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1IN WHICH A CONVERSATION TAKES PLACE WHICH SEEMS LIKELY TO COST PHILEAS FOGG DEAR Phileas Fogg, having shut the door of
2his house at half-past eleven, and having put his right foot before his left five hundred and seventy-five times, and
3his left foot before his right five hundred and seventy-six times, reached the Reform Club, an imposing edifice in Pall
4Mall, which could not have cost less than three millions. He repaired at once to the dining-room, the nine windows of
5which open upon a tasteful garden, where the trees were already gilded with an autumn colouring; and took his place at
6the habitual table, the cover of which had already been laid for him. His breakfast consisted of a side-dish, a broiled
7fish with Reading sauce, a scarlet slice of roast beef garnished with mushrooms, a rhubarb and gooseberry tart, and a
8morsel of Cheshire cheese, the whole being washed down with several cups of tea, for which the Reform is famous. He rose
9at thirteen minutes to one, and directed his steps towards the large hall, a sumptuous apartment adorned with
10lavishly-framed paintings. A flunkey handed him an uncut Times, which he proceeded to cut with a skill which betrayed
11familiarity with this delicate operation. The perusal of this paper absorbed Phileas Fogg until a quarter before four,
12whilst the Standard, his next task, occupied him till the dinner hour. Dinner passed as breakfast had done, and Mr. Fogg
13re-appeared in the reading-room and sat down to the Pall Mall at twenty minutes before six. Half an hour later several
14members of the Reform came in and drew up to the fireplace, where a coal fire was steadily burning. They were Mr. Fogg's
15usual partners at whist: Andrew Stuart, an engineer; John Sullivan and Samuel Fallentin, bankers; Thomas Flanagan, a
16brewer; and Gauthier Ralph, one of the Directors of the Bank of England--all rich and highly respectable personages,
17even in a club which comprises the princes of English trade and finance. "Well, Ralph," said Thomas Flanagan, "what
18about that robbery?" "Oh," replied Stuart, "the Bank will lose the money." "On the contrary," broke in Ralph, "I hope we
19may put our hands on the robber. Skilful detectives have been sent to all the principal ports of America and the
20Continent, and he'll be a clever fellow if he slips through their fingers." "But have you got the robber's description?"
21asked Stuart. "In the first place, he is no robber at all," returned Ralph, positively. "What! a fellow who makes off
22with fifty-five thousand pounds, no robber?" "No." "Perhaps he's a manufacturer, then." "The Daily Telegraph says that
23he is a gentleman." It was Phileas Fogg, whose head now emerged from behind his newspapers, who made this remark. He
24bowed to his friends, and entered into the conversation. The affair which formed its subject, and which was town talk,
25had occurred three days before at the Bank of England. A package of banknotes, to the value of fifty-five thousand
26pounds, had been taken from the principal cashier's table, that functionary being at the moment engaged in registering
27the receipt of three shillings and sixpence. Of course, he could not have his eyes everywhere. Let it be observed that
28the Bank of England reposes a touching confidence in the honesty of the public. There are neither guards nor gratings to
29protect its treasures; gold, silver, banknotes are freely exposed, at the mercy of the first comer. A keen observer of
30English customs relates that, being in one of the rooms of the Bank one day, he had the curiosity to examine a gold
31ingot weighing some seven or eight pounds. He took it up, scrutinised it, passed it to his neighbour, he to the next
32man, and so on until the ingot, going from hand to hand, was transferred to the end of a dark entry; nor did it return
33to its place for half an hour. Meanwhile, the cashier had not so much as raised his head. But in the present instance
34things had not gone so smoothly. The package of notes not being found when five o'clock sounded from the ponderous clock
35in the "drawing office," the amount was passed to the account of profit and loss. As soon as the robbery was discovered,
36picked detectives hastened off to Liverpool, Glasgow, Havre, Suez, Brindisi, New York, and other ports, inspired by the
37proffered reward of two thousand pounds, and five per cent. on the sum that might be recovered. Detectives were also
38charged with narrowly watching those who arrived at or left London by rail, and a judicial examination was at once
39entered upon. There were real grounds for supposing, as the Daily Telegraph said, that the thief did not belong to a
40professional band. On the day of the robbery a well-dressed gentleman of polished manners, and with a well-to-do air,
41had been observed going to and fro in the paying room where the crime was committed. A description of him was easily
42procured and sent to the detectives; and some hopeful spirits, of whom Ralph was one, did not despair of his
43apprehension. The papers and clubs were full of the affair, and everywhere people were discussing the probabilities of a
44successful pursuit; and the Reform Club was especially agitated, several of its members being Bank officials. Ralph
45would not concede that the work of the detectives was likely to be in vain, for he thought that the prize offered would
46greatly stimulate their zeal and activity. But Stuart was far from sharing this confidence; and, as they placed
47themselves at the whist-table, they continued to argue the matter. Stuart and Flanagan played together, while Phileas
48Fogg had Fallentin for his partner. As the game proceeded the conversation ceased, excepting between the rubbers, when
49it revived again. "I maintain," said Stuart, "that the chances are in favour of the thief, who must be a shrewd fellow."
