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around the world in 80 days(环游世界80天)-第14部分

小说: around the world in 80 days(环游世界80天) 字数: 每页4000字

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 explain。 He hastened for a policeman; and this was how the party came to be arrested and brought before Judge Obadiah。 
Had Passepartout been a little less preoccupied; he would have espied the detective ensconced in a corner of the court…room; watching the proceedings with an interest easily understood; for the warrant had failed to reach him at Calcutta; as it had done at Bombay and Suez。 
Judge Obadiah had unfortunately caught Passepartout's rash exclamation; which the poor fellow would have given the world to recall。 
‘The facts are admitted?' asked the judge。 
‘Admitted;' replied Mr Fogg; coldly。 
‘Inasmuch;' resumed the judge; ‘as the English law protects equally and sternly the religions of the Indian people; and as the man Passepartout has admitted that he violated the sacred pagoda of Malabar Hill; at Bombay; on the 20th of October; I condemn the said Passepartout to imprisonment for fifteen days and a fine of three hundred pounds。' 
‘Three hundred pounds!' cried Passepartout; startled at the largeness of the sum。 
‘Silence!' shouted the constable。 
‘And inasmuch;' continued the judge; ‘as it is not proved that the act was not done by the connivance of the master with the servant; and as the master in any case must be held responsible for the acts of his paid servant; I condemn Phileas Fogg to a week's imprisonment and a fine of one hundred and fifty pounds。' 
Fix rubbed his hands softly with satisfaction; if Phileas Fogg could be detained in Calcutta a week; it would be more than time for the warrant to arrive。 Passepartout was stupefied。 This sentence ruined his master。 A wager of twenty thousand pounds lost; because he; like a precious fool; had gone into that abominable pagoda! 
Phileas Fogg; as self…composed as if the judgment did not in the least concern him; did not even lift his eyebrows while it was being pronounced。 Just as the clerk was calling the next case; he rose; and said; ‘I offer bail。' 
‘You have that right;' returned the judge。 
Fix's blood ran cold; but he resumed his composure when he heard the judge announce that the bail required for each prisoner would be one thousand pounds。 
‘I will pay it at once;' said Mr Fogg; taking a roll of bank…bills from the carpet…bag; which Passepartout had by him; and placing them on the clerk's desk。 
‘This sum will be restored to you upon your release from prison;' said the judge。 ‘Meanwhile; you are liberated on bail。' 
‘Come!' said Phileas Fogg to his servant。 
‘But let them at least give me back my shoes!' cried Passepartout; angrily。 
‘Ah; these are pretty dear shoes!' he muttered; as they were handed to him。 ‘More than a thousand pounds apiece; besides; they pinch my feet。' 
Mr Fogg; offering his arm to Aouda; then departed; followed by the crestfallen Passepartout。 Fix still nourished hopes that the robber would not; after all; leave the two thousand pounds behind him; but would decide to serve out his week in jail; and issued forth on Mr Fogg's traces。 That gentleman took a carriage; and the party were soon landed on one of the quays。 
The ‘Rangoon' was moored half a mile off in the harbour; its signal of departure hoisted at the mast…head。 Eleven o'clock was striking; Mr Fogg was an hour in advance of time。 Fix saw them leave the carriage and push off in a boat for the steamer; and stamped his feet with disappointment。 
‘The rascal is off; after all!' he exclaimed。 ‘Two thousand pounds sacrificed! He's as prodigal as a thief! I'll follow him to the end of the world if necessary; but at the rate he's going on; the stolen money will soon be exhausted。' 
The detective was not far wrong in making this conjecture。 Since leaving London; what with travelling expenses; bribes; the purchase of the elephant; bails and fines; Mr Fogg had already spent more than five thousand pounds on the way; and the percentage of the sum recovered from the bank robber; promised to the detectives; was rapidly diminishing。 


