AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS(环游世界80天)-第8章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


‘For　the　cats；　my　lord？'　
‘Perhaps　for　the　travellers　as　well！'　
After　which　Mr　Fogg　quietly　continued　his　dinner。　Fix　had　gone　on　shore　shortly　after　Mr　Fogg；　and　his　first　destination　was　the　headquarters　of　the　Bombay　police。　He　made　himself　known　as　a　London　detective；　told　his　business　at　Bombay；　and　the　position　of　affairs　relative　to　the　supposed　robber；　and　nervously　asked　if　a　warrant　had　arrived　from　London。　It　had　not　reached　the　office；　indeed；　there　had　not　yet　been　time　for　it　to　arrive。　Fix　was　sorely　disappointed；　and　tried　to　obtain　an　order　of　arrest　from　the　director　of　the　Bombay　police。　This　the　director　refused；　as　the　matter　concerned　the　London　office；　which　alone　could　legally　deliver　the　warrant。　Fix　did　not　insist；　and　was　fain　to　resign　himself　to　await　the　arrival　of　the　important　document；　but　he　was　determined　not　to　lose　sight　of　the　mysterious　rogue　as　long　as　he　stayed　in　Bombay。　He　did　not　doubt　for　a　moment；　anymore　than　Passepartout；　that　Phileas　Fogg　would　remain　there；　at　least　until　it　was　time　for　the　warrant　to　arrive。　
Passepartout；　however；　had　no　sooner　heard　his　master's　orders　on　leaving　the　‘Mongolia'；　than　he　saw　at　once　that　they　were　to　leave　Bombay　as　they　had　done　Suez　and　Paris；　and　that　the　journey　would　be　extended　at　least　as　far　as　Calcutta；　and　perhaps　beyond　that　place。　He　began　to　ask　himself　if　this　bet　that　Mr　Fogg　talked　about　was　not　really　in　good　earnest；　and　whether　his　fate　was　not　in　truth　forcing　him；　despite　his　love　of　repose；　around　the　world　in　eighty　days！　
Having　purchased　the　usual　a　of　shirts　and　shoes；　he　took　a　leisurely　promenade　about　the　streets；　where　crowds　of　people　of　many　nationalities　…　Europeans；　Persians　with　pointed　caps；　Banyas　with　round　turbans；　Sindis　with　square　bonnets；　Parsees　with　black　mitres　and　long…robed　Armenians　…　were　collected。　It　happened　to　be　the　day　of　a　Parsee　festival。　These　descendants　of　the　sect　of　Zoroaster　…　the　most　thrifty；　civilized；　intelligent　and　austere　of　the　East　Indians；　among　whom　are　counted　the　richest　native　merchants　of　Bombay　…　were　celebrating　a　sort　of　religious　carnival；　with　processions　and　shows；　in　the　midst　of　which　Indian　dancing…girls；　clothed　in　rose…coloured　gauze；　looped　up　with　gold　and　silver；　danced　airily；　but　with　perfect　modesty；　to　the　sound　of　viols　and　the　clanging　of　tambourines。　It　is　needless　to　say　that　Passepartout　watched　these　curious　ceremonies　with　staring　eyes　and　gaping　mouth；　and　that　his　countenance　was　that　of　the　greenest　booby　imaginable。　
Unhappily　for　his　master；　as　well　as　himself；　his　curiosity　drew　him　unconsciously　farther　off　than　he　intended　to　go。　At　last；　having　seen　the　Parsee　carnival　wind　away　in　the　distance；　he　was　turning　his　steps　towards　the　station；　when　he　happened　to　espy　the　splendid　pagoda　on　Malabar　Hill；　and　was　seized　with　an　irresistible　desire　to　see　its　interior。　He　was　quite　ignorant　that　it　is　forbidden　to　Christians　to　enter　certain　Indian　temples；　and　that　even　the　faithful　must　not　go　in　without　first　leaving　their　shoes　outside　the　door。　It　may　be　said　here　that　the　wise　policy　of　the　British　Government　severely　punishes　a　disregard　of　the　practices　of　the　native　religions。　
