Showing what happened on the
voyage from Singapore to Hong
Kong
The detective and Passepartout
met often on deck after this
interview, though Fix was reserved,
and did not attempt to induce
his companion to divulge any
more facts concerning Mr. Fogg.
He caught a glimpse of that mysterious
gentleman once or twice; but
Mr. Fogg usually confined himself
to the cabin, where he kept Aouda
company, or, according to his
inveterate habit, took a hand
at whist.
Passepartout began very seriously
to conjecture what strange chance
kept Fix still on the route that
his master was pursuing. It was
really worth considering why
this certainly very amiable and
complacent person, whom he had
first met at Suez, had then encountered
on board the Mongolia, who disembarked
at Bombay, which he announced
as his destination, and now turned
up so unexpectedly on the Rangoon,
was following Mr. Fogg's tracks
step by step. What was Fix's
object? Passepartout was ready
to wager his Indian shoes--which
he religiously preserved--that
Fix would also leave Hong Kong
at the same time with them, and
probably on the same steamer.
Passepartout might have cudgelled
his brain for a century without
hitting upon the real object
which the detective had in view.
He never could have imagined
that Phileas Fogg was being tracked
as a robber around the globe.
But, as it is in human nature
to attempt the solution of every
mystery, Passepartout suddenly
discovered an explanation of
Fix's movements, which was in
truth far from unreasonable.
Fix, he thought, could only be
an agent of Mr. Fogg's friends
at the Reform Club, sent to follow
him up, and to ascertain that
he really went round the world
as had been agreed upon.
"It's clear!" repeated the
worthy servant to himself, proud
of his shrewdness. "He's a spy
sent to keep us in view! That
isn't quite the thing, either,
to be spying Mr. Fogg, who is
so honourable a man! Ah, gentlemen
of the Reform, this shall cost
you dear!"
Passepartout, enchanted with
his discovery, resolved to say
nothing to his master, lest he
should be justly offended at
this mistrust on the part of
his adversaries. But he determined
to chaff Fix, when he had the
chance, with mysterious allusions,
which, however, need not betray
his real suspicions.
During the afternoon of Wednesday,
30th October, the Rangoon entered
the Strait of Malacca, which
separates the peninsula of that
name from Sumatra. The mountainous
and craggy islets intercepted
the beauties of this noble island
from the view of the travellers.
The Rangoon weighed anchor at
Singapore the next day at four
a.m., to receive coal, having
gained half a day on the prescribed
time of her arrival. Phileas
Fogg noted this gain in his journal,
and then, accompanied by Aouda,
who betrayed a desire for a walk
on shore, disembarked.
Fix, who suspected Mr. Fogg's
every movement, followed them
cautiously, without being himself
perceived; while Passepartout,
laughing in his sleeve at Fix's
manoeuvres, went about his usual
errands.
The island of Singapore is
not imposing in aspect, for there
are no mountains; yet its appearance
is not without attractions. It
is a park checkered by pleasant
highways and avenues. A handsome
carriage, drawn by a sleek pair
of New Holland horses, carried
Phileas Fogg and Aouda into the
midst of rows of palms with brilliant
foliage, and of clove-trees,
whereof the cloves form the heart
of a half-open flower. Pepper
plants replaced the prickly hedges
of European fields; sago-bushes,
large ferns with gorgeous branches,
varied the aspect of this tropical
clime; while nutmeg-trees in
full foliage filled the air with
a penetrating perfume. Agile
and grinning bands of monkeys
skipped about in the trees, nor
were tigers wanting in the jungles.
After a drive of two hours
through the country, Aouda and
Mr. Fogg returned to the town,
which is a vast collection of
heavy-looking, irregular houses,
surrounded by charming gardens
rich in tropical fruits and plants;
and at ten o'clock they re-embarked,
closely followed by the detective,
who had kept them constantly
in sight.
Passepartout, who had been
purchasing several dozen mangoes--
a fruit as large as good-sized
apples, of a dark-brown colour
outside and a bright red within,
and whose white pulp, melting
in the mouth, affords gourmands
a delicious sensation--was waiting
for them on deck. He was only
too glad to offer some mangoes
to Aouda, who thanked him very
gracefully for them.
At eleven o'clock the Rangoon
rode out of Singapore harbour,
and in a few hours the high mountains
of Malacca, with their forests,
inhabited by the most beautifully-furred
tigers in the world, were lost
to view. Singapore is distant
some thirteen hundred miles from
the island of Hong Kong, which
is a little English colony near
the Chinese coast. Phileas Fogg
hoped to accomplish the journey
in six days, so as to be in time
for the steamer which would leave
on the 6th of November for Yokohama,
the principal Japanese port.
