around the world in 80 days(环游世界80天)-第17节

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n　shoes　…　which　he　religiously　preserved　…　that　Fix　would　also　leave　Hong　Kong　at　the　same　time　with　them；　and　probably　on　the　same　steamer。　
Passepartout　might　have　cudgelled　his　brain　for　a　century　without　hitting　upon　the　real　object　which　the　detective　had　in　view。　He　never　could　have　imagined　that　Phileas　Fogg　was　being　tracked　as　a　robber　around　the　globe。　But　as　it　is　in　human　nature　to　attempt　the　solution　of　every　mystery；　Passepartout　suddenly　discovered　an　explanation　of　Fix's　movements；　which　was　in　truth　far　from　unreasonable。　Fix；　he　thought；　could　only　be　an　agent　of　Mr　Fogg's　friends　at　the　Reform　Clubs　sent　to　follow　him　up；　and　to　ascertain　that　he　really　went　round　the　world　as　had　been　agreed　upon。　
‘It's　clear！'　repeated　the　worthy　servant　to　himself；　proud　of　his　shrewdness。　‘He's　a　spy　sent　to　keep　us　in　view！　That　isn't　quite　the　thing；　either；　to　be　spying　Mr　Fogg；　who　is　so　honourable　a　man！　Ah；　gentlemen　of　the　Reform；　this　shall　cost　you　dear！'　
Passepartout；　enchanted　with　his　discovery；　resolved　to　say　nothing　to　his　master；　lest　he　should　be　justly　offended　at　this　mistrust　on　the　part　of　his　adversaries。　But　he　determined　to　chaff　Fix；　when　he　had　the　chance；　with　mysterious　allusions；　which；　however；　need　not　betray　his　real　suspicions。　
During　the　afternoon　of　Wednesday；　October　30th；　the　‘Rangoon'　entered　the　Strait　of　Malacca；　which　separates　the　peninsula　of　that　name　from　Sumatra。　The　mountainous　and　craggy　islets　intercepted　the　beauties　of　this　noble　island　from　the　view　of　the　travellers。　The　‘Rangoon'　weighed　anchor　at　Singapore　the　next　day　at　four　a。m。；　to　receive　coal；　having　gained　half　a　day　on　the　prescribed　time　of　her　arrival。　Phileas　Fogg　noted　this　gain　in　his　journal；　and　then；　accompanied　by　Aouda；　who　betrayed　a　desire　for　a　walk　on　shore；　disembarked。　
Fix；　who　suspected　Mr　Fogg's　every　movement；　followed　them　cautiously；　without　being　himself　perceived；　while　Passepartout；　laughing　in　his　sleeve　at　Fix's　manoeuvres；　went　about　his　usual　errands。　
The　island　of　Singapore　is　not　imposing　in　aspect；　for　there　are　no　mountains；　yet　its　appearance　is　not　without　attractions。　It　is　a　park　checkered　by　pleasant　highways　and　avenues。　A　handsome　carriage；　drawn　by　a　sleek　pair　of　New　Holland　horses；　carried　Phileas　Fogg　and　Aouda　into　the　midst　of　rows　of　palms　with　brilliant　foliage；　and　of　clove…trees　whereof　the　cloves　form　the　heart　of　a　half…open　flower。　Pepper　plants　replaced　the　prickly　hedges　of　European　fields；　sago…bushes；　large　ferns　with　gorgeous　branches；　varied　the　aspect　of　this　tropical　clime；　while　nutmeg…trees　in　full　foliage　filled　the　air　with　a　penetrating　perfume。　Agile　and　grinning　bands　of　monkeys　skipped　about　in　the　trees；　nor　were　tigers　wanting　in　the　jungles。　
After　a　drive　of　two　hours　through　the　country；　Aouda　and　Mr　Fogg　returned　to　the　town；　which　is　a　vast　collection　of　heavy…looking；　irregular　houses；　surrounded　by　charming　gardens　rich　in　tropical　fruits　and　plants；　and　at　ten　o'clock　they　re…embarked；　closely　followed　by　the　detective；　who　had　kept　them　constantly　in　sight。　
