Around the World in Eighty Days, Page 8

  Chapter VII

  WHICH ONCE MORE DEMONSTRATES THE USELESSNESS OF PASSPORTS AS AIDS TODETECTIVES

  The detective passed down the quay, and rapidly made his way to theconsul's office, where he was at once admitted to the presence of thatofficial.

  "Consul," said he, without preamble, "I have strong reasons forbelieving that my man is a passenger on the Mongolia." And he narratedwhat had just passed concerning the passport.

  "Well, Mr. Fix," replied the consul, "I shall not be sorry to see therascal's face; but perhaps he won't come here--that is, if he is theperson you suppose him to be. A robber doesn't quite like to leavetraces of his flight behind him; and, besides, he is not obliged tohave his passport countersigned."

  "If he is as shrewd as I think he is, consul, he will come."

  "To have his passport visaed?"

  "Yes. Passports are only good for annoying honest folks, and aiding inthe flight of rogues. I assure you it will be quite the thing for himto do; but I hope you will not visa the passport."

  "Why not? If the passport is genuine I have no right to refuse."

  "Still, I must keep this man here until I can get a warrant to arresthim from London."

  "Ah, that's your look-out. But I cannot--"

  The consul did not finish his sentence, for as he spoke a knock washeard at the door, and two strangers entered, one of whom was theservant whom Fix had met on the quay. The other, who was his master,held out his passport with the request that the consul would do him thefavour to visa it. The consul took the document and carefully read it,whilst Fix observed, or rather devoured, the stranger with his eyesfrom a corner of the room.

  "You are Mr. Phileas Fogg?" said the consul, after reading the passport.

  "I am."

  "And this man is your servant?"

  "He is: a Frenchman, named Passepartout."

  "You are from London?"

  "Yes."

  "And you are going--"

  "To Bombay."

  "Very good, sir. You know that a visa is useless, and that no passportis required?"

  "I know it, sir," replied Phileas Fogg; "but I wish to prove, by yourvisa, that I came by Suez."

  "Very well, sir."

  The consul proceeded to sign and date the passport, after which headded his official seal. Mr. Fogg paid the customary fee, coldlybowed, and went out, followed by his servant.

  "Well?" queried the detective.

  "Well, he looks and acts like a perfectly honest man," replied theconsul.

  "Possibly; but that is not the question. Do you think, consul, thatthis phlegmatic gentleman resembles, feature by feature, the robberwhose description I have received?"

  "I concede that; but then, you know, all descriptions--"

  "I'll make certain of it," interrupted Fix. "The servant seems to meless mysterious than the master; besides, he's a Frenchman, and can'thelp talking. Excuse me for a little while, consul."

  Fix started off in search of Passepartout.

  Meanwhile Mr. Fogg, after leaving the consulate, repaired to the quay,gave some orders to Passepartout, went off to the Mongolia in aboat, and descended to his cabin. He took up his note-book, whichcontained the following memoranda:

  "Left London, Wednesday, October 2nd, at 8.45 p.m. "Reached Paris,Thursday, October 3rd, at 7.20 a.m. "Left Paris, Thursday, at 8.40a.m. "Reached Turin by Mont Cenis, Friday, October 4th, at 6.35 a.m."Left Turin, Friday, at 7.20 a.m. "Arrived at Brindisi, Saturday,October 5th, at 4 p.m. "Sailed on the Mongolia, Saturday, at 5 p.m."Reached Suez, Wednesday, October 9th, at 11 a.m. "Total of hoursspent, 158+; or, in days, six days and a half."

  These dates were inscribed in an itinerary divided into columns,indicating the month, the day of the month, and the day for thestipulated and actual arrivals at each principal point Paris, Brindisi,Suez, Bombay, Calcutta, Singapore, Hong Kong, Yokohama, San Francisco,New York, and London--from the 2nd of October to the 21st of December;and giving a space for setting down the gain made or the loss sufferedon arrival at each locality. This methodical record thus contained anaccount of everything needed, and Mr. Fogg always knew whether he wasbehind-hand or in advance of his time. On this Friday, October 9th, henoted his arrival at Suez, and observed that he had as yet neithergained nor lost. He sat down quietly to breakfast in his cabin, neveronce thinking of inspecting the town, being one of those Englishmen whoare wont to see foreign countries through the eyes of their domestics.