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
Then there was a moment of silence. The great saloon was
perfectly quiet; but the murmurs of the crowd outside were heard,
with now and then a shrill cry. The pendulum beat the seconds,
which each player eagerly counted, as he listened, with
mathematical regularity.
"Sixteen minutes to nine!" said John Sullivan, in a voice which
betrayed his emotion.
One minute more, and the wager would be won. Andrew Stuart and
his partners suspended their game. They left their cards, and
counted the seconds.
At the fortieth second, nothing. At the fiftieth, still nothing.
At the fifty-fifth, a loud cry was heard in the street, followed
by applause, hurrahs and some fierce growls.
The players rose from their seats.
At the fifty-seventh second the door of the saloon opened. The
pendulum had not beat the sixtieth second when Phileas Fogg
appeared, followed by an excited crowd who had forced their way
through the club doors. In his calm voice, Phileas Fogg said,
"Here I am, gentlemen!"
Chapter 37
In Which It Is Shown That Phileas Fogg Gained Nothing
by His Tour around the World Except Happiness
Yes, Phileas Fogg in person.
The reader will remember that at five minutes past eight in the
evening--about five and twenty hours after the arrival of the
travelers in London--Passepartout had been sent by his master to
engage the services of the Reverend Samuel Wilson in a certain
marriage ceremony, which was to take place the next day.
Passepartout went on his errand enchanted. He soon reached the
clergyman's house, but found him not at home. Passepartout
waited a good twenty minutes, and when he left the reverend
gentleman, it was thirty-five minutes past eight. But in what a
state he was! With his hair in disorder, and without his hat, he
ran along the street as never man was seen to run before,
overturning passersby, rushing over the sidewalk like a
waterspout.
In three minutes he was in Saville Row again, and staggered back
into Mr. Fogg's room.
He could not speak.
"What is the matter?" asked Mr. Fogg.
"My master!" gasped Passepartout. "Marriage--impossible--"
"Impossible?"
"Impossible--for tomorrow."
"Why so?"
"Because tomorrow--is Sunday!"
"Monday," replied Mr. Fogg.
"No--today--is Saturday."
"Saturday? Impossible!"
"Yes, yes, yes, yes!" cried Passepartout. "You have made a
mistake of one day! We arrived twenty-four hours ahead of time,
but there are only ten minutes left!"
Passepartout had seized his master by the collar, and was
dragging him along with irresistible force.
Phileas Fogg, thus kidnapped, without having time to think, left
his house, jumped into a cab, promised a hundred pounds to the
cabman, and, having run over two dogs and overturned five
carriages, reached the Reform Club.
The clock indicated a quarter before nine when he appeared in the
great saloon.
Phileas Fogg had accomplished the journey round the world in
eighty days!
Phileas Fogg had won his wager of twenty thousand pounds!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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