around the world in 80 days(环游世界80天)-第4节

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‘But　it　is　not　midnight；'　responded　the　other；　showing　his　watch。　
‘I　know　it；　I　don't　blame　you。　We　start　for　Dover　and　Calais　in　ten　minutes。'　
A　puzzled　grin　overspread　Passepartout's　round　face；　clearly　he　had　not　comprehended　his　master。　
‘Monsieur　is　going　to　leave　home？'　
‘Yes；'　returned　Phileas　Fogg。　‘We　are　going　round　the　world。'　
Passepartout　opened　wide　his　eyes；　raised　his　eyebrows；　held　up　his　hands；　and　seemed　about　to　collapse；　so　overcome　was　he　with　stupefied　astonishment。　
‘Round　the　world！'　he　murmured。　
‘In　eighty　days；'　responded　Mr　Fogg。　‘So　we　haven't　a　moment　to　lose。'　
‘But　the　trunks？'　gasped　Passepartout；　unconsciously　swaying　his　head　from　right　to　left。　
‘We'll　have　no　trunks；　only　a　carpet…bag；　with　two　shirts　and　three　pairs　of　stockings　for　me；　and　the　same　for　you。　We'll　buy　our　clothes　on　the　way。　Bring　down　my　mackintosh　and　travelling…cloak；　and　some　stout　shoes；　though　we　shall　do　little　walking。　Make　haste！'　
Passepartout　tried　to　reply；　but　could　not。　He　went　out；　mounted　to　his　own　room；　fell　into　a　chair；　and　muttered：　‘That's　good；　that　is！　And　I；　who　wanted　to　remain　quiet！'　
He　mechanically　set　about　making　the　preparations　for　departure。　Around　the　world　in　eighty　days！　Was　his　master　a　fool？　No。　Was　this　a　joke；　then？　They　were　going　to　Dover；　good。　To　Calais；　good　again。　After　all；　Passepartout；　who　had　been　away　from　France　five　years；　would　not　be　sorry　to　set　foot　on　his　native　soil　again。　Perhaps　they　would　go　as　far　as　Paris；　and　it　would　do　his　eyes　good　to　see　Paris　once　more。　But　surely　a　gentleman　so　chary　of　his　steps　would　stop　there；　no　doubt；　…　but；　then；　it　was　none　the　less　true　that　he　was　going　away；　this　so　domestic　person　hitherto！　
By　eight　o'clock　Passepartout　had　packed　the　modest　carpet…bag；　containing　the　wardrobes　of　his　master　and　himself；　then；　still　troubled　in　mind；　he　carefully　shut　the　door　of　his　room；　and　descended　to　Mr　Fogg。　
Mr　Fogg　was　quite　ready。　Under　his　arm　might　have　been　observed　a　red…bound　copy　of　‘Bradshaw's　Continental　Railway　Steam　Transit　and　General　Guide；'　with　its　time…tables　showing　the　arrival　and　departure　of　steamers　and　railways。　He　took　the　carpet…bag；　opened　it；　and　slipped　into　it　a　goodly　roll　of　Bank　of　England　notes；　which　would　pass　wherever　he　might　go。　
‘You　have　forgotten　nothing？'　asked　he。　
‘Nothing；　monsieur。'　
‘My　mackintosh　and　cloak？'　
‘Here　they　are。'　
‘Good。　Take　this　carpet…bag；'　handing　it　to　Passepartout。　‘Take　good　care　of　it；　for　there　are　twenty　thousand　pounds　in　it。'　
Passepartout　nearly　dropped　the　bag；　as　if　the　twenty　thousand　pounds　were　in　gold；　and　weighted　him　down。　
Master　and　man　then　descended；　the　street…door　was　double…locked；　and　at　the　end　of　Saville　Row　they　took　a　cab　and　drove　rapidly　to　Charing　Cross。　The　cab　stopped　before　the　railway　station　at　twenty　minutes　past　eight。　Passepartout　jumped　off　the　box　and　followed　his　master；　who；　after　paying　the　cabman；　was　about　to　enter　the　station；　when　a　poor　beggar…woman；　with　a　child　in　her　arms；　her　naked　feet　smeared　with　mud；　her　head　covered　with　a　wretched　bonnet；　from　which　hung　a　tattered　feather；　and　her　shoulders　shrouded　in　a　ragged　shawl；　approached；　and　mournfully　asked　for　alms。　
