《Around the World In 80 Days》 CHAPTER16
by Jules Verne
The `Rangoon' - one of the Peninsular and Oriental Company's boats
plying in the Chinese and Japanese seas - was a screw steamer, built
of iron, weighing about seventeen hundred and seventy tons, and with
engines of four hundred horse-power. She was as fast, but not as well
fitted up, as the `Mongolia', and Aouda was not as comfortably provided
for on board of her as Phileas Fogg could have wished. However, the
trip from Calcutta to Hong Kong only comprised some three thousand five
hundred miles, occupying from ten to twelve days, and the young woman
was not difficult to please.
During the first days of the journey Aouda became better acquainted
with her protector, and constantly gave evidence of her deep gratitude
for what he had done. The phlegmatic gentleman listened to her, apparently
at least, with coldness, neither his voice nor his manner betraying
the slightest emotion; but he seemed to be always on the watch that
nothing should be wanting to Aouda's comfort. He visited her regularly
each day at certain hours, not so much to talk himself as to sit and
hear her talk. He treated her with the stri tell him what kind of a
fellow his master really was. That Passepartout was not Fogg's accomplice,
he was very certain. The servant, enlightened by his disclosure, and
afraid of being himself implicated in the crime,ster's eccentricity,
and made her smile by telling her of the wager which was sending him
round the world. After all, she owed Phileas Fogg her life, and she
always regarded him through the exalting medium of her gratitude.
Aouda confirmed the Parsee guide's narrative of her touching history.
She didndeed, belong to the highest of the native races of India. Many
of the Parsee merchants have made great fortunes there by dealing in
cotton; and one of them, Sir Jametsee Jeejeebhoy, was made a baronet
by the English government. Aouda was a relative of this great man, and
it was his cousin Jeejeeh, whom she hoped to join at Hong Kong. Whether
she would find a protector in him she could not tell; but Mr Fogg essayed
to calm her anxieties, and to assure her that everything would be mathematically
- he used the very word - arranged. Aouda fastened her great eyes, `clear
as the sacred lakes of the Himalaya', upon him; but the intractable
Fogg, as reserved as ever, did not seem at all inclined to throw himself
into this lake.
The first few days of the voyage passed prosperously, amid favourable
weather and propitious winds, and they soon came in sight of the great
Andaman, the principal of the islands in the Bay of Bengal, with its
picturesque Saddle Peak, two thousand four hundred feet high, looming
above the waters. The steamer passed along near the shores, but the
savage Papuans, who are in the lowest scale of humanity, but are not,
as has been asserted, cannibals, did not make their appearance.
The panorama of the islands, as they steamed by them, was superb. Vast
forests of palms, arecs, bamboo, teakwood, of the gigantic mimosa, and
tree-like ferns covered the foreground, while behind, the graceful outlines
of the mountains were traced against the sky; and along the coasts swarmed
by thousands the precious swallows whose nests furnish a luxurious dish
to the tables of the Celestial Empire. The varied landscape afforded
by the Andaman Islands was soon passed, however, and the `Rangoon' rapidly
approached the Straits of Malacca, which give access to the China seas.
What was detective Fix, so unluckily drawn on from country to country,
doing all this while? He had managed to embark on the `Rangoon' at Calcutta
without being seen by Passepartout, after leaving orders that, if the
warrant should arrive, it should be forwarded to him at Hong Kong; and
he hoped to conceal his presence to the end of the voyage. It would
have been difficult to explain why he was on board without awaking Passepartout's
suspicions, who thought him still at Bombay. But necessity impelled
him, nevertheless, to renew his acquaintance with the worthy servant,
as will be seen.
All the detective's hopes and wishes were now centred on Hong Kong;
for the steamer's stay at Singapore would be too brief to enable him
to take any steps there. The arrest must be made at Hong Kong, or the
robber would probably escape him for ever. Hong Kong was the last English
ground on which he would set foot; beyond, China, Japan, America offered
to Fogg an almost certain refuge. If the warrant should at last make
its appearance at Hong Kong, Fix could arrest him and give him into
the hands of the local police, and there would be no further trouble.