The Rangoon had a large quota
of passengers, many of whom disembarked
at Singapore, among them a number
of Indians, Ceylonese, Chinamen,
Malays, and Portuguese, mostly
second-class travellers.
The weather, which had hitherto
been fine, changed with the last
quarter of the moon. The sea
rolled heavily, and the wind
at intervals rose almost to a
storm, but happily blew from
the south-west, and thus aided
the steamer's progress. The captain
as often as possible put up his
sails, and under the double action
of steam and sail the vessel
made rapid progress along the
coasts of Anam and Cochin China.
Owing to the defective construction
of the Rangoon, however, unusual
precautions became necessary
in unfavourable weather; but
the loss of time which resulted
from this cause, while it nearly
drove Passepartout out of his
senses, did not seem to affect
his master in the least. Passepartout
blamed the captain, the engineer,
and the crew, and consigned all
who were connected with the ship
to the land where the pepper
grows. Perhaps the thought of
the gas, which was remorselessly
burning at his expense in Saville
Row, had something to do with
his hot impatience.
"You are in a great hurry,
then," said Fix to him one day, "to
reach Hong Kong?"
"A very great
hurry!"
"Mr. Fogg,
I suppose, is anxious to catch
the steamer for Yokohama?"
"Terribly anxious."
"You believe
in this journey around the
world, then?"
"Absolutely.
Don't you, Mr. Fix?"
"I? I don't
believe a word of it."
"You're a sly dog!" said
Passepartout, winking at him.
This expression rather disturbed
Fix, without his knowing why.
Had the Frenchman guessed his
real purpose? He knew not what
to think. But how could Passepartout
have discovered that he was a
detective? Yet, in speaking as
he did, the man evidently meant
more than he expressed.
Passepartout went still further
the next day; he could not hold
his tongue.
"Mr. Fix," said he, in a bantering
tone, "shall we be so unfortunate
as to lose you when we get to
Hong Kong?"
"Why," responded Fix, a little
embarrassed, "I don't know; perhaps--"
"Ah, if you
would only go on with us! An
agent of the Peninsular
Company, you know, can't stop
on the way! You were only going
to Bombay, and here you are in
China. America is not far off,
and from America to Europe is
only a step."
Fix looked intently at his
companion, whose countenance
was as serene as possible, and
laughed with him. But Passepartout
persisted in chaffing him by
asking him if he made much by
his present occupation.
"Yes, and no," returned Fix; "there
is good and bad luck in such
things. But you must understand
that I don't travel at my own
expense."
"Oh, I am quite sure of that!" cried
Passepartout, laughing heartily.
Fix, fairly puzzled, descended
to his cabin and gave himself
up to his reflections. He was
evidently suspected; somehow
or other the Frenchman had found
out that he was a detective.
But had he told his master? What
part was he playing in all this:
was he an accomplice or not?
Was the game, then, up? Fix spent
several hours turning these things
over in his mind, sometimes thinking
that all was lost, then persuading
himself that Fogg was ignorant
of his presence, and then undecided
what course it was best to take.
Nevertheless, he preserved
his coolness of mind, and at
last resolved to deal plainly
with Passepartout. If he did
not find it practicable to arrest
Fogg at Hong Kong, and if Fogg
made preparations to leave that
last foothold of English territory,
he, Fix, would tell Passepartout
all. Either the servant was the
accomplice of his master, and
in this case the master knew
of his operations, and he should
fail; or else the servant knew
nothing about the robbery, and
then his interest would be to
abandon the robber.
Such was the situation between
Fix and Passepartout. Meanwhile
Phileas Fogg moved about above
them in the most majestic and
unconscious indifference. He
was passing methodically in his
orbit around the world, regardless
of the lesser stars which gravitated
around him. Yet there was near
by what the astronomers would
call a disturbing star, which
might have produced an agitation
in this gentleman's heart. But
no! the charms of Aouda failed
to act, to Passepartout's great
surprise; and the disturbances,
if they existed, would have been
more difficult to calculate than
those of Uranus which led to
the discovery of Neptune.
It was every day an increasing
wonder to Passepartout, who read
in Aouda's eyes the depths of
her gratitude to his master.
Phileas Fogg, though brave and
gallant, must be, he thought,
quite heartless. As to the sentiment
which this journey might have
awakened in him, there was clearly
no trace of such a thing; while
poor Passepartout existed in
perpetual reveries.
One day he was leaning on the
railing of the engine-room, and
was observing the engine, when
a sudden pitch of the steamer
threw the screw out of the water.
The steam came hissing out of
the valves; and this made Passepartout
indignant.
"The valves are not sufficiently
charged!" he exclaimed. "We are
not going. Oh, these English!
If this was an American craft,
we should blow up, perhaps, but
we should at all events go faster!"
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