《AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS (Completed)》Chapter 36- IN WHICH PHILEAS FOGG'S NAME IS ONCE MORE AT A PREMIUM
Advertisement
It is time to relate what a change took place in English public opinion when it transpired that the real bankrobber, a certain James Strand, had been arrested, on the 17th day of December, at Edinburgh. Three days before, Phileas Fogg had been a criminal, who was being desperately followed up by the police; now he was an honourable gentleman, mathematically pursuing his eccentric journey round the world.
The papers resumed their discussion about the wager; all those who had laid bets, for or against him, revived their interest, as if by magic; the "Phileas Fogg bonds" again became negotiable, and many new wagers were made. Phileas Fogg's name was once more at a premium on 'Change.
His five friends of the Reform Club passed these three days in a state of feverish suspense. Would Phileas Fogg, whom they had forgotten, reappear before their eyes! Where was he at this moment? The 17th of December, the day of James Strand's arrest, was the seventy-sixth since Phileas Fogg's departure, and no news of him had been received. Was he dead? Had he abandoned the effort, or was he continuing his journey along the route agreed upon? And would he appear on Saturday, the 21st of December, at a quarter before nine in the evening, on the threshold of the Reform Club saloon?
The anxiety in which, for three days, London society existed, cannot be described. Telegrams were sent to America and Asia for news of Phileas Fogg. Messengers were dispatched to the house in Saville Row morning and evening. No news. The police were ignorant what had become of the detective, Fix, who had so unfortunately followed up a false scent. Bets increased, nevertheless, in number and value. Phileas Fogg, like a racehorse, was drawing near his last turning-point. The bonds were quoted, no longer at a hundred below par, but at twenty, at ten, and at five; and paralytic old Lord Albemarle bet even in his favour.
Advertisement
A great crowd was collected in Pall Mall and the neighbouring streets on Saturday evening; it seemed like a multitude of brokers permanently established around the Reform Club. Circulation was impeded, and everywhere disputes, discussions, and financial transactions were going on. The police had great difficulty in keeping back the crowd, and as the hour when Phileas Fogg was due approached, the excitement rose to its highest pitch.
The five antagonists of Phileas Fogg had met in the great saloon of the club. John Sullivan and Samuel Fallentin, the bankers, Andrew Stuart, the engineer, Gauthier Ralph, the director of the Bank of England, and Thomas Flanagan, the brewer, one and all waited anxiously.
When the clock indicated twenty minutes past eight, Andrew Stuart got up, saying, "Gentlemen, in twenty minutes the time agreed upon between Mr. Fogg and ourselves will have expired."
"What time did the last train arrive from Liverpool?" asked Thomas Flanagan.
"At twenty-three minutes past seven," replied Gauthier Ralph; "and the next does not arrive till ten minutes after twelve."
"Well, gentlemen," resumed Andrew Stuart, "if Phileas Fogg had come in the 7:23 train, he would have got here by this time. We can, therefore, regard the bet as won."
"Wait; don't let us be too hasty," replied Samuel Fallentin. "You know that Mr. Fogg is very eccentric. His punctuality is well known; he never arrives too soon, or too late; and I should not be surprised if he appeared before us at the last minute."
"Why," said Andrew Stuart nervously, "if I should see him, I should not believe it was he."
"The fact is," resumed Thomas Flanagan, "Mr. Fogg's project was absurdly foolish. Whatever his punctuality, he could not prevent the delays which were certain to occur; and a delay of only two or three days would be fatal to his tour."
Advertisement
"Observe, too," added John Sullivan, "that we have received no intelligence from him, though there are telegraphic lines all along is route."
"He has lost, gentleman," said Andrew Stuart, "he has a hundred times lost! You know, besides, that the China the only steamer he could have taken from New York to get here in time arrived yesterday. I have seen a list of the passengers, and the name of Phileas Fogg is not among them. Even if we admit that fortune has favoured him, he can scarcely have reached America. I think he will be at least twenty days behind-hand, and that Lord Albemarle will lose a cool five thousand."
