AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS(环游世界80天)-第5章

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leas　Fogg　bonds'　were　offered　at　par　or　at　a　premium；　and　a　great　business　was　done　in　them。　But　five　days　after　the　article　in　the　bulletin　of　the　Geographical　Society　appeared；　the　demand　began　to　subside：　‘Phileas　Fogg'　declined。　They　were　offered　by　packages；　at　first　of　five；　then　of　ten；　until　at　last　nobody　would　take　less　than　twenty；　fifty；　a　hundred！　
Lord　Albermarle；　an　elderly　paralytic　gentleman；　was　now　the　only　advocate　of　Phileas　Fogg　left。　This　noble　lord；　who　was　fastened　to　his　chair；　would　have　given　his　fortune　to　be　able　to　make　the　tour　of　the　world；　if　it　took　ten　years；　and　bet　five　thousand　pounds　on　Phileas　Fogg。　When　the　folly　as　well　as　the　uselessness　of　the　adventure　was　pointed　out　to　him；　he　contented　himself　with　replying；　‘If　the　thing　is　feasible；　the　first　to　do　it　ought　to　be　an　Englishman。'　
The　Fogg　party　dwindled　more　and　more；　everybody　was　going　against　him；　and　the　bets　stood　a　hundred　and　fifty　and　two　hundred　to　one；　and　a　week　after　his　departure　an　incident　ocomurred　which　deprived　him　of　backers　at　any　price。　
The　commissioner　of　police　was　sitting　in　his　office　at　nine　o'clock　one　evening；　when　the　following　telegraphic　despatch　was　put　into　his　hands：……　
Suez　to　London。　ROWAN；　COMMISSIONER　OF　POLICE；　SCOTLAND　YARD：　
I've　found　the　bank　robber；　Phileas　Fogg。　Send　without　delay　warrant　of　arrest　to　Bombay。　
FIX；　Detective。
The　effect　of　this　despatch　was　instantaneous。　The　polished　gentleman　disappeared　to　give　place　to　the　bank　robber。　His　photograph；　which　was　hung　with　those　of　the　rest　of　the　members　at　the　Reform　Club；　was　minutely　examined；　and　it　betrayed；　feature　by　feature；　the　description　of　the　robber　which　had　been　provided　to　the　police。　The　mysterious　habits　of　Phileas　Fogg　were　recalled；　his　solitary　ways；　his　sudden　departure；　and　it　seemed　clear　that；　in　undertaking　a　tour　round　the　world　on　the　pretext　of　a　wager；　he　had　had　no　other　end　in　view　than　to　elude　the　detectives；　and　throw　them　off　his　track。　
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CHAPTER　VI
IN　WHICH　FIX；　THE　DETECTIVE；　BETRAYS　A　VERY　NATURAL　IMPATIENCE。
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The　circumstances　under　which　this　telegraphic　despatch　about　Phileas　Fogg　was　sent　were　as　follows：……　
The　steamer　‘Mongolia'；　belonging　to　the　Peninsular　and　Oriental　Company；　built　of　iron；　of　two　thousand　eight　hundred　tons　burden；　and　five　hundred　horse　…　power；　was　due　at　eleven　o'clock　a。m。　on　Wednesday；　the　9th　of　October；　at　Suez。　The　‘Mongolia'　plied　regularly　between　Brindisi　and　Bombay　via　the　Suez　Canal；　and　was　one　of　the　fastest　steamers　belonging　to　the　company；　always　making　more　than　ten　knots　an　hour　between　Brindisi　and　Suez；　and　nine　and　a　half　between　Suez　and　Bombay。　
