Home Categories science fiction Around the World in Eighty Days

Chapter 3 Chapter Three: A Controversy That Could Cost Mr. Fogg

At half-past eleven in the morning, Mr. Fogg left the house in Savile Street as usual.After moving his right foot five hundred and seventy-five times in front of his left foot and his left foot in front of his right foot five hundred and seventy-six times, he arrived at the improved club.This is a tall building, standing on the Boulevard, and it will cost at least three million pounds to build such a club. Mr. Fogg went straight into the dining-room, where the nine windows looking out on the garden were opened.The trees in the garden have been smeared with golden colors in autumn.In the dining room, he sat in the old place he was used to, and the cutlery and utensils on the table were all set.The lunch consisted of: a plate of snacks, a plate of cooked fish with a spicy sauce, a plate of deep red roast beef with fragrant rhubarb and green currants, and a cheese.After eating, drink a few cups of the club's special tea.Wash these delicacies away.

At twelve forty-seven the gentleman rose from the dining-room and went into the hall.It was a magnificent room, adorned with many pictures, each in an ornate frame.In the great drawing-room the waiter handed Fogg an uncut copy of The Times.So he used his skillful hands to cut according to the template. This was a troublesome thing, but from his movements, it can be seen that he is already familiar with it.He read the paper until three forty-five, and then the Standard, which had just arrived, until supper.Dinner was the same as lunch, with an extra course of fine English preserves. At 5:40, he returned to the hall to concentrate on reading the "Daily Morning Paper".

Half an hour later, some of the members of the Reform Club were also in the great drawing room, near the fireplace where the coals were burning.These were old friends who played cards with Fogg, and like Fogg, they were all "whistler" fans.Among them, Andrew Stuart was an engineer, John Sullivan and Samuel Frandin were bankers, Thomas Flanagan was a brewer, and Gao Jie Ruofu was a director of the National Bank of England.These people are rich and prestigious, and among the members of the club, they can all be regarded as top figures in the financial and business circles. "Well, Mr. Coward," Thomas Flanagh had just asked, "what's the matter with this theft?"

"Come on," put in Andrew Stuart, "it's the bank's money!" "In my opinion, contrary to yours," said Gorger Weak, "I think we'll catch the thief. The Police Department has a number of very alert and capable detectives at all the important ports of entry and exit in America and Europe. In my opinion, It will be very difficult for this gentleman on Liang to escape the grasp of the detective." "Then, is there a clue?" Andrew Stuart continued. "First of all, I want to explain that the man is not a thief," Gao Jie Ruofu said solemnly.

"What!? Aren't you a thief who stole fifty-five thousand pounds?" "Not a thief," said Gao Jie Weak. "Still an entrepreneur?" John Sullivan asked. "The Daily Morning Report affirmed that he was a gentleman." The person who said this was none other than Falk.He poked his head out of the newspaper and saluted everyone, and they all returned the salute. They spoke of matters which were hotly debated in the various newspapers of the United Kingdom.This happened three days ago, on the 29th of September, when a wad of notes worth fifty-five thousand pounds had been stolen from the little counter of the chief teller of the National Bank of England.

Mr. Gao Jie, the vice-president of the bank, explained to those who were surprised that the theft happened so easily, he said: "At that time, the teller was busy writing down a sum of three shillings and six pence Of course, his eyes can't see everywhere." Now, it is better to introduce the situation of the bank here first, and it will be easier to make things clear.The rambunctious National Bank of England seems to place great faith in the personalities of its customers and the public.There are neither guards nor gatekeepers in the bank, and there is not even barbed wire on the teller cabinets.Money and banknotes are placed at will, that is to say, any customer can move as he likes.No one doubts whether a customer is honest and reliable.An observer who is very familiar with British customs even said this: One day, in a hall of the National Bank of England, he approached curiously, wanting to see a gold nugget weighing seven or eight catties.At that time, this piece of gold was placed on the cashier's small counter. He picked up the piece of gold, looked at it, and passed it on to others.One by one, it has been passed to the dark end of the corridor.After half an hour, the piece of gold returned to its original place.During this half hour the teller did not even raise his head.

