Works of Jules Verne/Round the World in Eighty Days/Chapter 18
CHAPTER XVIII
IN WHICH PHILEAS FOGG, PASSEPARTOUT, AND FIX, EACH GOES ABOUT HIS OWN BUSINESS
During the last few days of the voyage the weather was pretty bad. The wind became very boisterous. Remaining in the northwest quarter, it impeded the progress of the steamer. The Rangoon, too unsteady already, rolled heavily, and the passengers quite lost their temper over the long, tiresome waves which the wind raised at a distance.
During the days of the 3d and 4th of November it was a sort of tempest. The squall struck the sea with violence. The Rangoon had to go slowly for half a day, keeping herself in motion with only ten revolutions of the screw, so as to lean with the waves. All the sails had been reefed and there was still too much rigging whistling in the squall.
The rapidity of the steamer, it may be imagined, was very much diminished, and it was estimated that she would arrive at Hong Kong twenty hours behind time, and perhaps more, if the tempest did not cease.
Phileas Fogg looked intently at this spectacle of a raging sea, which seemed to struggle directly against him, with his customary impassibility. His brow did not darken an instant, and yet a delay of twenty hours might seriously interfere with his voyage by making him miss the departure of the Yokohama steamer. But this man without nerves felt neither impatience nor annoyance. It seemed truly as if this tempest formed a part of his programme, and was foreseen. Aouda, who talked with her companion about this mishap, found him as calm as in the past.
Fix did not look at these things in the same light. On the contrary, this tempest pleased him very much. His satisfaction would have known no bounds, if the Rangoon had been obliged to fly before the violent storm. All these delays suited him, for they would oblige this man Fogg to remain some days at Hong Kong. Finally the skies with their squalls and tempests became his ally. He was a little sick, it is true, but what did that matter? He did not count his nausea, and when his body was writhing under the seasickness, his spirit was merry with the height of its satisfaction.
As for Passepartout, it may be guessed how illy concealed his anger was during this time of trial. Until then, everything had moved on so well! Land and sea seemed to be devoted to his master. Steamers and railways obeyed him. Wind and steam combined to favor his journey. Had the hour of mistakes finally sounded? Passepartout, as if the twenty thousand pounds of the wager had to come out of his purse, was no longer happy. This tempest exasperated him, this squall put him in a rage, and he would have gladly whipped the disobedient sea! Poor fellow! Fix carefully concealed from him his personal satisfaction, and it was well, for if Passepartout had guessed the secret delight of Fix, Fix would have been roughly used.
Passepartout remained on the Rangoon's deck during the entire continuance of the blow. He could not remain below; he climbed up in the masts; he astonished the crew and helped at everything with the agility of a monkey. A hundred times he questioned the captain, the officers, the sailors, who could not help laughing at seeing him so much out of countenance. Passepartout wanted to know positively how long the storm would last. They sent him to the barometer, which would not decide to ascend. Passepartout shook the barometer, but nothing came of it, neither the shaking nor the insults that he heaped upon the irresponsible instrument.
Finally the tempest subsided. The sea became calmer on the 4th of November. The wind veered two points to the south and again became favorable. Passepartout cleared up with the weather. The top sails and lower sails could be unfurled, and the Rangoon resumed her route with marvelous swiftness.
But all the time lost could not be regained. They could only submit, and land was not signaled until the 6th at five o'clock A. M. The diary of Phileas Fogg put down the arrival of the steamer on the 5th, and she did not arrive until the 6th, which was a loss of twenty-four hours, and of course they would miss the Yokohama steamer.
At six o'clock the pilot came aboard the Rangoon and took his place on the bridge to guide the vessel through the channels into the port of Hong Kong.
Passepartout was dying to ask this man whether the Yokohama steamer had left Hong Kong. But he did not dare, preferring to preserve a little hope until the last moment. He had confided his anxiety to Fix, who—the cunning fox—tried to console him by saying that Mr. Fogg would be in time to take the next boat. This put Passepartout in a towering rage.
But if Passepartout did not venture to ask the pilot, Mr. Fogg, after consulting his Bradshaw, asked in his quiet manner of the said pilot if he knew when a vessel would leave Hong Kong for Yokohama. "To-morrow morning, at high tide," replied the pilot.
"Ah," said Mr. Fogg, without showing any astonishment.
Passepartout, who was present, would have liked to hug the pilot, whose neck Fix would have wrung with pleasure.
"What is the name of the steamer," asked Mr. Fogg.
"The Carnatic," replied the pilot.
"Was she not to leave yesterday?"
"Yes, sir, but they had to repair one of her boilers, and her departure has been put off until to-morrow."
"Thank you," replied Mr. Fogg, who, with his automatic step, went down again into the saloon of the Rangoon.
Passepartout caught the pilot's hand, and, pressing it warmly, said, "Pilot, you are a good fellow!"
The pilot doubtless never knew why his answers had procured him this friendly expression. A whistle blew, and he went again upon the bridge of the steamer and guided her through the flotilla of junks, tankas, fishing-boats, and vessels of all kinds which crowded the channels of Hong Kong. In an hour the Rangoon was at the wharf, and the passengers landed.
It must be confessed that in this circumstance chance had singularly served Phileas Fogg. Without the necessity of repairing her boilers, the Carnatic would have left on the 5th of November, and the passengers for Japan would have had to wait a week for the departure of the next steamer. Mr. Fogg, it is true, was twenty-four hours behind time, but this delay could not have any evil consequences for the rest of the journey.
In fact, the steamer which crosses the Pacific from Yokohama to San Francisco was in direct connection with the Hong Kong steamer, and the former could not leave before the latter had arrived. Evidently they would be twenty-four hours behind time at Yokohama, but it would be easy to make them up during the voyage across the Pacific, lasting twenty-two days. Phileas Fogg found himself, then, within about twenty-four hours of the conditions of his programme thirty-five days after leaving London.
The Carnatic not leaving until five o'clock the next morning, Mr. Fogg had sixteen hours to attend to his business—that is, that which concerned Aouda. On landing from the vessel, he offered his arm to the young woman and led her to a palanquin. He asked the men who carried it to point him out a hotel, and they named the Club Hotel. The palanquin started, followed by Passepartout, and twenty minutes after they arrived at their destination.
An apartment was secured for the young woman, and Phileas Fogg saw that she was made comfortable. Then he told Aouda that he was going immediately to look for the relative in whose care he was to leave her at Hong Kong. At the same time he ordered Passepartout to remain at the hotel until his return, so that the young woman should not be left alone.
The gentleman was shown the way to the Exchange. There, they would unquestionably know a personage, such as the honorable Jejeeh, who was reckoned among the richest merchants of the city.
The broker whom Mr. Fogg addressed did indeed know the Parsee merchant. But for two years he had not lived in China. Having made his fortune, he had gone to live in Europe—in Holland, it was believed, which was explained by the extensive correspondence which he had had with that country during his life as a merchant.
Phileas Fogg returned to the Club Hotel. He immediately asked permission to see Aouda, and without any other preamble, told her that the honorable Jejeeh was no longer living in Hong Kong, but probably was living in Holland.
Aouda did not reply at first. Passing her hand over her forehead, she thought for a few moments, and then said in her sweet voice, "What ought I to do, Mr. Fogg?"
"It is very simple," replied the gentleman. "Go on to Europe."
"But I cannot abuse———"
"You do not abuse, and your presence does not at all embarrass my programme. Passepartout!"
"Monsieur," replied Passepartout.
"Go to the Carnatic and engage three cabins."
Passepartout, delighted with continuing his voyage in the company of the young woman, who was very gracious to him, immediately left the Club Hotel.