Mr　Fogg　took　out　the　twenty　guineas　he　had　just　won　at　whist；　and　handed　them　to　the　beggar；　saying；　‘Here；　my　good　woman。　I'm　glad　that　I　met　you'；　and　passed　on。　
Passepartout　had　a　moist　sensation　about　the　eyes；　his　masters　action　touched　his　susceptible　heart。　
Two　first…class　tickets　for　Paris　having　been　speedily　purchased；　Mr　Fogg　was　crossing　the　station　to　the　train；　when　he　perceived　his　five　friends　of　the　Reform。　
‘Well；　gentlemen；'　said　he；　‘I'm　off；　you　see；　and　if　you　will　examine　my　passport　when　I　get　back；　you　will　be　able　to　judge　whether　I　have　accomplished　the　journey　agreed　upon。'　
‘Oh；　that　would　be　quite　unnecessary；　Mr　Fogg；'　said　Ralph　politely。　‘We　will　trust　your　word；　as　a　gentleman　of　honour。'　
‘You　do　not　forget　when　you　are　due　in　London　again？'　asked　Stuart。　
‘In　eighty　days；　on　Saturday；　the　21st　of　December；　1872；　at　a　quarter　before　nine　p。m。　Good…bye；　gentlemen。　
Phileas　Fogg　and　his　servant　seated　themselves　in　a　first…class　carriage　at　twenty　minutes　before　nine；　five　minutes　later　the　whistle　screamed；　and　the　train　slowly　glided　out　of　the　Station。　
The　night　was　dark；　and　a　fine；　steady　rain　was　falling。　Phileas　Fogg；　snugly　ensconced　in　his　corner；　did　not　open　his　lips。　Passepartout；　not　yet　recovered　from　his　stupefaction；　clung　mechanically　to　the　carpet…bag；　with　its　enormous　treasure。　
Just　as　the　train　was　whirling　through　Sydenham；　Passepartout　suddenly　uttered　a　cry　of　despair。　
‘What's　the　matter？'　asked　Mr　Fogg。　
‘Alas！　In　my　hurry　…　I　…　I　forgot'　
‘What？'　
‘To　turn　off　the　gas　in　my　room！'　
‘Very　well；　young　man；'　returned　Mr　Fogg；　coolly；　‘it　will　burn　…　at　your　expense。'　


CHAPTER　V
IN　WHICH　A　NEW　SPECIES　OF　FUNDS；　UNKNOWN　TO　THE　MONEYED　MEN；　APPEARS　ON　'CHANGE。

Phileas　Fogg　rightly　suspected　that　his　departure　from　London　would　create　a　lively　sensation　at　the　West　End。　The　news　of　the　bet　spread　through　the　Reform　Club；　and　afforded　an　exciting　topic　of　conversation　to　its　members。　From　the　Club　it　soon　got　into　the　papers　throughout　England。　The　boasted　‘tour　of　the　world'　was　talked　about；　disputed；　argued　with　as　much　warmth　as　if　the　subject　were　another　Alabama　claim。　Some　took　sides　with　Phileas　Fogg；　but　the　large　majority　shook　their　heads　and　declared　against　him；　it　was　absurd；　impossible；　they　declared；　that　the　tour　of　the　world　could　be　made；　except　theoretically　and　on　paper；　in　this　minimum　of　time；　and　with　the　existing　means　of　travelling。　The　Times；　Standard；　Morning　Post；　and　Daily　New；　and　twenty　other　highly　respectable　newspapers　scouted　Mr　Fogg's　project　as　madness；　the　Daily　Telegraph　alone　hesitatingly　supported　him。　People　in　general　thought　him　a　lunatic；　and　blamed　his　Reform　Club　friends　for　having　accepted　a　wager　which　betrayed　the　mental　aberration　of　its　proposer。　