But beyond Hong Kong, a simple warrant would be of no avail; an extradition
warrant would be necessary, and that would result in delays and obstacles,
of which the rascal would take advantage to elude justice.
Fix thought over these probabilities during the long hours which he
spent in his cabin, and kept repeating to himself, `Now either the warrant
will be at Hong Kong, in which case I shall arrest my man, or it will
not be there; and this time it is absolutely necessary that I should
delay his departure. I have failed at Bombay, and I have failed at Calcutta:
if I fail at Hong Kong, my reputation is lost. Cost what it may, I must
succeed! But how shall I prevent his departure, if that should turn
out to be my last resource?'
Fix made up his mind that, if worst came to worst, he would make a
confidant of Passepartout, and tell him what kind of a fellow his master
really was. That Passepartout was not Fogg's accomplice, he was very
certain. The servant, enlightened by his disclosure, and afraid of being
himself implicated in the crime, would doubtless become an ally of the
detective. But this method was a dangerous one, only to be employed
when everything else had failed. A word from Passepartout to his master
would ruin all. The detective was therefore in a sore strait. But suddenly
a new idea struck him. The presence of Aouda on the `Rangoon', in company
with Phileas Fogg, gave him new material for reflection.
Who was this woman? What combination of events had made her Fogg's
travelling companion? They had evidently met somewhere between Bombay
and Calcutta; but where? Had they met accidentally, or had Fogg gone
into the interior purposely in quest of this charming damsel? Fix was
fairly puzzled. He asked himself whether there had not been a wicked
elopement; and this idea so impressed itself upon his mind that he determined
to make use of the supposed intrigue. Whether the young woman were married
or not, he would be able to create such difficulties for Mr Fogg at
Hong Kong, that he could not escape by paying any amount of money.
But could he even wait till they reached Hong Kong? Fogg had an abominable
way of jumping from one boat to another, and, before anything could
be effected, might get full under weigh again for Yokohama.
Fix decided that he must warn the English authorities, and Signal the
`Rangoon' before her arrival. This was easy to do, since the steamer
stopped at Singapore, whence there is a telegraphic wire to Hong Kong.
He finally resolved, moreover, before acting more positively, to question
Passepartout. It would not be difficult to make him talk; and, as there
was no time to lose, Fix prepared to make himself known.
It was now the 30th of October, and on the following day the `Rangoon'
was due at Singapore.
Fix emerged from his cabin and went on deck. Passepartout was promenading
up and down in the forward part of the steamer. The detective rushed
forward with every appearance of extreme surprise, and exclaimed, `You
here, on the "Rangoon"?'
`What, Monsieur Fix, are you on board?' returned the really astonished
Passepartout, recognizing his crony of the `Mongolia'. `Why, I left
you at Bombay, and here you are, on the way to Hong Kong! Are you going
round the world too?'
`No, no,' replied Fix; `I shall stop at Hong Kong - at least for some
days.'
`Hum!' said Passepartout, who seemed for an instant perplexed. `But
how is it I have not seen you on board since we left Calcutta?'
`Oh, a trifle of seasickness, - I've been staying in my berth. The
Gulf of Bengal does not agree with me as well as the Indian Ocean. And
how is Mr Fogg?'
`As well and as punctual as ever, not a day behind time! But, Monsieur
Fix, you don't know that we have a young lady with us.'
`A young lady?' replied the detective, not seeming to comprehend what
was said.
Passepartout thereupon recounted Aouda's history, the affair at the
Bombay pagoda, the purchase of the elephant for two thousand pounds,
the rescue, the arrest and sentence of the Calcutta court, and the restoration
of Mr Fogg and himself to liberty on bail. Fix, who was familiar with
the last events, seemed to be equally ignorant of all that Passepartout
related; and the latter was charmed to find so interested a listener.
`But does your master propose to carry this young woman to Europe?'
`Not at all. We are simply going to place her under the protection
of one of her relatives, a rich merchant at Hong Kong.'
`Nothing to be done there,' said Fix to himself, concealing his disappointment.
`A glass of gin, Mr Passepartout?'
`Willingly, Monsieur Fix. We must at least have a friendly glass on
board the "Rangoon".' s
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