#Round the World in Eighty Days

Chapter - 2

• The bet

  At the Reform Club, Phileas Fogg had his meals at excatly the usual times. He read The Times in his usual chair at the
  usual times.
  At 6.10, the five gentlemen who always played whist with Phileas Fogg took their places in the card room, and he joined
  them.
  Whist is the most silent of card games. But this evening, before the game started the gentlemen spoke about a thief. The
  papers said that this man had stolen fifty-five thousand pounds from the Bank of England. One of the whist players was a
  governor of the Bank of England.
  "They'll catch the man," he said. "The best detectives have been sent to every port. They have an exact description of the
  gentleman."
  "A description? A gentleman?"
  "Yes," said Ralph, the bank governor."Nobody saw him take the fifty-five thousand pounds, but a number of people saw a
  stranger in the room the banknotes were taken from. He was well dressed, tall, good-looking _ a real gentleman. He won't
  escape."
  "Oh, I don't know," said Stuart."The world is a very big place."
  "It was a big place," said Phileas Fogg.
  "How do you mean - 'was'? Has it become smaller?"
  "Yes," said Ralph."I think Mr Fogg is right. You can go round the world ten times more quickly than a hundred years ago."
  "All right,"said Stuart."But just because you can go round the world in about three months-"
  "In eighty days,"said Phileas Fogg.
  "Fogg's right,"said Ralph."The part of the railway between Rothal and Allahabad is open now, so The Times has worked
  out this timetble."And he showed them,on the centre page of the paper.
  London to Suez- rail and ship 7 days
  Suez to Bombay - ship 13 days
  Bombay to Calcutta - railway 3 days
  Calcutta to Hong Kong - ship 13 days
  Hong Kong to Yokohama - ship 6 days
  Yokohama to San Franciso - ship 22 days
  Sanfranciso to New York - railway 7 days
  New York to London - + 9 days
  ------------------
  total = 80 days

  "Yes," said Stuart,"eighty days. But that doesn't allow anything for storms, accidents, attack by enemies....."
  "It allows for everything," Phileas Fogg answered.
  "It's all right on paper," said Stuart."But in real life."
  "In real life too, Mr Stuart."
  "I'd like to see you try, Mr Fogg."
  "Well, let's all go. Then you will see me."
  "No, thank you,"said Sturt."But I'll bet four thousand pounds that the journey can't be done in the time."
  "It can."Phileas Fogg said.
  "Well, do it!"
  "Go round the world in eighty days? All right."
  Phileas Fogg's friends were suprised. They were enen more surprised when he said:"I Have twenty thousand pounds in
  Baring's Bank. I'm ready to bet that amount that I can do it."
  "Twenty thousand pounds!" cried Ralph."Twenty thousand pounds that an unexpected delay can cause you to lose?"
  "Nothing is ever unexpected,"Fogg said.
  In the end, Phileas Fogg's five friends took the bet. If he made the journey round the world in eighty days, or less, they
  would pay him twenty thousand pounds. If the juouney took more than eighty days, he would pay them that amount-
  four thousand pounds each.
  "Right,"said Fogg."The train for Dover leaves at 8.45 this evening.I'll be on it."
  Fogg looked at his pocket book. "To day is Wednesday 2nd October.So I must be back here, in this room in the Reform
  Club, on Saturday 21st December at 8.45 in the evening."
  At 7.25, Phileas Fogg said good night to his friends and left the Reform Club. At 7.50, he opened the door of his own
  house and went in.
  Passepartout had read his timetable very carefully. He was suprised to see Mr Fogg. His timetable told him to expect his
  employer at midnight exactly.
  Phileas Fogg called him. "We leave in ten minutes for Dover and Calais," he said."We are going round the world."
  Passepartout eyes opened wide - very wide. His armes reached far out. He was a picture of surprise.
  "Round the world!" he breathed.
  "In eighty days," said Phileas Fogg. "We mustn't waste a minute."
  "But your baggage?"
  "No baggage. Just one overnight bag. Two shirts and some socks. The same for you. We can but things on the way.
  Bring down my overcoat. Wear strong shoes. Move!"
  At 8 o'clock, Passepartout was ready with a small bag holding clothes for his employer and himself. He left his room,
  closing the door carefully. His thoughts were going round and round." A quiet life,"he said."A quiet life!"
  Mr Fogg was ready. He had a book under his arm, Bradshaw's World Railway and Steamship Guide. He took the bag from
  Passepartout and put into it a very thick roll of banknotes. Then he passed the bag to Passepartout."Look after it,"he said.
  "There's twenty thousand pounds in it."
  Passepartout nearly dropped the bag.
  At the station, Phileas Fogg saw his five friends from the Reform Club.
  "You are kind to come to say goodbye," he said."I'll have stamps in my passport to show where I have been,and you can
  see them when I come back."
  "That's not necessary,"said Ralph."We'll take your word as a gentleman."
  At 8.40, Phileas Fogg and Passepartout took their places in the train, and at 8.45 the train started.
  The story of the bet, and Phileas Fogg's plan to go round the world in eighty days, were the talk of London. The story
  was in every newspaper the next day and for the following week. There were a lot of bets on the result.
  Then the chief of the London police received a telegram.

  Suez 9 October
  To Chief of Police, Scotland Yard, London.
  Am following bank thief Phileas Fogg. Send warrant without delay to Bombay.
  Fix (detective)

  That was exciting."Was Phileas Fogg really the thief?" the papers asked. People remembered the suprising story of the
  bet.
  "Was it just to hide the true reason for the journey?"The Times wrotes.