50"Well, but where can he fly to?" asked Ralph. "No country is safe for him." "Pshaw!" "Where could he go, then?" "Oh, I
51don't know that. The world is big enough." "It was once," said Phileas Fogg, in a low tone. "Cut, sir," he added,
52handing the cards to Thomas Flanagan. The discussion fell during the rubber, after which Stuart took up its thread.
53"What do you mean by 'once'? Has the world grown smaller?" "Certainly," returned Ralph. "I agree with Mr. Fogg. The
54world has grown smaller, since a man can now go round it ten times more quickly than a hundred years ago. And that is
55why the search for this thief will be more likely to succeed." "And also why the thief can get away more easily." "Be so
56good as to play, Mr. Stuart," said Phileas Fogg. But the incredulous Stuart was not convinced, and when the hand was
57finished, said eagerly: "You have a strange way, Ralph, of proving that the world has grown smaller. So, because you can
58go round it in three months--" "In eighty days," interrupted Phileas Fogg. "That is true, gentlemen," added John
59Sullivan. "Only eighty days, now that the section between Rothal and Allahabad, on the Great Indian Peninsula Railway,
60has been opened. Here is the estimate made by the Daily Telegraph:-- From London to Suez viâ Mont Cenis and Brindisi, by
61rail and steamboats ................. 7 days From Suez to Bombay, by steamer .................... 13 " From Bombay to
62Calcutta, by rail ................... 3 " From Calcutta to Hong Kong, by steamer ............. 13 " From Hong Kong to
63Yokohama (Japan), by steamer ..... 6 " From Yokohama to San Francisco, by steamer ......... 22 " From San Francisco to
64New York, by rail ............. 7 " From New York to London, by steamer and rail ........ 9 " ------- Total
65............................................ 80 days." "Yes, in eighty days!" exclaimed Stuart, who in his excitement
66made a false deal. "But that doesn't take into account bad weather, contrary winds, shipwrecks, railway accidents, and
67so on." "All included," returned Phileas Fogg, continuing to play despite the discussion. "But suppose the Hindoos or
68Indians pull up the rails," replied Stuart; "suppose they stop the trains, pillage the luggage-vans, and scalp the
69passengers!" "All included," calmly retorted Fogg; adding, as he threw down the cards, "Two trumps." Stuart, whose turn
70it was to deal, gathered them up, and went on: "You are right, theoretically, Mr. Fogg, but practically--" "Practically
71also, Mr. Stuart." "I'd like to see you do it in eighty days." "It depends on you. Shall we go?" "Heaven preserve me!
72But I would wager four thousand pounds that such a journey, made under these conditions, is impossible." "Quite
73possible, on the contrary," returned Mr. Fogg. "Well, make it, then!" "The journey round the world in eighty days?"
74"Yes." "I should like nothing better." "When?" "At once. Only I warn you that I shall do it at your expense." "It's
75absurd!" cried Stuart, who was beginning to be annoyed at the persistency of his friend. "Come, let's go on with the
76game." "Deal over again, then," said Phileas Fogg. "There's a false deal."
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