Works of Jules Verne/Round the World in Eighty Days/Chapter 7
CHAPTER VII
WHICH SHOWS ONCE MORE THE USELESSNESS OF PASSPORTS IN POLICE MATTERS
The detective left the wharf and turned quickly towards the Consul's office. Immediately upon his pressing demand he was ushered into the presence of that official.
"Consul," he said, without any other preamble, "I have strong reasons for believing that our man has taken passage aboard the Mongolia." And Fix related what had passed between the servant and himself with reference to the passport.
"Well, Mr. Fix," replied the Consul, "I would not be sorry to see the face of this rogue. But perhaps he will not present himself at my office if he is what you suppose. A robber does not like to leave behind him the tracks of his passage, and besides the formality of passports is no longer obligatory."
"Consul," replied the detective, "if he is a shrewd man, as we think, he will come."
"To have his passport vised?"
"Yes. Passports never serve but to incommode honest people and to aid the flight of rogues. I warrant you that his will be all regular, but I hope certainly that you will not vise it."
"And why not? If his passport is regular I have no right to refuse my vise."
"But, Consul, I must retain this man until I have received from London a warrant of arrest."
"Ah, Mr. Fix, that is your business," replied the Consul, "but I—I cannot———"
The Consul did not finish his phrase. At this moment there was a knock at the door of his private office, and the office boy brought in two foreigners, one of whom was the very servant who had been talking with the detective. They were, indeed, the master and servant. The master presented his passport, asking the Consul briefly to be kind enough to vise it. The latter took the passport and read it carefully, while Fix, in one corner of the room, was observing or rather devouring the stranger with his eyes.
When the Consul had finished reading, he asked, "You are Phileas Fogg, Esq.?"
"Yes, sir," replied the gentleman.
"And this man is your servant?"
"Yes, a Frenchman named Passepartout."
"You come from London?"
"Yes."
"And you are going?"
"To Bombay."
"Well, sir, you know that this formality of the vise is useless, and that we no longer demand the presentation of the passport?"
"I know it, sir," replied Phileas Fogg, "but I wish to prove by your vise my trip to Suez."
"Very well, sir." And the Consul having signed and dated the passport, affixed his seal, Mr. Fogg settled the fee, and having bowed coldly, he went out, followed by his servant.
"Well?" asked the detective.
"Well," replied the Consul, "he has the appearance of a perfectly honest man!"
"Possibly," replied Fix; "but that is not the question with us. Do you find, Consul, that this phlegmatic gentleman resembles, feature for feature, the robber whose description I have received?"
"I agree with you, but you know that all descriptions———"
"I shall have a clear conscience about it," replied Fix. "The servant appears to me less of a riddle than the master. Moreover, he is a Frenchman, who cannot keep from talking. I will see you soon again, Consul." The detective then went out, intent upon the search for Passepartout.
In the meantime Mr. Fogg, after leaving the Consul's house, had gone towards the wharf. There he gave some orders to his servant; then he got into a boat, returned on board the Mongolia, and went into his cabin. He then took out his memorandum book, in which were the following notes:
"Left London, Wednesday, October 2, 8:45 P. M.
"Arrived at Paris, Thursday, October 3, 7:20 A. M.
"Left Paris, Thursday, 8:40 A. M.
"Arrived at Turin via Mont Cenis, Friday, October 4, 6:35 A. M.
"Left Turin, Friday, 7:20 A. M.
"Arrived at Brindisi, Saturday, October 5, 4 P. M.
"Set sail on the Mongolia, Saturday 5 P. M.
"Arrived at Suez, Wednesday, October 9, 11 A. M.
"Total of hours consumed, 158 1-2: or in days, 6 1-2 days."
Mr. Fogg wrote down these dates in a guide-book arranged by columns, which indicated, from the 2d of October to the 21st of December—the month, the day of the month, the day of the week, the stipulated and actual arrivals at each principal point, Paris, Brindisi, Suez, Bombay, Calcutta, Singapore, Hong-Kong, Yokohama, San Francisco, New York, Liverpool, London, and which allowed him to figure the gain made or the loss experienced at each place on the route. In this methodical book he thus kept an account of everything, and Mr. Fogg knew always whether he was ahead of time or behind.
He noted down then this day, Wednesday, October 9, his arrival at Suez, which agreeing with the stipulated arrival, neither made a gain nor a loss. Then he had his breakfast served up in his cabin. As to seeing the town, he did not even think of it, being of that race of Englishmen who have their servants visit the countries they pass through.