The brigadier general immediately got out of the car. Phileas Fogg, in no hurry, followed him. Both spoke to the conductor.
"Where are we?" asked Sir Francis Cromarty.
"At the hamlet of Kholby," replied the conductor.
"We stop here?"
"Without doubt. The railway is not finished———"
"How! It is not finished?"
"No! There is still a section of fifty miles to construct between this point and Allahabad, where the track commences again."
"But the papers have announced the opening of the entire line."
"But, general, the papers were mistaken."
"And you give tickets from Bombay to Calcutta!" replied Sir Francis Cromarty, who was beginning to be excited.
"Of course," replied the conductor; "but travelers know very well that they have to be otherwise transported from Kholby to Allahabad."
Sir Franics Cromarty was furious. Passepartout would have willingly knocked the conductor down who could not help himself. He did not dare look at his master.
"Sir Francis," said Mr. Fogg simply, "we will go, if you will be kind enough, to see about some way of reaching Allahabad."
"Mr. Fogg, this is a delay absolutely prejudicial to your interests!"
"No, Sir Francis, it was provided for."
"What, did you know that the railway———"
"By no means, but I knew that some obstacle or other would occur sooner or later upon my route. Now, nothing is interfered with. I have gained two days which I can afford to lose. A steamer leaves Calcutta for Hong Kong at noon on the 25th. This is only the 23d, and we shall arrive at Calcutta in time."
Nothing could be said in reply to such complete certainty as this.
It was only too true that the finished portion of the railway stopped at this point. The newspapers are like certain watches which have a mania for getting ahead of time, and they had announced the finishing of the line prematurely.
