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IN WHICH PHILEAS FOGG ENGAGES IN A DIRECT STRUGGLE WITH
BAD FORTUNE
The China, in leaving, seemed to have carried off Phileas
Fogg's last hope. None of the other steamers were able to serve
his projects. The Pereire, of the French Transatlantic Company,
whose admirable steamers are equal to any in speed and comfort,
did not leave until the 14th; the Hamburg boats did not go directly
to Liverpool or London, but to Havre; and the additional trip
from Havre to Southampton would render Phileas Fogg's last efforts
of no avail. The Inman steamer did not depart till the next day,
and could not cross the Atlantic in time to save the wager.
Mr. Fogg learned all this in consulting his Bradshaw, which
gave him the daily movements of the trans-Atlantic steamers.
Passepartout was crushed; it overwhelmed him to lose the boat
by three-quarters of an hour. It was his fault, for, instead of
helping his master, he had not ceased putting obstacles in his
path! And when he recalled all the incidents of the tour, when
he counted up the sums expended in pure loss and on his own account,
when he thought that the immense stake, added to the heavy charges
of this useless journey, would completely ruin Mr. Fogg, he overwhelmed
himself with bitter self-accusations. Mr. Fogg, however, did not
reproach him; and, on leaving the Cunard pier, only said: "We
will consult about what is best to-morrow. Come."
The party crossed the Hudson in the Jersey City ferryboat,
and drove in a carriage to the St. Nicholas Hotel, on Broadway.
Rooms were engaged, and the night passed, briefly to Phileas Fogg,
who slept profoundly, but very long to Aouda and the others, whose
agitation did not permit them to rest.
The next day was the 12th of December. From seven in the morning
of the 12th to a quarter before nine in the evening of the 21st
there were nine days, thirteen hours, and forty-five minutes.
If Phileas Fogg had left in the China, one of the fastest steamers
on the Atlantic, he would have reached Liverpool, and then London,
within the period agreed upon.
Mr. Fogg left the hotel alone, after giving Passepartout instructions
to await his return, and inform Aouda to be ready at an instant's
notice. He proceeded to the banks of the Hudson, and looked about
among the vessels moored or anchored in the river, for any that
were about to depart. Several had departure signals, and were
preparing to put to sea at morning tide; for in this immense and
admirable port there is not one day in a hundred that vessels
do not set out for every quarter of the globe. But they were mostly
sailing vessels, of which, of course, Phileas Fogg could make
no use.
He seemed about to give up all hope, when he espied, anchored
at the Battery, a cable's length off at most, a trading vessel,
with a screw, well-shaped, whose funnel, puffing a cloud of smoke,
indicated that she was getting ready for departure.
Phileas Fogg hailed a boat, got into it, and soon found himself
on board the Henrietta, iron-hulled, wood-built above. He ascended
to the deck, and asked for the captain, who forthwith presented
himself. He was a man of fifty, a sort of sea-wolf, with big eyes,
a complexion of oxidised copper, red hair and thick neck, and
a growling voice.
"The captain?" asked Mr. Fogg.
"I am the captain."
"I am Phileas Fogg, of London."
"And I am Andrew Speedy, of Cardiff."
"You are going to put to sea?"
"In an hour."
"You are bound for--"
"Bordeaux."
"And your cargo?" "No freight. Going in ballast."
"Have you any passengers?"
"No passengers. Never have passengers. Too much in the
way."
"Is your vessel a swift one?"
"Between eleven and twelve knots. The Henrietta, well
known."
"Will you carry me and three other persons to Liverpool?"
"To Liverpool? Why not to China?"
"I said Liverpool."
"No!"
"No?"
"No. I am setting out for Bordeaux, and shall go to Bordeaux."
"Money is no object?"
"None."
The captain spoke in a tone which did not admit of a reply.
"But the owners of the Henrietta--" resumed Phileas
Fogg.
"The owners are myself," replied the captain. "The
vessel belongs to me."
"I will freight it for you."
"No."
"I will buy it of you."
"No."
Phileas Fogg did not betray the least disappointment; but the
situation was a grave one. It was not at New York as at Hong Kong,
nor with the captain of the Henrietta as with the captain of the
Tankadere. Up to this time money had smoothed away every obstacle.
Now money failed.
Still, some means must be found to cross the Atlantic on a
boat, unless by balloon--which would have been venturesome, besides
not being capable of being put in practice. It seemed that Phileas
Fogg had an idea, for he said to the captain, "Well, will
you carry me to Bordeaux?"
"No, not if you paid me two hundred dollars."
"I offer you two thousand."
"Apiece?"
"Apiece."
"And there are four of you?"
"Four."
Captain Speedy began to scratch his head. There were eight
thousand dollars to gain, without changing his route; for which
it was well worth conquering the repugnance he had for all kinds
of passengers. Besides, passenger's at two thousand dollars are
no longer passengers, but valuable merchandise. "I start
at nine o'clock," said Captain Speedy, simply. "Are
you and your party ready?"
"We will be on board at nine o'clock," replied, no
less simply, Mr. Fogg.
It was half-past eight. To disembark from the Henrietta, jump
into a hack, hurry to the St. Nicholas, and return with Aouda,
Passepartout, and even the inseparable Fix was the work of a brief
time, and was performed by Mr. Fogg with the coolness which never
abandoned him. They were on board when the Henrietta made ready
to weigh anchor.
When Passepartout heard what this last voyage was going to
cost, he uttered a prolonged "Oh!" which extended throughout
his vocal gamut.
As for Fix, he said to himself that the Bank of England would
certainly not come out of this affair well indemnified. When they
reached England, even if Mr. Fogg did not throw some handfuls
of bank-bills into the sea, more than seven thousand pounds would
have been spent!
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