"It is clear," replied Gauthier Ralph; "and we have nothing to do but to present Mr. Fogg's cheque at Barings to-morrow."
At this moment, the hands of the club clock pointed to twenty minutes to nine.
"Five minutes more," said Andrew Stuart.
The five gentlemen looked at each other. Their anxiety was becoming intense; but, not wishing to betray it, they readily assented to Mr. Fallentin's proposal of a rubber.
"I wouldn't give up my four thousand of the bet," said Andrew Stuart, as he took his seat, "for three thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine."
The clock indicated eighteen minutes to nine.
The players took up their cards, but could not keep their eyes off the clock. Certainly, however secure they felt, minutes had never seemed so long to them!
"Seventeen minutes to nine," said Thomas Flanagan, as he cut the cards which Ralph handed to him.
Then there was a moment of silence. The great saloon was perfectly quiet; but the murmurs of the crowd outside were heard, with now and then a shrill cry. The pendulum beat the seconds, which each player eagerly counted, as he listened, with mathematical regularity.
"Sixteen minutes to nine!" said John Sullivan, in a voice which betrayed his emotion.
One minute more, and the wager would be won. Andrew Stuart and his partners suspended their game. They left their cards, and counted the seconds.
At the fortieth second, nothing. At the fiftieth, still nothing.
At the fifty-fifth, a loud cry was heard in the street, followed by applause, hurrahs, and some fierce growls.
The players rose from their seats.
At the fifty-seventh second the door of the saloon opened; and the pendulum had not beat the sixtieth second when Phileas Fogg appeared, followed by an excited crowd who had forced their way through the club doors, and in his calm voice, said, "Here I am, gentlemen!"
Advertisement
The Fate of a villain (But not really)
But to be honest, he doesn't really want to be one. Assigned that role by a bored god looking for entertainment, he struggles with the past. Seriously, how much of an asshole could a dead man have been? As an imposter, the new soul possessing the body of a certain Francis Rayleigh, he tries his best to change that past image of his. Its not all simple though. Just because of his pretty face, it doesn't mean that life bows down to him. And to top it all off, a god, no matter how bored they were, is still by most definitions a god. Ultimately, on the grand stage of the world, will the fate forced upon him prevail? Without burning any villages, and trying to be as peaceful as possible, he hopes to avoid those hands of fate. No evil empires dancing on his palm, no conspiracy to rid the world of intelligent life. Not even a superweapon to turn the world's lives into his slaves. Just a man, found on the weaker side of life, trying to live. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ NOTE: CONTAINS CROSSDRESSING, LGBT ELEMENTS It starts off really slowly, so take your time. Mostly just fluff, with plot sprinkled in. The action picks up in chapters 20+! Its somewhat episodic, but also a serial, if that makes sense. Word counts per chapter from 2000 - 3000 Photo by Dorothe form PxHere Releases weekly(?)
8 80Tales of The Heroic Kingdoms
Yushin gave up gaming and focused solely on work. With life changing news, he finds solace in the recently released VRMMO "Tales of The Heroic Kingdoms". The game promised to be a new highlight to a stale MMO age. The golden age of MMO’s had long past. They became extremely repetitive and boring, just grind for gear and rush raids template that never seemed to go anywhere. That, combined with micro-transactions, almost ruined modern games. Kingdom Corp promised to change this, and expectations were high. Will Yushin be able to leave his mark in time and become one of the top players of his era?
8 195Breaking the constellations
Gael had a vision of an apocalyptic world where magic, monsters and blue screens rules, a world where the impossible is possible, where life and death walks together. After that, his only family dissapeared to such a place. Alone and without hope, he trains like a madman to when his time to be transported to such a world arrives, he's able to destroy everything in his path and find his sister.
8 178Let's make homophobes MAD
This book is filled with funny responses to Homophobes. I guarantee that homophobes will get mad, while you and me will be the ones laughing
8 110Henry the hover x guy i saw on the street
This is a really romantic story 😍🤪🤪🥺😍 read or Henry will suck up your toes
8 124Being The Bad Boy's Possession
If you're reading this its too lat-Thank you so much! :)
8 205