Adventure stories; Voyages around the world -- Fiction
One can imagine the confusion which ensued. The incident at the pagoda
in Bombay had been quite forgotten by both master and man, and it was
on account of that that they were both detained.
The detective Fix had seen at once the advantage he could derive from
that _contretemps_; so, delaying his departure for twelve hours, he
consulted with the priests at Malabar Hill and had promised them a
large reward, knowing very well that the English Government would
punish with extreme severity any trespass of such a description. Then
he had sent the priests by train on the track of the offenders. Owing
to the time spent by Phileas Fogg and his party in releasing the young
widow from the suttee, Fix and the Hindoo priests had reached Calcutta
first, but in any case Mr. Fogg and his servant would have been
arrested as they left the train in consequence of a telegraphic
despatch which had been forwarded to Calcutta by the authorities. The
disappointment of Fix may be imagined when he heard on his arrival
that Fogg had not reached Calcutta. He thought that his victim had
stopped at one of the intermediate stations, and Had taken refuge in
the southern provinces. For four-and-twenty hours Fix had restlessly
paced the railway station at Calcutta. What was his joy when that very
morning he perceived his man descending from the train in company with
a lady whose presence he could not account for. He had immediately
directed a policeman to arrest Mr. Fogg, and that is how the whole
party came to be brought before Judge Obadiah.
If Passe-partout had been less wrapped up in his own business he would
have noticed the detective seated in the corner of the court, watching
the proceedings with an interest easy to be understood, for at
Calcutta, as heretofore, he still wanted the warrant to arrest the
supposed thief.
But Judge Obadiah had noticed the avowal, which Passe-partout would
have given the world to recall.
"So the facts are admitted," said the judge.
"They are," replied Fogg coldly.
"Well," continued the judge, "inasmuch as the English law is intended
to protect rigorously, and without distinction, all religions in
India, and as this fellow, Passe-partout, has confessed his crime, and
is convicted of having violated with sacrilegious feet the Pagoda of
Malabar Hill at Bombay during the day of the 20th of October, the said
Passe-partout is condemned to fifteen days' imprisonment and to pay a
fine of three hundred pounds."
"Three hundred pounds!" exclaimed Passe-partout, who was scarcely
conscious of anything but the amount of the fine.
"Silence!" shouted the usher.
"And," continued the judge, "seeing that it is not proved that this
sacrilege was connived at by the master, but as he must be held
responsible for the acts and deeds of his servant, the said Phileas
Fogg is sentenced to eight days' imprisonment and a fine of one
hundred and fifty pounds. Usher, call the next case."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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