Two　men　were　promenading　up　and　down　the　wharves；　among　the　crowd　of　natives　and　strangers　who　were　sojourning　at　this　once　straggling　village　…　now；　thanks　to　the　enterprise　of　M。　Lesseps；　a　fast…growing　town。　One　was　the　British　consul　at　Suez；　who；　despite　the　prophecies　of　the　English　Government；　and　the　unfavourable　predictions　of　Stephenson；　was　in　the　habit　of　seeing；　from　his　office　window；　English　ships　daily　passing　to　and　fro　on　the　great　canal；　by　which　the　old　roundabout　route　from　England　to　India　by　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope　was　abridged　by　at　least　a　half。　The　other　was　a　small；　slight…built　personage；　with　a　nervous；　intelligent　face；　and　bright　eyes　peering　out　from　under　eyebrows　which　he　was　incessantly　twitching。　He　was　just　now　manifesting　unmistakable　signs　of　impatience；　nervously　pacing　up　and　down；　and　unable　to　stand　still　for　a　moment。　This　was　Fix；　one　of　the　detectives　who　had　been　despatched　from　England　in　search　of　the　bank　robber；　it　was　his　task　to　narrowly　watch　every　passenger　who　arrived　at　Suez；　and　to　follow　up　all　who　seemed　to　be　suspicious　characters；　or　bore　a　resemblance　to　the　description　of　the　criminal；　which　he　had　received　two　days　before　from　the　police　headquarters　at　London。　The　detective　was　evidently　inspired　by　the　hope　of　obtaining　the　splendid　reward　which　would　be　the　prize　of　sucomess；　and　awaited　with　a　feverish　impatience；　easy　to　understand；　the　arrival　of　the　steamer　‘Mongolia'。　
‘So　you　say；　consul；'　asked　he　for　the　twentieth　time；　‘that　this　steamer　is　never　behind　time？'　
‘No；　Mr　Fix；'　replied　the　consul。　‘She　was　bespoken　yesterday　at　Port　Said；　and　the　rest　of　the　way　is　of　no　acomount　to　such　a　craft。　I　repeat　that　the　‘Mongolia'　has　been　in　advance　of　the　time　required　by　the　company's　regulations；　and　gained　the　prize　awarded　for　excess　of　speed。'　
‘Does　she　come　directly　from　Brindisi？'　
‘Directly　from　Brindisi；　she　takes　on　the　Indian　mails　there；　and　she　left　there　Saturday　at　five　p。m。　Have　patience；　Mr　Fix；　she　will　not　be　late。　But　really　I　don't　see　how；　frthe　description　you　have；　you　will　be　able　to　recognize　your　man；　even　if　he　is　on　board　the　〃Mongolia〃。'　
‘A　man　rather　feels　the　presence　of　these　fellows；　consul；　than　recognizes　them。　You　must　have　a　scent　for　them；　and　a　scent　is　like　a　sixth　sense　which　combines　hearing；　seeing　and　smelling。　I've　arrested　more　than　one　of　these　gentlemen　in　my　time；　and　if　my　thief　is　on　board；　I'll　answer　for　it；　he'll　not　slip　through　my　fingers。'　
‘I　hope　so；　Mr　Fix；　for　it　was　a　heavy　robbery。'　
‘A　magnificent　robbery；　consul；　fifty…five　thousand　pounds！　We　don't　often　have　such　windfalls。　Burglars　are　getting　to　be　so　contemptible　nowadays！　A　fellow　gets　hung　for　a　handful　of　shillings！'　
‘Mr　Fix；'　said　the　consul；　‘I　like　your　way　of　talking；　and　hope　you'll　sucomeed；　but　I　fear　you　will　find　it　far　from　easy。　Don't　you　see；　the　description　which　you　have　there　has　a　singular　resemblance　to　an　honest　man？'　
‘Consul；'　remarked　the　detective；　dogmatically；　great　robbers　always　resemble　honest　folks。　Fellows　who　have　rascally　faces　have　only　one　course　to　take；　and　that　is　to　remain　honest；　otherwise　they　would　be　arrested　off…hand。　The　artistic　thing　is；　to　unmask　honest　countenances；　it's　no　light　task；　I　admit；　but　a　real　art。'　
