. “The train leaves for Dover[41] at a quarter before nine. I will take it.”

“Tonight?” asked Stuart.

“Tonight,” returned Phileas Fogg.

He took out and consulted a pocket calender, and added,

“As today is Wednesday, the 2nd of October, I shall be in London in this very room of the Reform Club, on Saturday, the 21st of December, at a quarter before nine p.m.; or else the twenty thousand pounds will belong to you, gentlemen. Here is a cheque.”