Now there was some reason to suppose, as _The Morning Chronicle_ put it, that the thief did not belong to a gang, for during the 29th of September a well-dressed gentlemanly man had been observed in the bank, near where the robbery had been perpetrated. An exact description of this person was fortunately obtained, and supplied to all the detectives; and so some sanguine persons, of whom Ralph was one, believed the thief could not escape. As may be imagined, nothing else was talked about just then. The probabilities of success and failure were warmly discussed in the newspapers, so it was not surprising that the members of the Reform Club should talk about it, particularly as one of the deputy-governors of the bank was present. Ralph did not doubt that the search would be successful because of the amount of the reward, which would probably stimulate the zeal of the detectives. But Andrew Stuart was of a different opinion, and the discussion was continued between these gentlemen during their game of whist. Stuart was Flanagan's partner, and Fallentin was Fogg's. While they played they did not talk; but between the rubbers the subject cropped up again. "Well," said Stuart, "I maintain that the chances are in favour of the thief, who must be a sharp one." "But," replied Ralph, "there is no place a fellow can go to." "Oh, come!" "Well, where can he go to?" "I can't tell," replied Stuart; "but the world is big enough, at any rate." "It used to be," said Phileas Fogg, in an undertone. "Cut, if you please," he added, handing the cards to Flanagan. Conversation was then suspended, but after the rubber Stuart took it up again, saying: "What do you mean by 'used to be?' Has the world grown smaller, then?" "Of course it has," replied Ralph. "I am of Mr. Fogg's opinion; the world has grown smaller, inasmuch as one can go round it ten times quicker than you could a hundred years ago. That is the reason why, in the present case, search will be more rapid, and render the escape of the thief easier." "Your lead, Mr. Stuart," said Fogg. But the incredulous Stuart was not convinced, and he again returned to the subject. "I must say, Mr. Ralph," he continued, "that you have found an easy way that the world has grown smaller, because one now go round it in three months." "In eighty days only," said Phileas Fogg. "That is a fact, gentlemen," added John Sullivan. "You can make the tour of the world in eighty days, now that the section of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway is opened between Rothal and Allahabad, and here is the estimate made by _The Morning Chronicle_: London to Suez, by Mont Cenis and Brindisi, Rail and Steamer . . . 7 days. Suez to Bombay, by Steamer . . . 13 " Bombay to Calcutta, by Rail . . . 3 " Calcutta to Hong Kong, by Steamer . . . 13 " Hong Kong to Yokohama, by Steamer . . . 6 " Yokohama to San Francisco, by Steamer . . . 22 " San Francisco to New York, by Rail . . . 7 "