Читать книгу Вокруг света за 80 дней / Around the World in Eighty Days - Жюль Верн, Жуль Верн - Страница 9

Fix soon rejoined Passepartout on the quay.

“Well, my friend,” said the detective, “is your passport visaed?”

“Ah, it’s you, monsieur?” responded Passepartout. “Thanks, yes, the passport is all right. We travel so fast! So this is Suez?”

“Yes.”

“In Egypt?”

“Certainly, in Egypt.”

“And in Africa?”

“In Africa.”

“In Africa!” repeated Passepartout.

“You are in a great hurry, then?”

“I am not, but my master is. I must buy some shoes and shirts. We came away only with a carpet-bag.”

“I will show you an excellent shop.”

“Really, monsieur, you are very kind.”

And they walked off together. After a few minutes silence, Fix resumed:

“You left London hastily, then?”

“I think so! Last Friday at eight o’clock in the evening, Monsieur Fogg came home from his club, and three-quarters of an hour afterwards we were off.”

“But where will your master go?”

“Always straight ahead, round the world.”

“Round the world?” cried Fix.

“Yes, and in eighty days! He says it is on a wager; but I don’t believe it. There’s something else.”

“Ah! Is Mr. Fogg rich?”

“No doubt. He carries new banknotes with him. And he offered a large reward to the engineer of the Mongolia if he gets us to Bombay very fast.”

“Do you know your master well?”

“No; I entered his service the very day we left London.”

The hasty departure from London soon after the robbery; the large sum that Mr. Fogg had; his eagerness[52] to reach distant countries-all confirmed Fix in his theory. He continued to ask poor Passepartout, and learned that he really knew little or nothing of his master, who lived in London, was rich, and was mysterious. Phileas Fogg won’t land at Suez, but will go to Bombay.

“Is Bombay far from here?” asked Passepartout.

“Yes. Ten days’ voyage by sea.”

“And in what country is Bombay?”

“India.”

“In Asia?”

“Certainly.”

Fix and Passepartout reached the shop, where Fix left his companion and hurried back to the consulate. Now he was fully convinced.

“Consul,” said he, “I have no doubt. That man wants to go round the world in eighty days.”

“Then he’s a smart fellow,” returned the consul.

Fix reported in a few words the most important parts of his conversation with Passepartout.

“So,” said the consul, “what will you do?”

“I’ll send a dispatch to London, follow my rogue to India, and there, on English ground, arrest him.”