However, on September 29th, the situation was completely different.A bundle of banknotes never came back.When the clock above the exchange office struck five, it was time for the end of the day, and the National Bank of England had to charge the £55,000 to the profit and loss account. Of course, it is absolutely certain that this is a case of theft.A group of the most capable police officers and agents were sent to major ports such as: Liverpool, Glasgow, Harvard, Suez, Brindisi, New York and other places.Whoever can solve the crime will receive a prize of two thousand pounds (fifty thousand gold francs), plus five per cent of the recovered stolen money as a reward.Waiting for the information from the investigations already begun, these detectives scouted carefully all the comings and goings of the passengers in the various ports.

However, one has reason to assume so--and the "Daily Morning News" just said: "The perpetrator of this crime is by no means a member of any existing gang of thieves in Britain. On September 29, there was a well-dressed and elegant gentleman. , appeared in the payment hall, which is the scene of the theft, and lingered for a long time. According to the investigation results, the appearance of this person has been quite accurately grasped, and all police detectives in the UK and the European continent have been notified in time."——In this way, some Senseful people (Gao Jie Weak Fu is one of them) think that there is every reason to believe that this thief can't get away.

As one might expect, the matter has become a major talking point in London and across the UK.The theft was debated everywhere, some impassionedly affirming that the Metropolitan Police Department could solve it, others vehemently asserting that it could not.So it is certainly not surprising to hear members of the Improvement Club, including even a National Bank vice-president, talking about it. The noble Mr. Gaujay Weak, who was sure of the results of the reconnaissance, estimated that this bonus would greatly encourage the enthusiasm and wisdom of the detectives.But his mate, Andrew Stuart, had no such confidence, and the gentlemen continued to argue.They sat round the card-table, Stuart opposite Flanagan, and Francine opposite Phileas Fogg.During the game they did not speak, but when the points were counted at the end of the hand, the dispute which had been interrupted resumed with fervor.

"I think the thief will get away with it. He must be a very clever fellow!" said Andrew Stuart. "Forget it!" replied the poor man, "he can't escape anywhere!" "Where is it!" "Where do you think he fled to?" "I don't know," replied Andrew Stuart, "but, anyway, there's plenty of places in the world to go!" "That's the way it used to be..." whispered Fogg, and taking up the shuffled cards, he said to Thomas Flanagan, "It's your turn, sir." While playing cards, the debate was temporarily suspended.But soon Andrew Stuart started again, saying:

