《Around the World In 80 Days》 CHAPTER35
by Jules Verne
The dwellers in Saville Row would have been surprised, the next day,
if they had been told that Phileas Fogg had returned home. His doors
and windows were still closed; no appearance of change was visible.
After leaving the station, Mr Fogg gave Passepartout instructions to
purchase some provisions, and quietly went to his domicile.
He bore his misfortune with his habitual tranquillity. Ruined! And
by the blundering of the detective! After having steadily traversed
that long journey, overcome a hundred obstacles, braved many dangers,
and still found time to do some good on his way, to fail near the goal
by a sudden event which he could not have foreseen, and against which
he was unarmed; it was terrible! But a few pounds were left of the large
sum he had carried with him. There only remained of his fortune the
twenty thousand pounds deposited at Barings, and this amount he owed
to his friends of the Reform Club. So great had been the expense of
his tour, that, even had he won, it would not have enriched him; and
it is probable that he had not sought to enrich himself, being a man
who rather laid wagers for honour's sake than for the stake proposed.
But this wager totally ruined him.
Mr Fogg's course, however, was fully decided upon; he knew what remained
for him to do.
A room in the house in Saville Row was set apart for Aouda, who was
overwhelmed with grief at her protector's misfortune. From the words
which Mr Fogg dropped, she saw that he was meditating some serious project.
Knowing that Englishmen governed by a fixed idea sometimes resort to
the desperate expedient of suicide, Passepartout kept a narrow watch
upon his master, though he carefully concealed the appearance of so
doing.
First of all, the worthy fellow had gone up to his room, and had extinguishede
gas burner, which - had been burning for eighty days. He had found in
the letter-box a bill from the gas company, and he thought it more than
time to put a stop to this expense, which he had been doomed to bear.
The night passed. Mr Fogg went to bed, but did he sleep? Aouda did
not once close her eyes. Passepartout watched all night, like a faithful
dog, at his master's door.
Mr Fogg called him in the morning, and told him to get Aouda's breakfast,
and a cup of tea and a chop for himself. He desired Aouda to excuse
him from breakfast and dinner, as his time would be absorbed all day
in putting his affairs to rights. In the evening he would ask permission
to have a few moments' conversation with the young lady.
Passepartout, having received his orders, had nothing to do but obey
them. He looked at his imperturbable master, and could scarcely bring
his mind to leave him. His heart was full, and his conscience tortured
by remorse; for he accused himself more bitterly than ever of being
the cause of the irretrievable disaster. Yes! if he had warned Mr Fogg,
and had betrayed Fix's projects to him, his master would certainly not
have given the detective passage to Liverpool, and then--
Passepartout could hold in no longer.
`My master! Mr Fogg!' he cried. `Why do you not curse me? It was my
fault that--'
`I blame no one,' returned Phileas Fogg, with perfect calmness. `Go!'
Passepartout left the room, and went to find Aouda, to whom he delivered
his master's message.
`Madam,' he added, `I can do nothing myself - nothing! I have no influence
over my master; but you, perhaps--'
`What influence could I have?' replied Aouda. `Mr Fogg is influenced
by no one. Has he ever understood that my gratitude to him is overflowing?
Has he ever read my heart? My friend, he must not be left alone an instant!
You say he is going to speak with me this evening?'
`Yes, madam; probably to arrange for your protection and comfort in
England.'
`We shall see,' replied Aouda, becoming suddenly pensive.
Throughout this day (Sunday) the house in Saville Row was as if uninhabited,
and Phileas Fogg, for the first time since he had lived in that house,
did not set out for his club when Westminster clock struck half-past
eleven.
Why should he present himself at the Reform? His friends no longer
expected him there. As Phileas Fogg had not appeared in the saloon on
the evening before (Saturday, the 21st of December, at a quarter before
nine), he had lost his wager. It was not even necessary that he should
go to his bankers for the twenty thousand pounds; for his antagonists
already had his cheque in their hands, and they had only to fill it
out and send it to the Barings to have the amount transferred to their
credit.
