Around the World in 80 by Jules Verne (page 4)

IN WHICH PASSEPARTOUT

IS ONLY TOO GLAD TO GET

OFF WITH THE LOSS OF HIS

SHOES

Everybody knows that the great reversed triangle of

land, with its base in the north and its apex in the south,

which is called India, embraces fourteen hundred thousand

square miles, upon which is spread unequally a population

of one hundred and eighty millions of souls. The British

Crown exercises a real and despotic dominion over the

larger portion of this vast country, and has a governor-

general stationed at Calcutta, governors at Madras,

Bombay, and in Bengal, and a lieutenant-governor at

Around the World in 80 by Jules Verne (page 3)

Around the World in 80 Days

'No, Mr. Fix,' replied the consul. 'She was bespoken

yesterday at Port Said, and the rest of the way is of no

account to such a craft. I repeat that the Mongolia has

been in advance of the time required by the company's

regulations, and gained the prize awarded for excess of

speed.'

'Does she come directly from Brindisi?'

'Directly from Brindisi; she takes on the Indian mails

there, and she left there Saturday at five p.m. Have

patience, Mr. Fix; she will not be late. But really, I don't

Around the World in 80 Days(page 2)

whole being washed down with several cups of tea, for

which the Reform is famous. He rose at thirteen minutes

to one, and directed his steps towards the large hall, a

sumptuous apartment adorned with lavishly-framed

paintings. A flunkey handed him an uncut Times, which

he proceeded to cut with a skill which betrayed familiarity

with this delicate operation. The perusal of this paper

absorbed Phileas Fogg until a quarter before four, whilst

the Standard, his next task, occupied him till the dinner

hour. Dinner passed as breakfast had done, and Mr. Fogg

re-appeared in the reading-room and sat down to the Pall

Mall at twenty minutes before six. Half an hour later

several members of the Reform came in and drew up to

the fireplace, where a coal fire was steadily burning. They

were Mr. Fogg's usual partners at whist: Andrew Stuart, an

engineer; John Sullivan and Samuel Fallentin, bankers;

Around the World in 80 Days(page 1)

Chapter I

IN WHICH PHILEAS FOGG

AND PASSEPARTOUT

ACCEPT EACH OTHER, THE

ONE AS MASTER, THE

OTHER AS MAN

Mr. Phileas Fogg lived, in 1872, at No. 7, Saville Row,

Burlington Gardens, the house in which Sheridan died in

1814. He was one of the most noticeable members of the

Reform Club, though he seemed always to avoid

attracting attention; an enigmatical personage, about

whom little was known, except that he was a polished

man of the world. People said that he resembled Byron—

at least that his head was Byronic; but he was a bearded,

tranquil Byron, who might live on a thousand years

without growing old.