CHAPTER XVI
IN WHICH FIX DOES NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND IN THE LEAST WHAT IS SAID TO HIM。

The ‘Rangoon' … one of the Peninsular and Oriental Company's boats plying in the Chinese and Japanese seas … was a screw steamer; built of iron; weighing about seventeen hundred and seventy tons; and with engines of four hundred horse…power。 She was as fast; but not as well fitted up; as the ‘Mongolia'; and Aouda was not as comfortably provided for on board of her as Phileas Fogg could have wished。 However; the trip from Calcutta to Hong Kong only comprised some three thousand five hundred miles; occupying from ten to twelve days; and the young woman was not difficult to please。 
During the first days of the journey Aouda became better acquainted with her protector; and constantly gave evidence of her deep gratitude for what he had done。 The phlegmatic gentleman listened to her; apparently at least; with coldness; neither his voice nor his manner betraying the slightest emotion; but he seemed to be always on the watch that nothing should be wanting to Aouda's comfort。 He visited her regularly each day at certain hours; not so much to talk himself as to sit and hear her talk。 He treated her with the strictest politeness; but with the precision of an automaton; the movements of which had been arranged for this purpose。 Aouda did not quite know what to make of him; though Passepartout had given her some hints of his master's eccentricity; and made her smile by telling her of the wager which was sending him round the world。 After all; she owed Phileas Fogg her life; and she always regarded him through the exalting medium of her gratitude。 
Aouda confirmed the Parsee guide's narrative of her touching history。 She didndeed; belong to the highest of the native races of India。 Many of the Parsee merchants have made great fortunes there by dealing in cotton; and one of them; Sir Jametsee Jeejeebhoy; was made a baronet by the English government。 Aouda was a relative of this great man; and it was his cousin Jeejeeh; whom she hoped to join at Hong Kong。 Whether she would find a protector in him she could not tell; but Mr Fogg essayed to calm her anxieties; and to assure her that everything would be mathematically … he used the very word … arranged。 Aouda fastened her great eyes; ‘clear as the sacred lakes of the Himalaya'; upon him; but the intractable Fogg; as reserved as ever; did not seem at all inclined to throw himself into this lake。 
The first few days of the voyage passed prosperously; amid favourable weather and propitious winds; and they soon came in sight of the great Andaman; the principal of the islands in the Bay of Bengal; with its picturesque Saddle Peak; two thousand four hundred feet high; looming above the waters。 The steamer passed along near the shores; but the savage Papuans; who are in the lowest scale of humanity; but are not; as has been asserted; cannibals; did not make their appearance。 
The panorama of the islands; as they steamed by them; was superb。 Vast forests of palms; arecs; bamboo; teakwood; of the gigantic mimosa; and tree…like ferns covered the foreground; while behind; the graceful outlines of the mountains were traced against the sky; and along the coasts swarmed by thousands the precious swallows whose nests furnish a luxurious dish to the tables of the Celestial Empire。 The varied landscape afforded by the Andaman Islands was soon passed; however; and the ‘Rangoon' rapidly approached the Straits of Malacca; which give access to the China seas。 
What was detective Fix; so unluckily drawn on from country to country; doing all this while? He had managed to embark on the ‘Rangoon' at Calcutta without being seen by Passepartout; after leaving orders that; if the warrant should arrive; it should be forwarded to him at Hong Kong; and he hoped to conceal his presence to the end of the voyage。 It would have been difficult to explain why he was on board without awaking Passepartout's suspicions; who thought him still at Bombay。 But necessity impelled him; nevertheless; to renew his acquaintance with the worthy servant; as will be seen。 
All the detective's hopes and wishes were now centred on Hong Kong; for the steamer's stay at Singapore would be too brief to enable him to take any steps there。 The arrest must be made at Hong Kong; or the robber would probably escape him for ever。 Hong Kong was the last English ground on which he would set foot; beyond; China; Japan; America offered to Fogg an almost certain refuge。 If the warrant should at last make its appearance at Hong Kong; Fix could arrest him and give him into the hands of the local police; and there would be no further trouble。 But beyond Hong Kong; a simple warrant would be of no avail; an extradition warrant would be necessary; and that would result in delays and obstacles; of which the rascal would take advantage to elude justice。 
Fix thought over these probabilities during the long hours which he spent in his cabin; and kept repeating to himself; ‘Now either the warrant will be at Hong Kong; in which case I shall arrest my man; or it will not be there; and this time it is absolutely necessary that I should delay his departure。 I have failed at Bombay; and I have failed at Calcutta: if I fail at Hong Kong; my reputation is lost。 Cost what it may; I must succeed! But how shall I prevent his departure; if that should turn out to be my last resource?' 
Fix made up his mind that; if worst came to worst; he would make a confidant of Passepartout; and tell him what kind of a fellow his master really was。 That Passepartout was not Fogg's accomplice; he was very certain。 The servant; enlightened by his disclosure; and afraid of being himself implicated in the crime; would doubtless become an ally of the detective。 But this method was a dangerous one; only to be employed when everything else had failed。 A word from Passepartout to his master would ruin all。 The detective was therefore in a sore strait。 But suddenly a new idea struck him。 The presence of Aouda on the ‘Rangoon'; in company with Phileas Fogg; gave him new material for reflection。 
Who was this woman? What combination of events had made her Fogg's travelling companion? They had evidently met somewhere between Bombay and Calcutta; but where? Had they met accidentally; or had Fogg gone into the interior purposely in que

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