Mr　Fix　evidently　was　not　wanting　in　a　tinge　of　self…conceit。　
Little　by　little　the　scene　on　the　quay　became　more　animated；　sailors　of　various　nations；　merchants；　shipbrokers；　porters；　fellahs；　bustled　to　and　fro　as　if　the　steamer　were　immediately　expected。　The　weather　was　clear；　and　slightly　chilly。　The　minarets　of　the　town　loomed　above　the　houses　in　the　pale　rays　of　the　sun。　A　jetty　pier；　some　two　thousand　yards　along；　extended　into　the　roadstead。　A　number　of　fishing…smacks　and　coasting　boats；　some　retaining　the　fantastic　fashion　of　ancient　galleys；　were　discernible　on　the　Red　Sea。　
As　he　passed　among　the　busy　crowd；　Fix；　acomording　to　habit；　scrutinized　the　passers…by　with　a　keen；　rapid　glance。　
It　was　now　half…past　ten。　
‘The　steamer　doesn't　come！'　he　exclaimed；　as　the　port　clock　struck。　
‘She　can't　be　far　off　now；'　returned　his　companion。　
‘How　long　will　she　stop　at　Suez？'　
‘Four　hours；　long　enough　to　get　in　her　coal。　It　is　thirteen　hundred　and　ten　miles　from　Suez　to　Aden；　at　the　other　end　of　the　Red　Sea；　and　she　has　to　take　in　a　fresh　coal　supply。'　
‘And　does　she　go　from　Suez　directly　to　Bombay？'　
‘Without　putting　in　anywhere。'　
‘Good；'　said　Fix。　‘If　the　robber　is　on　board　he　will　no　doubt　get　off　at　Suez；　so　as　to　reach　the　Dutch　or　French　colonies　in　Asia　by　some　other　route。　He　ought　to　know　that　he　would　not　be　safe　an　hour　in　India；　which　is　English　soil。'　
‘Unless；'　objected　the　consul；　‘he　is　exceptionally　shrewd。　An　English　criminal；　you　know；　is　always　better　concealed　in　London　than　anywhere　else。'　
This　observation　furnished　the　detective　food　for　thought；　and　meanwhile　the　consul　went　away　to　his　office。　Fix；　left　alone；　was　more　impatient　than　ever；　having　a　presentiment　that　the　robber　was　on　board　the　‘Mongolia'。　If　he　had　indeed　left　London　intending　to　reach　the　New　World　he　would　naturally　take　the　route　via　India；　which　was　less　watched　and　more　difficult　to　watch　than　that　of　the　Atlantic。　But　Fix's　reflections　were　soon　interrupted　by　a　sucomession　of　sharp　whistles；　which　announced　the　arrival　of　the　‘Mongolia'。　The　porters　and　fellahs　rushed　down　the　quay；　and　a　dozen　boats　pushed　off　from　the　shore　to　go　and　meet　the　steamer。　Soon　her　gigantic　hull　appeared　passing　along　between　the　banks；　and　eleven　o'clock　struck　as　she　anchored　in　the　road。　She　brought　an　unusual　number　of　passengers；　some　of　whom　remained　on　deck　to　scan　the　picturesque　panorama　of　the　town；　while　the　greater　part　disembarked　in　the　boats；　and　landed　on　the　quay。　
Fix　took　up　a　position；　and　carefully　examined　each　face　and　figure　which　made　its　appearance。　Presently　one　of　the　passengers；　after　vigorously　pushing　his　way　through　the　importunate　crowd　of　porters；　came　up　to　him　and　politely　asked　if　he　could　point　out　the　English　consulate；　at　the　same　time　showing　a　passport　which　he　wished　to　have　visaed。　Fix　instinctively　took　the　passport；　and　with　a　rapid　glance　read　the　description　of　its　bearer。　An　involuntary　motion　of　surprise　nearly　escaped　him；　for　the　description　in　the　passport　was　identical　with　that　of　the　bank　robber　which　he　had　received　from　Scotland　Yar