Passepartout；　however；　thinking　no　harm；　went　in　like　a　simple　tourist；　and　was　soon　lost　in　admiration　of　the　splendid　Brahmin　ornamentation　which　everywhere　met　his　eyes；　when　of　a　sudden　he　found　himself　sprawling　on　the　sacred　flagging。　He　looked　up　to　behold　three　enraged　priests；　who　forthwith　fell　upon　him；　tore　off　his　shoes；　and　began　to　beat　him　with　loud；　savage　exclamations。　The　agile　Frenchman　was　soon　upon　his　feet　again；　and　lost　no　time　in　knocking　down　two　of　his　long…gowned　adversaries　with　his　fists　and　a　vigorous　application　of　his　toes；　then；　rushing　out　of　the　pagoda　as　fast　as　his　legs　could　carry　him；　he　soon　escaped　the　third　priest　by　mingling　with　the　crowd　in　the　streets。　
At　five　minutes　before　eight；　Passepartout；　hatless；　shoeless；　and　having　in　the　squabble　lost　his　package　of　shirts　and　shoes；　rushed　breathlessly　into　the　station。　
Fix；　who　had　followed　Mr　Fogg　to　the　station；　and　saw　that　he　was　really　going　to　leave　Bombay；　was　there；　upon　the　platform。　He　had　resolved　to　follow　the　supposed　robber　to　Calcutta；　and　farther；　if　necessary。　Passepartout　did　not　observe　the　detective；　who　stood　in　an　obscure　comer；　but　Fix　heard　him　relate　his　adventures　in　a　few　words　to　Mr　Fogg。　
‘I　hope　that　this　will　not　happen　again；'　said　Phileas　Fogg；　coldly；　as　he　got　into　the　train。　Poor　Passepartout；　quite　crestfallen；　followed　his　master　without　a　word。　Fix　was　on　the　point　of　entering　another　carriage；　when　an　idea　struck　him　which　induced　him　to　alter　his　plan。　
‘No；　I'll　stay；'　muttered　he。　‘An　offence　has　been　committed　on　Indian　soil。　I've　got　my　man。'　
Just　then　the　locomotive　gave　a　sharp　screech；　and　the　train　passed　out　into　the　darkness　of　the　night。　

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
CHAPTER　XI
IN　WHICH　PHILEAS　FOGG　SECURES　A　CURIOUS　MEANS　OF　CONVEYANCE　AT　A　FABULOUS　PRICE。
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The　train　had　started　punctually。　Among　the　passengers　were　a　number　of　officers；　Government　officials；　and　opium　and　indigo　merchants；　whose　business　called　them　to　the　eastern　coast。　Passepartout　rode　in　the　same　carriage　with　his　master；　and　a　third　passenger　ocomupied　a　seat　opposite　to　them。　This　was　Sir　Francis　Cromarty；　one　of　Mr　Fogg's　whist　partners　on　the　‘Mongolia'；　now　on　his　way　to　join　his　corps　at　Benares。　Sir　Francis　was　a　tall；　fair　man　of　fifty；　who　had　greatly　distinguished　himself　in　the　last　Sepoy　revolt。　He　made　India　his　homer　only　paying　brief　visits　to　England　at　rare　intervals；　and　war　almost　as　familiar　as　a　native　with　the　customs；　history　and　character　of　India　and　its　people。　But　Phileas　Fogg；　who　was　not　travelling；　but　only　describing　a　circumference；　took　no　pains　to　inquire　into　these　subjects；　he　was　a　solid　body；　traversing　an　orbit　around　the　terrestrial　globe；　acomording　to　the　laws　of　rational　mechanics。　He　was　at　this　moment　calculating　in　his　mind　the　number　of　hours　spent　since　his　departure　from　London；　and；　had　it　been　in　his　nature　to　make　a　useless　demonstration；　would　have　rubbed　his　hands　for　satisfaction。　Sir　Francis　Cromarty　had　observed　the　oddity　of　his　travelling　companion　…　although　the　only　opportunity　he　had　for　studying　him　had　been　while　he　was　dealing　the　cards；　and　between　two　rubbers　…　and　questioned　himself　whether　a　human　heart　really　beat　beneath　this　cold　exterior；　and　whether　Phileas　Fogg　had　any　sense　of　the　beauties　of　nature。　The　brigadier…general　was　free　to　mentally　confess；　that；　of　all　the　ecomentric　persons　he　had　ever　met；　none　was　comparable　to　this　product　of　the　exact　sciences。　