Mr Fogg, therefore, had no reason for going out, and so he remained
at home. He shut himself up in his room, and busied himself putting
his affairs in order. Passepartout continually ascended and descended
the stairs. The hours were long for him. He listened at his master's
door, and looked through the keyhole, as if he had a perfect right so
to do, and as if he feared that something terrible might happen at any
moment. Sometimes he thought of Fix, but no longer in anger. Fix, like
all the world, had been mistaken in Phileas Fogg, and had only done
his duty in tracking and arresting him; while he, Passepartout - . This
thought haunted him, and he never ceased cursing his miserable folly.
Finding himself too wretched to remain alone, he knocked at Aouda's
door, went into her room, seated himself, without speaking, in a corner,
and looked ruefully at the young woman. Aouda was still pensive.
About half-past seven in the evening Mr Fogg sent to know if Aouda
would receive him, and in a few moments he found himself alone with
her.
Phileas Fogg took a chair, and sat down near the fireplace, opposite
Aouda. No emotion was visible on his face. Fogg returned was exactly
the Fogg who had gone away; there was the same calm, the same impassibility.
He sat several minutes without speaking; then, bending his eyes on
Aouda, `Madam,' said he, `will you pardon me for bringing you to England?'
`I, Mr Fogg!' replied Aouda, checking the pulsations of her heart.
`Please let me finish,' returned Mr Fogg. `When I decided to bring
you far away from the country which was so unsafe for you, I was rich,
and counted on putting a portion of my fortune at your disposal; then
your existence would have been free and happy. But now I am ruined.'
`I know it, Mr Fogg,' replied Aouda; `and I ask you in my turn, will
you forgive me for having followed you, and - who knows? - for having,
perhaps, delayed you, and thus contributed to your ruin?'
`Madam, you could not remain in India, and your safety could only be
assured by bringing you to such a distance that your persecutors could
not take you.'
`So, Mr Fogg,' resumed Aouda, `not content with rescuing me from a
terrible death, you thought yourself bound to secure my comfort in a
foreign land?'
`Yes, madam; but circumstances have been against me. Still, I beg to
place the little I have left at your service.'
`But what will become of you, Mr Fogg?'
`As for me, madam,' replied the gentleman, coldly, `I have need of
nothing.'
`But how do you look upon the fate, sir, which awaits you?'
`As I am in the habit of doing.'
`At least,' said Aouda, `want should not overtake a man like you. Your
friends--'
`I have no friends, madam.'
`Your relatives--'
`I have no longer any relatives.'
`I pity you, then, Mr Fogg, for solitude is a sad thing, with no heart
to which to confide your griefs. They say, though, that misery itself,
shared by two sympathetic souls may be borne with patience.
`They say so, madam.'
`Mr Fogg,' said Aouda, rising and seizing his hand, `do you wish at
once a kinswoman and friend? Will you have me for your wife?'
Mr Fogg, at this, rose in turn. There was an unwonted light in his
eyes, and slight trembling of his lips. Aouda looked into his face.
The sincerity, rectitude, firmness and sweetness of this soft glance
of a noble woman, who could dare all to save him to whom she owed all,
at first astonished, then penetrated him. He shut his eyes for an instant,
as if to avoid her look. When he opened them again, `I love you!' he
said, simply. `Yes, by all that is holiest, I love you, and I am entirely
yours!'
`Ah!' cried Aouda, pressing his hand to her heart.
Passepartout was summoned and appeared immediately. Mr Fogg still held
Aouda's hand in his own; Passepartout understood, and his big, round
face became as radiant as the tropical sun at its zenith.
Mr Fogg asked him if it was not too late to notify the Reverend Samuel
Wilson, of Marylebone Parish, that evening.
Passepartout smiled his most genial smile, and said, `Never too late.'
It was five minutes past eight.
`Will it be for tomorrow, Monday?'
`For tomorrow, Monday,' said Fogg, turning to Aouda.
`Yes; for tomorrow, Monday,' she replied.
Passepartout hurried off as fast as his legs could carry him.
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