The detective and Passepartout met often on deck after this interview,though Fix was reserved, and did not attempt to induce his companionto divulge any more facts concerning Mr. Fogg. He caught a glimpseof that mysterious gentleman once or twice; but Mr. Fogg usually confinedhimself to the cabin, where he kept Aouda company, or, according to hisinveterate habit, took a hand at whist.
Passepartout began very seriously to conjecture what strangechance kept Fix still on the route that his master was pursuing.It was really worth considering why this certainly very amiableand complacent person, whom he had first met at Suez, had thenencountered on board the Mongolia, who disembarked at Bombay,which he announced as his destination, and now turned up sounexpectedly on the Rangoon, was following Mr. Fogg's tracks stepby step. What was Fix's object? Passepartout was ready to wager hisIndian shoes--which he religiously preserved--that Fix would also leaveHong Kong at the same time with them, and probably on the same steamer.
Passepartout might have cudgelled his brain for a century withouthitting upon the real object which the detective had in view.He never could have imagined that Phileas Fogg was being trackedas a robber around the globe. But, as it is in human nature to attemptthe solution of every mystery, Passepartout suddenly discoveredan explanation of Fix's movements, which was in truth far from unreasonable.Fix, he thought, could only be an agent of Mr. Fogg's friendsat the Reform Club, sent to follow him up, and to ascertainthat 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 saynothing to his master, lest he should be justly offended at thismistrust on the part of his adversaries. But he determinedto 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 Rangoonentered the Strait of Malacca, which separates the peninsulaof that name from Sumatra. The mountainous and craggy isletsintercepted the beauties of this noble island from the viewof the travellers. The Rangoon weighed anchor at Singapore the next dayat four a.m., to receive coal, having gained half a day on the prescribedtime 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 sleeveat Fix's manoeuvres, went about his usual errands.
The island of Singapore is not imposing in aspect, for there areno 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 palmswith brilliant foliage, and of clove-trees, whereof the clovesform the heart of a half-open flower. Pepper plants replacedthe prickly hedges of European fields; sago-bushes, large fernswith 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 tigerswanting in the jungles.
After a drive of two hours through the country, Aouda and Mr. Foggreturned to the town, which is a vast collection of heavy-looking,irregular houses, surrounded by charming gardens rich in tropical fruitsand plants; and at ten o'clock they re-embarked, closely followed bythe 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 colouroutside and a bright red within, and whose white pulp, melting inthe mouth, affords gourmands a delicious sensation--was waitingfor them on deck. He was only too glad to offer some mangoesto 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 milesfrom the island of Hong Kong, which is a little English colonynear the Chinese coast. Phileas Fogg hoped to accomplish the journeyin six days, so as to be in time for the steamer which would leaveon the 6th of November for Yokohama, the principal Japanese port.
The Rangoon had a large quota of passengers, many of whom disembarkedat 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 thelast quarter of the moon. The sea rolled heavily, and the windat intervals rose almost to a storm, but happily blew fromthe 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 maderapid 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 itnearly drove Passepartout out of his senses, did not seemto affect his master in the least. Passepartout blamed the captain,the engineer, and the crew, and consigned all who were connectedwith the ship to the land where the pepper grows. Perhaps the thoughtof 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 whatto think. But how could Passepartout have discovered that hewas a detective? Yet, in speaking as he did, the man evidentlymeant 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 unfortunateas 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 Americato Europe is only a step."
Fix looked intently at his companion, whose countenance wasas serene as possible, and laughed with him. But Passepartoutpersisted in chaffing him by asking him if he made much by hispresent 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 himselfup to his reflections. He was evidently suspected; somehowor 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 spentseveral hours turning these things over in his mind, sometimesthinking that all was lost, then persuading himself that Foggwas ignorant of his presence, and then undecided what courseit was best to take.
Nevertheless, he preserved his coolness of mind, and at lastresolved to deal plainly with Passepartout. If he did not find itpracticable to arrest Fogg at Hong Kong, and if Fogg made preparationsto leave that last foothold of English territory, he, Fix, would tellPassepartout 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 interestwould be to abandon the robber.
Such was the situation between Fix and Passepartout. Meanwhile Phileas Foggmoved about above them in the most majestic and unconscious indifference.He was passing methodically in his orbit around the world, regardless ofthe lesser stars which gravitated around him. Yet there was near by whatthe astronomers would call a disturbing star, which might have producedan agitation in this gentleman's heart. But no! the charms of Aoudafailed to act, to Passepartout's great surprise; and the disturbances,if they existed, would have been more difficult to calculate than thoseof Uranus which led to the discovery of Neptune.
It was every day an increasing wonder to Passepartout, who readin 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 mighthave 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 steamerthrew the screw out of the water. The steam came hissing outof the valves; and this made Passepartout indignant.
"The valves are not sufficiently charged!" he exclaimed. "We arenot 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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