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Around the World in Eighty Days
Chapter 18. IN WHICH PHILEAS FOGG, PASSEPARTOUT, AND FIX GO EACH ABOUT HIS BUSINESS
The weather was bad during the latter days of the voyage.
The wind, stubbornly staying in the north-west, blew a gale and slowed the steamer.
The "Rangoon" rolled heavily and the passengers became impatient of the long, huge waves which the wind raised before their path.
A sort of storm began on the 3rd of November, the sudden gusts knocking the vessel about with fury, and the waves running high.
The "Rangoon" made some sails smaller, and even the ropes proved too much, whistling and shaking in the gust.
The steamer was forced to go slowly, and the captain thought that she'd reach Hong Kong twenty hours late, and more if the storm lasted.
Phileas Fogg looked at the stormy sea, which seemed to be trying to delay him, with his usual calm.
He never changed his face for a moment.
A twenty-hour delay that made him too late for the Yokohama boat would surely make him lose the bet.
But this man of nerve showed neither hurry nor anger, it seemed the storm was part of his plan, seen before.
Aouda was amazed to find him as calm as he had been from the first time she saw him.
Fix didn't see things the same way, the storm greatly pleased him.
His joy would have been complete if the "Rangoon" had been forced to turn back before the strong wind and waves.
Each delay filled him with hope.
It became more and more likely that Fogg would have to stay some days at Hong Kong.
Now the weather itself helped him with the strong winds and sudden storms.
It didn't matter that they made him sea-sick.
He didn't care about this trouble, and while his body was twisting with pain, his mind jumped with hopeful joy.
Passepartout was very angry with the unlucky weather.
Everything had gone so well until now.
Land and sea had seemed to be at his master's service.
Steamers and trains obeyed him, Wind and steam had joined to speed his journey.
Had the time of trouble come?
Passepartout was as excited as if the twenty thousand pounds were to come from his own pocket.
The storm made him worse, the gale made him furious, and he wanted to force the stubborn sea to obey, Poor fellow.
Fix hid his own joy from him, for if he had shown it, Passepartout could hardly have stopped himself from using violence.
Passepartout stayed on deck as long as the storm lasted, because he couldn't be quiet below.
And he decided to help the ship by working with the crew.
He filled the captain, officers, and sailors, who couldn't help laughing at his impatience, with all sorts of questions.
He wanted to know exactly how long the storm would last.
So they sent him to the barometer, which seemed to have no wish to rise.
Passepartout shook it, but with no clear effect, for neither shaking nor curses could make it change its mind.
On the 4th, however, the sea became calmer, and the storm lost its force.
The wind turned south, and was once more favorable, Passepartout brightened with the weather.
Some sails were let out, and the "Rangoon" went at her fastest speed again.
The time lost couldn't, however, be made up.
Land wasn't seen until five o'clock on the morning of the 6th.
The steamer was due on the 5th.
Phileas Fogg was twenty-four hours late, and the Yokohama steamer would, of course, be missed.
The pilot went on board at six, and took his place on the bridge to guide the "Rangoon"
Through the channels to the port of Hong Kong.
Passepartout wanted to ask him if the steamer had left for Yokohama.
But he didn't dare, because he wanted to keep the little hope that still remained until the last moment.
He had told Fix about his worry.
Fix, the sly man, tried to comfort him by saying that Mr.
Fogg would be in time if he took the next boat.
Fogg would be in time if he took the next boat.
This only made Passepartout still more angry and confused than before.
Mr. Fogg, bolder than his servant, went to the pilot and calmly asked when a steamer would leave Hong Kong for Yokohama.
"At high tide tomorrow morning," answered the pilot.
"Ah!" said Mr. Fogg, without showing any surprise.
Passepartout, who heard what was said, would gladly have hugged the pilot, while Fix would have liked to twist his neck.
"What's the steamer's name?" asked Mr. Fogg.
"The 'Carnatic.'"
"Shouldn't she have left yesterday?" asked Mr. Fogg.
"Yes, sir, but they had to repair one of her boilers, and so her departure was put off until tomorrow."
"Thank you," replied Mr. Fogg, going calmly down to the saloon.
Passepartout took the pilot's hand and shook it heartily in his joy, crying, "Pilot, you're the best of good fellows!"
The pilot probably doesn't know to this day why his answers won him this warm greeting.
He went back to the bridge and guided the steamer through junks, tankas, and fishing boats in the harbour of Hong Kong.
At one o'clock the "Rangoon" was at the quay, and the passengers were going ashore.
Chance had strangely helped Phileas Fogg.
If the "Carnatic" hadn't been forced to stay for boiler repairs, she'd have left on the 6th of November.
The passengers for Japan would then have had to wait a week for the next steamer.
Mr. Fogg was, it's true, twenty-four hours late, but this couldn't seriously harm the rest of his trip.
The steamer which crossed the Pacific from Yokohama to San Francisco made a direct connection with that from Hong Kong.
And it couldn't sail until the latter reached Yokohama.
If Mr. Fogg was twenty-four hours late arriving at Yokohama, this time could be recovered in the twenty-two day Pacific voyage.
He found himself, then, about twenty-four hours behind, thirty-five days after leaving London.
The "Carnatic" was announced to leave Hong Kong at five the next morning.
Mr. Fogg had sixteen hours in which to do his business there, which was to leave Aouda safely with her rich relative.
On landing, he led her to a palanquin, in which they went to the Club Hotel.
A room was booked for Aouda, and Mr. Fogg, seeing she had what she needed, went in search of her cousin Jeejeeh.
He told Passepartout to stay at the hotel until his return, so Aouda wouldn't be left quite alone.
Mr. Fogg went to the Exchange, where, he was sure, everyone would know so rich and important a person as the Parsee merchant.
He met a broker and asked about Jeejeeh.
The broker said Jeejeeh left China two years before, left his business with a large fortune and made his home in Europe.
The broker thought it was in Holland, the country with which he had chiefly traded.
Phileas Fogg returned to the hotel and asked for a few minutes with Aouda.
Without more ado, he told her that Jeejeeh was no longer at Hong Kong but probably in Holland.
Aouda at first said nothing, she passed her hand over her forehead, and thought for a few moments.
Then, in her sweet, soft voice, she said, "What should I do, Mr. Fogg?"
"It's very simple," answered the gentleman.
"Go on to Europe."
"But I can't intrude, " she said.
"You don't intrude, nor do you in the least bother my plan. Passepartout!"
"Monsieur."
"Go to the 'Carnatic' and book three cabins."
Passepartout, happy that the woman had been kind and would continue the journey with them, walked off to obey his master's order.