Passepartout；　who　had　been　purchasing　several　dozen　mangoes　…　a　fruit　as　large　as　good…sized　apples；　of　a　dark…brown　colour　outside　and　a　bright　red　within；　and　whose　white　pulp；　melting　in　the　mouth；　affords　gourmands　a　delicious　sensation　…　was　waiting　for　them　on　deck。　He　was　only　too　glad　to　offer　some　mangoes　to　Aouda；　who　thanked　him　very　gracefully　for　them。　
At　eleven　o'clock　the　‘Rangoon'　rode　out　of　Singapore　harbour；　and　in　a　few　hours　the　high　mountains　of　Malacca；　with　their　forests　inhabited　by　the　most　beautifully…tuned　tigers　in　the　world；　were　lost　to　view。　Singapore　is　distant　some　thirteen　hundred　miles　from　the　island　of　Hong　Kong；　which　is　a　little　English　colony　near　the　Chinese　coast。　Phileas　Fogg　hoped　to　accomplish　the　journey　in　six　days；　so　as　to　be　in　time　for　the　steamer　which　would　leave　on　the　6th　of　November　for　Yokohama；　the　principal　Japanese　port。　
The　‘Rangoon'　had　a　large　quota　of　passengers；　many　of　whom　disembarked　at　Singapore；　among　them　a　number　of　Indians；　Ceylonese；　Chinamen；　Malays　and　Portuguese；　mostly　second…class　travellers。　
The　weather；　which　had　hitherto　been　fine；　changed　with　the　last　quarter　of　the　moon。　The　sea　rolled　heavily；　and　the　wind　at　intervals　rose　almost　to　a　storm；　but　happily　blew　from　the　south…west；　and　thus　aided　the　steamer's　progress。　The　captain　as　often　as　possible　put　up　his　sails；　and　under　the　double　action　of　steam　and　sail　the　vessel　made　rapid　progress　along　the　coasts　of　Anam　and　Cochin　China。　Owing　to　the　defective　construction　of　the　‘Rangoon'；　however；　unusual　precautions　became　necessary　in　unfavourable　weather；　but　the　loss　of　time　which　resulted　from　this　cause；　while　it　nearly　drove　Passepartout　out　of　his　senses；　did　not　seem　to　affect　his　master　in　the　least。　Passepartout　blamed　the　captain；　the　engineer　and　the　crew；　and　consigned　all　who　were　connected　with　the　ship　to　the　land　where　the　pepper　grows。　Perhaps　the　thought　of　the　gas；　which　was　remorselessly　burning　at　his　expense　in　Saville　Row；　had　something　to　do　with　his　hot　impatience。　
‘You　are　in　a　great　hurry；　then；'　said　Fix　to　him　one　day；　‘to　reach　Hong　Kong？'　
‘A　very　great　hurry！'　
‘Mr　Fogg；　I　suppose；　is　anxious　to　catch　the　steamer　for　Yokohama？'　
‘Terribly　anxious。'　
‘You　believe　in　this　journey　around　the　world；　then？'　
‘Absolutely。　Don't　you；　Mr　Fix？'　
‘I？　I　don't　believe　a　word　of　it。'　
‘You're　a　sly　dog！'　said　Passepartout；　winking　at　him。　
This　expression　rather　disturbed　Fix；　without　his　knowing　why。　Had　the　Frenchman　guessed　his　real　purpose？　He　knew　not　what　to　think。　But　how　could　Passepartout　have　discovered　that　he　was　a　detective？　Yet；　in　speaking　as　he　did；　the　man　evidently　meant　more　than　he　expressed。　
Passepartout　went　still　further　the　next　day；　he　could　not　hold　his　tongue。　
‘Mr　Fix；'　said　he；　in　a　bantering　tone；　‘shall　we　be　so　unfortunate　as　to　lose　you　when　we　get　to　Hong　Kong？'　
‘Why；'　responded　Fix；　a　little　embarrassed；　‘I　don't　know；　perhaps'　