Phileas　Fogg　had　not　concealed　from　Sir　Francis　his　design　of　going　round　the　world；　nor　the　circumstances　under　which　he　set　out；　and　the　general　only　saw　in　the　wager　a　useless　ecomentricity　and　a　lack　of　sound　common　sense。　In　the　way　this　strange　gentleman　was　going　on；　he　would　leave　the　world　without　having　done　any　good　to　himself　or　anybody　else。　
An　hour　after　leaving　Bombay　the　train　had　passed　the　viaducts　and　the　island　Salcette；　and　had　got　into　the　open　country。　At　Callyan　they　reached　the　junction　of　the　branch　line　which　descends　towards　southeastern　India　by　Kandallah　and　Pounah；　and；　passing　Pauwell；　they　entered　the　defiles　of　the　mountains；　with　their　basalt　bases；　and　their　summits　crowned　with　thick　and　verdant　forests。　Phileas　Fogg　and　Sir　Francis　Cromarty　exchanged　a　few　words　from　time　to　time；　and　now　Sir　Francis；　reviving　the　conversation；　observed；　‘Some　years　ago；　Mr　Fogg；　you　would　have　met　with　a　delay　at　this　point　which　would　probably　have　lost　you　your　wager。'　
‘How　so；　Sir　Francis？'　
‘Because　the　railway　stopped　at　the　base　of　these　mountains；　which　the　passengers　were　obliged　to　cross　in　palanquins　or　on　ponies　to　Kandallah；　on　the　other　side。'　
‘Such　a　delay　would　not　have　deranged　my　plans　in　the　least；'　said　Mr　Fogg。　‘I　have　constantly　foreseen　the　likelihood　of　certain　obstacles。'　
‘But；　Mr　Fogg；'　pursued　Sir　Francis；　‘you　run　the　risk　of　having　some　difficulty　about　this　worthy　fellow's　adventure　at　the　pagoda。'　Passepartout；　his　feet　comfortably　wrapped　in　his　travelling…blanket；　was　sound　asleep；　and　did　not　dream　that　anybody　was　talking　about　him。　The　Government　is　very　severe　upon　that　kind　of　offence。　It　takes　particular　care　that　the　religious　customs　of　the　Indians　should　be　respected；　and　if　your　servant　were　caught……'　
‘Very　well；　Sir　Francis；'　replied　Mr　Fogg；　‘if　he　had　been　caught　he　would　have　been　condemned　and　punished；　and　then　would　have　quietly　returned　to　Europe。　I　don't　see　how　this　affair　could　have　delayed　his　master。'　
The　conversation　fell　again。　During　the　night　the　train　left　the　mountains　behind；　and　passed　Nassik；　and　the　next　day　proceeded　over　the　flat；　well…cultivated　country　of　the　khandeish；　with　its　straggling　villages；　above　which　rose　the　minarets　of　the　pagodas。　This　fertile　territory　is　watered　by　numerous　small　rivers　and　limpid　streams；　mostly　tributaries　of　the　Godavery。　
Passepartout；　on　waking　and　looking　out；　could　not　realize　that　he　was　actually　crossing　India　in　a　railway　train。　The　locomotive；　guided　by　an　English　engineer　and　fed　with　English　coal；　threw　out　its　smoke　upon　cotton；　coffee；　nutmeg；　clove　and　pepper　plantations；　while　the　steam　curled　in　spirals　around　groups　of　palm…trees；　in　the　midst　of　which　were　seen　picturesque　bungalows；　viharis　（a　sort　of　abandoned　monasteries）；　and　marvellous　temples　enriched　by　the　exhaustless　ornamentation　of　Indian　architecture。　Then　they　came　upon　vast　tracts　extending　to　the　horizon；　with　jungles　inhabited　by　snakes　and　tigers；　which　fled　at　the　noise　of　the　train；　sucomeeded　by　forests　penetrated　by　the　railway；　and　still　haunted　by　elephants　which；　with　pensive　eyes；　gazed　at　the　train　as　it　passed。　The　travellers　crossed；　beyond　Malligaum；　the　fatal　country　so　often　stained　with　blood　by　the　sectaries　of　the　goddess　Kali。　Not　far　off　rose　Ellora；　with　its　graceful　pagodas；　and　the　famous　Aurungabad；　capital　of　the　ferocious