"What, that was in the past!? Is the Earth shrinking now?" "That's true," said Gorje Ruff, "I think the same as Mr. Fogg, the earth is shrinking. It is ten times faster to travel around the earth now than it was a hundred years ago! This makes all of us The case in question has been resolved at an accelerated pace." "Wouldn't it be more convenient for the thief to run away?" "It's your turn, Mr. Stuart!" said Fogg. But the stubborn Stuart still refused to admit defeat.After a game of cards, he started talking again: "Mr. Weak, you must admit that the Earth has shrunk. This is a joke! You say that because it takes three months to go around the Earth today..." "Only eighty days," continued Fogg. "And it is, gentlemen," interposed John Sullivan. "Eighty days have been enough since the opening of the Rozo-Allahabad section of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway. You see, there is also a timetable in the "Daily Morning News": From London to Suez via Sydney Hills and Brindisi (train, boat) ... 7 days From Suez to Mumbai (ship)……………………………… 13 days From Mumbai to Calcutta (train)…………………………………3 days From Kolkata to Hong Kong, China (ship)……………………………… 13 days From Hong Kong to Yokohama, Japan (ship) …………………………… 6 days From Yokohama to San Francisco (ship)…………………………… 22 days From San Francisco to New York (by train)…………………………… 7 days From New York to London (ship, train)…………………………9 days Total…………………………………………………………… 80 days "Yes, eighty days!" cried Andrew Stuart.He inadvertently made a wrong ace.Then he went on: "However, bad weather, headwinds, shipwrecks, train derailments, and other accidents are not counted." "That's all counted," said Mr. Fogg, continuing his game, disregarding for this time the rule of silence in the game of Whistler. "But the natives of India, or the Indians of America, would pry the rails off," cried Andrew Stuart. "They'll stop the train, rob the luggage, and scalp the passengers! You count that too?" "Eighty days count, whatever the accident," replied Fogg, putting the cards down on the table, and adding: "Two aces." Now it was Andrew Stuart's turn to shuffle the cards, and he said, "Mr Fogg, you are right in theory, but in practice..." "It took eighty days to actually do it, Mr. Stuart. "I'd like to see how you do it." "That's up to you. We can go together." "God help me, I'm not going, that's impossible!" cried Stuart. "I'll bet four thousand pounds that it's impossible to go around the world in eighty days." "On the contrary, quite possibly," replied Fogg. "Okay! Then try it!" "Should I circle the earth in eighty days?" "yes." "Okay, I agree." "When are you leaving?" "Leaving at once. But—I must make it clear to you that the travel expenses will be paid for by you." "It's just crazy!" cried Andrew Stuart, beginning to lose his temper because of Mr. Fogg's persistent argument.He went on to say: "Forget it, don't talk about it, let's play cards." "You reshuffle the cards, the cards have been dealt wrong," replied Fogg. Andrew Stuart put away the cards with his feverishly agitated hand, and suddenly he laid the cards on the table again, saying: "Well! We've settled it, Mr. Fogg, and I'll bet you four thousand pounds! . . . " "Calm down, my dear Stuart!" said Frandin, "it's just a joke." "I'm going to bet," replied Andrew Stuart, "and I'm not kidding." "Good!" said Fogg, turning around, and said to the other players, "I have twenty thousand pounds with the Baring Brothers, and I'd like to bet them! . . . " "Twenty thousand pounds!" exclaimed John Sullivan, "if you miss a step and come back late, the twenty thousand pounds will be gone!" "No surprises at all," replied Fogg simply. "But, Mr. Fogg, eighty days is the minimum!" "At least time, as long as you use it well, you can solve the problem." "If you want it to be less than eighty days, you have to get on the ship as soon as you get off the train, and get on the train again as soon as you get off the ship!" "I'll get it right." "This is a joke!" "A decent Englishman would take a bet as much as a business, and never jest," replied Fogg. "I will go around the earth in eighty days, or even less than eighty days. That is to say, it takes 1,920 hours or 115,200 minutes to go around the earth. Who wants to bet, I'll bet him £20,000. Will you come?" After discussing with the weak gentlemen for a while, Stuart, Frandin, Sullivan, and Flanagan said: "We bet you." "Good!" said Mr. Fogg. "The train for Duvre leaves at eight forty-five. I shall take that train." "Are you going tonight?" Stuart asked. "To-night," replied Mr. Fogg, looking at his pocket calendar, "today is Wednesday, October 2, so I should be back at eight forty-five on Saturday, December 21." to London, and still to this hall of the Club. If I do not return as expected, the twenty thousand pounds I have deposited with Barings shall be yours, both de jure and de facto. Here, gentlemen, is a A check for twenty thousand pounds." A bet note was written on the spot, and the six parties immediately signed it.Fogg's attitude is very calm. Of course he didn't bet to win money. He made a bet of 20,000 pounds equal to half of his property because he had expected that he would be able to use the other party's money to complete the plan. .And the plan itself is difficult, if not impossible.As for his opponents, it seems that they are a little nervous now, not because the stakes are too high, but because the tense atmosphere makes them feel uneasy. By this time the clock had struck seven.They suggested to Mr. Fogg that the game should be stopped, so that he might be ready before his departure. "I'm ready," replied the placid gentleman, as he dealt the cards. "I've turned over a red diamond, and it's your turn, Mr. Stuart."
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