Around the World in Eighty Days. Junior Deluxe EditionVerne, Jules
General
Around the World in Eighty Days. Junior Deluxe Edition
Verne, Jules
Adventure stories; Voyages around the world -- Fiction
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 check 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 to do so, 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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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