‘Ah；　if　you　would　only　go　on　with　us！　An　agent　of　the　Peninsular　Company；　you　know；　can't　stop　on　the　way！　You　were　only　going　to　Bombay；　and　here　you　are　in　China。　America　is　not　far　off；　and　from　America　to　Europe　is　only　a　step。'　
Fix　looked　intently　at　his　companion；　whose　countenance　was　as　serene　as　possible；　and　laughed　with　him。　But　Passepartout　persisted　in　chaffing　him　by　asking　him　if　he　made　much　by　his　present　occupation。　
‘Yes；　and　no；'　returned　Fix；　‘there　is　good　and　bad　luck　in　such　things。　But　you　must　understand　that　I　don't　travel　at　my　own　expense。'　
‘Oh；　I　am　quite　sure　of　that！'　cried　Passepartout；　laughing　heartily。　
Fix；　fairly　puzzled；　descended　to　his　cabin　and　gave　himself　up　to　his　reflections。　He　was　evidently　suspected；　somehow　or　other　the　Frenchman　had　found　out　that　he　was　a　detective。　But　had　he　told　his　master？　What　part　was　he　playing　in　all　this：　was　he　an　accomplice　or　not？　Was　the　game；　then；　up？　Fix　spent　several　hours　turning　these　things　over　in　his　mind；　sometimes　thinking　that　all　was　lost；　then　persuading　himself　that　Fogg　was　ignorant　of　his　presence；　and　then　undecided　what　course　it　was　best　to　take。　
Nevertheless；　he　preserved　his　coolness　of　mind；　and　at　last　resolved　to　deal　plainly　with　Passepartout。　If　he　did　not　find　it　practicable　to　arrest　Fogg　at　Hong　Kong；　and　if　Fogg　made　preparations　to　leave　that　last　foothold　of　English　territory；　he；　Fix；　would　tell　Passepartout　all。　Either　the　servant　was　the　accomplice　of　his　master；　and　in　this　case　the　master　knew　of　his　operations；　and　he　should　fail；　or　else　the　servant　knew　nothing　about　the　robbery；　and　then　his　interest　would　be　to　abandon　the　robber。　
Such　was　the　situation　between　Fix　and　Passepartout。　Meanwhile　Phileas　Fogg　moved　about　above　them　in　the　most　majestic　and　unconscious　indifference。　He　was　passing　methodically　in　his　orbit　around　the　world；　regardless　of　the　lesser　stars　which　gravitated　around　him。　Yet　there　was　near　by　what　the　astronomers　would　call　a　disturbing　star；　which　might　have　produced　an　agitation　in　this　gentleman's　heart。　But　no！　the　charms　of　Aouda　failed　to　act；　to　Passepartout's　great　surprise；　and　the　disturbances；　if　they　existed；　would　have　been　more　difficult　to　calculate　than　those　of　Uranus　which　led　to　the　discovery　of　Neptune。　
It　was　every　day　an　increasing　wonder　to　Passepartout；　who　read　in　Aouda's　eyes　the　depths　of　her　gratitude　to　his　master。　Phileas　Fogg；　though　brave　and　gallant；　must　be；　he　thought；　quite　heartless。　As　to　the　sentiment　which　this　journey　might　have　awakened　in　him；　there　was　clearly　no　trace　of　such　a　thing；　while　poor　Passepartout　existed　in　perpetual　reveries。　
One　day　he　was　leaning　on　the　railing　of　the　engine…room；　and　was　observing　the　engine；　when　a　sudden　pitch　of　the　steamer　threw　the　screw　out　of　the　water。　The　steam　came　hissing　out　of　the　valves；　and　this　made　Passepartout　indignant。　
‘The　valves　are　not　sufficiently　charged！'　he　exclaimed。　‘We　are　not　going。　Oh；　these　English！　If　this　was　an　American　craft；　we　should　blow　up；　perhaps；　but　we　should　at　all　events　go　faster！'　


CHAPTER　XVIII
IN　WHICH　PHILEAS　FOGG；　PASSEPARTOUT；　AND　FIX　GO　EACH