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he
detective passed down the quay, and rapidly made his way to the consul's
office, where he was at once admitted to the presence of that official.
"Consul,"
said he, without preamble, "I have strong reasons for believing that my
man is a passenger on the Mongolia." And he narrated what had just passed
concerning the passport.
"Well,
Mr. Fix," replied the consul, "I shall not be sorry to see the rascal's
face; but perhaps he won't come here--that is, if he is the person you
suppose him to be. A robber doesn't quite like to leave traces of his flight
behind him; and, besides, he is not obliged to have his passport countersigned."
"If he
is as shrewd as I think he is, consul, he will come."
"To have
his passport visaed?"
"Yes.
Passports are only good for annoying honest folks, and aiding in the flight
of rogues. I assure you it will be quite the thing for him to do; but I
hope you will not visa the passport."
"Why not?
If the passport is genuine I have no right to refuse."
"Still,
I must keep this man here until I can get a warrant to arrest him from
London."
"Ah, that's
your look-out. But I cannot--"
The consul
did not finish his sentence, for as he spoke a knock was heard at the door,
and two strangers entered, one of whom was the servant whom Fix had met
on the quay. The other, who was his master, held out his passport with
the request that the consul would do him the favour to visa it. The consul
took the document and carefully read it, whilst Fix observed, or rather
devoured, the stranger with his eyes from a corner of the room.
"You are
Mr. Phileas Fogg?" said the consul, after reading the passport.
"I am."
"And this
man is your servant?"
"He is:
a Frenchman, named Passepartout."
"You are
from London?"
"Yes."
"And you
are going--"
"To Bombay."
"Very
good, sir. You know that a visa is useless, and that no passport is required?"
"I know
it, sir," replied Phileas Fogg; "but I wish to prove, by your visa, that
I came by Suez."
"Very
well, sir."
The consul
proceeded to sign and date the passport, after which he added his official
seal. Mr. Fogg paid the customary fee, coldly bowed, and went out, followed
by his servant.
"Well?"
queried the detective.
"Well,
he looks and acts like a perfectly honest man," replied the consul.
"Possibly;
but that is not the question. Do you think, consul, that this phlegmatic
gentleman resembles, feature by feature, the robber whose description I
have received?"
"I concede
that; but then, you know, all descriptions--"
"I'll
make certain of it," interrupted Fix. "The servant seems to me less mysterious
than the master; besides, he's a Frenchman, and can't help talking. Excuse
me for a little while, consul."
Fix started
off in search of Passepartout.
Meanwhile
Mr. Fogg, after leaving the consulate, repaired to the quay, gave some
orders to Passepartout, went off to the Mongolia in a boat, and descended
to his cabin. He took up his note-book, which contained the following memoranda:
"Left
London, Wednesday, October 2nd, at 8.45 p.m.
"Reached
Paris, Thursday, October 3rd, at 7.20 a.m.
"Left
Paris, Thursday, at 8.40 a.m.
"Reached
Turin by Mont Cenis, Friday, October 4th, at 6.35 a.m.
"Left
Turin, Friday, at 7.20 a.m.
"Arrived
at Brindisi, Saturday, October 5th, at 4 p.m.
"Sailed
on the Mongolia, Saturday, at 5 p.m.
"Reached
Suez, Wednesday, October 9th, at 11 a.m.
"Total
of hours spent, 158; or, in days, six days and a half."
These
dates were inscribed in an itinerary divided into columns, indicating the
month, the day of the month, and the day for the stipulated and actual
arrivals at each principal point Paris, Brindisi, Suez, Bombay, Calcutta,
Singapore, Hong Kong, Yokohama, San Francisco, New York, and London--from
the 2nd of October to the 21st of December; and giving a space for setting
down the gain made or the loss suffered on arrival at each locality. This
methodical record thus contained an account of everything needed, and Mr.
Fogg always knew whether he was behind-hand or in advance of his time.
On this Friday, October 9th, he noted his arrival at Suez, and observed
that he had as yet neither gained nor lost. He sat down quietly to breakfast
in his cabin, never once thinking of inspecting the town, being one of
those Englishmen who are wont to see foreign countries through the eyes
of their domestics. |