Articles　no　less　passionate　than　logical　appeared　on　the　question；　for　geography　is　one　of　the　pet　subjects　of　the　English；　and　the　columns　devoted　to　Phileas　Fogg's　venture　were　eagerly　devoured　by　all　classes　of　readers。　At　first　some　rash　individuals；　principally　of　the　gentler　sex；　espoused　his　cause；　which　became　still　more　popular　when　the　Illustrated　London　News　came　out　with　his　portrait；　copied　from　a　photograph　in　the　Reform　Club。　A　few　readers　of　the　Daily　Telegraph　even　dared　to　say；　‘Why　not；　after　all？　Stranger　things　have　come　to　pass。'　
At　last　a　long　article　appeared；　on　the　7th　of　October；　in　the　bulletin　of　the　Royal　Geographical　Society；　which　treated　the　question　from　every　point　of　view；　and　demonstrated　the　utter　folly　of　the　enterprise。　
Everything；　it　said；　was　against　the　travellers；　every　obstacle　imposed　alike　by　man　and　by　nature。　A　miraculous　agreement　of　the　times　of　departure　and　arrival；　which　was　impossible；　was　absolutely　necessary　to　his　success。　He　might；　perhaps；　reckon　on　the　arrival　of　trains　at　the　designated　hours；　in　Europe；　where　the　distances　were　relatively　moderate；　but　when　he　calculated　upon　crosSing　India　in　three　days；　and　the　United　States　in　seven；　could　he　rely　beyond　misgiving　upon　accomplishing　his　task？　There　were　accidents　to　machinery；　the　liability　of　trains　to　run　off　the　line；　collisions；　bad　weather；　the　blocking　up　by　snow；　…　were　not　all　these　against　Phileas　Fogg？　Would　he　not　find　himself；　when　travelling　by　steamer　in　winter；　at　the　merry　of　the　winds　and　fogs？　Is　it　uncommon　for　the　best　ocean　steamers　to　be　two　or　three　days　behind　time？　But　a　single　delay　would　suffice　to　fatally　break　the　chain　of　communication；　should　Phileas　Fogg　once　miss；　even　by　an　hour；　a　steamer；　he　would　have　to　wait　for　the　next；　and　that　would　irrevocably　render　his　attempt　vain。　
This　article　made　a　great　deal　of　noise；　and　being　copied　into　all　the　papers；　seriously　depressed　the　advocates　of　the　rash　tourist。　
Everybody　knows　that　England　is　the　world　of　betting　men；　who　are　of　a　higher　class　than　mere　gamblers；　to　bet　is　in　the　English　temperament。　Not　only　the　members　of　the　Reform；　but　the　general　public；　made　heavy　wagers　for　or　against　Phileas　Fogg；　who　was　set　down　in　the　betting　books　as　if　he　were　a　race…horse。　Bonds　were　issued；　and　made　their　appearance　on　'Change；　‘Phileas　Fogg　bonds'　were　offered　at　par　or　at　a　premium；　and　a　great　business　was　done　in　them。　But　five　days　after　the　article　in　the　bulletin　of　the　Geographical　Society　appeared；　the　demand　began　to　subside：　‘Phileas　Fogg'　declined。　They　were　offered　by　packages；　at　first　of　five；　then　of　ten；　until　at　last　nobody　would　take　less　than　twenty；　fifty；　a　hundred！　
Lord　Albermarle；　an　elderly　paralytic　gentleman；　was　now　the　only　advocate　of　Phileas　Fogg　left。　This　noble　lord；　who　was　fastened　to　his　chair；　would　have　given　his　fortune　to　be　able　to　make　the　tour　of　the　world；　if　it　took　ten　years；　and　bet　five　thousand　pounds　on　Phileas　Fogg。　When　the　folly　as　well　as　the　uselessness　of　the　adventure　was　pointed　out　to　him；　he　contented　himself　with　replying；　‘If　the　thing　is　feasible；　the　first　to　do　it　ought　to　be　an　Englishman。'　
The