《Around the World In 80 Days》 CHAPTER18
by Jules Verne
The weather was bad during the latter days of the voyage. The wind,
obstinately remaining in the north-west, blew a gale, and retarded the
steamer. The `Rangoon' rolled heavily, and the passengers became impatient
of the long, monstrous waves which the wind raised before their path.
A sort of tempest arose on the 3rd of November, the squall knocking
the vessel about with fury, and the waves running high. The `Rangoon'
reefed all her sails, and even the rigging proved too much, whistling
and shaking amid the squall. The steamer was forced to proceed slowly
and the captain estimated that she would reach Hong Kong twenty hours
behind time, and more if the storm lasted.
Phileas Fogg gazed at the tempestuous sea, which seemed to be struggling
especially to delay him, with his habitual tranquility. He never changed
countenance for an instant, though a delay of twenty hours, by making
him too late for the Yokohama boat, would almost inevitably cause the
loss of the wager. But this man of nerve manifested neither impatience
nor annoyance; it seemed as if the storm were a part of his programme,
and had been foreseen. Aouda was amazed to find him as calm as he had
been from the first time she saw him.
Fix did not look at the state of things in the same light. The storm
greatly pleased him. His satisfaction would have been complete had the
`Rangoon' been forced to retreat before the violence of wind and waves.
Each delay filled him with hope, for it became more and more probable
that Fogg would be obliged to remain some days at Hong Kong; and now
the heavens themselves became his allies, with the gusts and squalls.
It mattered not that they made him sea-sick he made no account of this
inconvenience; and whilst his body was writhing under their effects,
his spirit bounded with hopeful exultation.
Passepartout was enraged beyond expression by the unpropitious weather.
Everything had gone so well till now! Earth and sea had seemed to be
at his master's service; steamers and railways obeyed him; wind and
steam united to speed his journey. Had the hour of adversity come? Passepartout
was as much excited as if the twenty thousand pounds were to come from
his own pocket. The storm exasperated him, the gale made him furious,
and he longed to lash the obstinate sea into obedience. Poor fellow!
Fix carefully concealed from him his own satisfaction, for, had he betrayed
it, Passepartout could scarcely have restrained himself from personal
violence.
Passepartout remained on deck as long as the tempest lasted, being
unable to remain quiet below, and taking it into his head to aid the
progress of the ship by lending a hand with the crew. He over-whelmed
the captain, officers and sailors, who could not help laughing at his
impatience, with all sorts of questions. He wanted to know exactly how
long the storm was going to last; whereupon he was referred to the barometer,
which seemed to have no intention of rising. Passepartout shook it,
but with no perceptible effect; for neither shaking nor maledictions
could prevail upon it to change its mind.
On the 4th, however, the sea became more calm, and the storm lessened
its violence; the wind veered southwards, and was once more favourable.
Passepartout cheered up with the weather. Some of the sails were unfurled,
and the `Rangoon' resumed its most rapid speed. The time lost could
not, however, be regained. Land was not signalled until five o'clock
on the morning of the 6th; the steamer was due on the 5th. Phileas Fogg
was twenty-four hours behind-hand, and the Yokohama steamer would, of
course, be missed.
The pilot went on board at six, and took his place on the bridge, to
guide the `Rangoon' through the channels to the port of Hong Kong. Passepartout
longed to ask him if the steamer had left for Yokohama; but he dared
not, for he wished to preserve the spark of hope, which still remained,
till the last moment. He had confided his anxiety to Fix, who - the
sly rascal! - tried to console him by saying that Mr Fogg would be in
time if he took the next boat; but this only put Passepartout in a passion.
Mr Fogg, bolder than his servant, did not hesitate to approach the
pilot, and tranquilly ask him if he knew when a steamer would leave
Hong Kong for Yokohama.
`At high tide tomorrow morning,' answered the pilot.
`Ah!' said Mr Fogg, without betraying any astonishment.
Passepartout, who heard what passed, would willingly have embraced
the pilot, while Fix would have been glad to twist his neck.
`What is the steamer's name?' asked Mr Fogg.
`The "Carnatic".'
`Ought she not to have gone yesterday?'
`Yes, sir; but they had to repair one of her boilers, and so her departure
was postponed till tomorrow.'
`Thank you,' returned Mr Fogg, descending mathematically to the saloon.
Passepartout clasped the pilot's hand and shook it heartily in his
delight, exclaiming, `Pilot, you are the best of good fellows!'
The pilot probably does not know to this day why his responses won
him this enthusiastic greeting. He remounted the bridge, and guided
the steamer through the flotilla of junks, tankas and fishing boats
which crowd the harbour of Hong Kong.
At one o'clock the `Rangoon' was at the quay, and the passengers were
going ashore.
Chance had strangely favoured Phileas Fogg, for, had not the `Carnatic'
been forced to lie over for repairing her boilers, she would have left
on the 6th of November, and the passengers for Japan would have been
obliged to await for a week the sailing of the next steamer. Mr Fogg
was, it is true, twenty-four hours behind his time; but this could not
seriously imperil the remainder of his tour.
The steamer which crossed the Pacific from Yokohama to San Francisco
made a direct connexion with that from Hong Kong, and it could not sail
until the latter reached Yokohama; and if Mr Fogg was twenty-four hours
late on reaching Yokohama, this time would no doubt be easily regained
in the voyage of twenty-two days across the Pacific. He found himself,
then, about twenty-four hours behindhand, thirty-five days after leaving
London.
The `Carnatic' was announced to leave Hong Kong at five the next morning.
Mr Fogg had sixteen hours in which to attend to his business there,
which was to deposit Aouda safely with her wealthy relative.
On landing, he conducted her to a palanquin, in which they repaired
to the Club Hotel. A room was engaged for the young woman, and Mr Fogg,
after seeing that she wanted for nothing, set out in search of her cousin
Jeejeeh. He instructed Passepartout to remain at the hotel until his
return, that Aouda might not be left entirely alone.
Mr Fogg repaired to the Exchange, where, he did not doubt, every one
would know so wealthy and considerable a personage as the Parsee merchant.
Meeting a broker, he made the inquiry, to learn that Jeejeeh had left
China two years before, and, retiring from business with an immense
fortune, had taken up his residence in Europe - in Holland, the broker
thought, with the merchants of which country he had principally traded.
Phileas Fogg returned to the hotel, begged a moment's conversation with
Aouda, and, without more ado, apprised her that Jeejeeh was no longer
at Hong Kong, but probably in Holland.
Aouda at first said nothing. She passed her hand across her forehead,
and refted a few moments. Then, in her sweet, soft voice, she said:
`What ought I to do, Mr Fogg?'
`It is very simple,' responded the gentleman. `Go on to Europe.'
`But I cannot intrude--'
`You do not intrude, nor do you in the least embarrass my project.
Passepartout!'
`Monsieur.'
`Go to the "Carnatic", and engage three cabins.'
Passepartout, delighted that the young woman, who was very gracious
to him, was going to continue the journey with them, went off at a brisk
gait to obey his master's order.
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