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CHAPTER 7
Which Once More Demonstrates The Uselessness
Of Passports As Aids To Detectives
The detective passed down the quay, and
rapidly made his way to the consul's office,
where he was at once admitted to the presence
of that official.
"Consul," said he, without preamble, "I have
strong reasons for believing that my man is a
passenger on the Mongolia." And he narrated
what had just passed concerning the
passport.
"Well, Mr. Fix," replied the consul, "I
shall not be sorry to see the rascal's face;
but perhaps he won't come here--that is, if he
is the person you suppose him to be. A robber
doesn't quite like to leave traces of his
flight behind him; and, besides, he is not
obliged to have his passport
countersigned."
"If he is as shrewd as I think he is,
consul, he will come."
"To have his passport visaed?"
"Yes. Passports are only good for annoying
honest folks, and aiding in the flight of
rogues. I assure you it will be quite the thing
for him to do; but I hope you will not visa the
passport."
"Why not? If the passport is genuine I have
no right to refuse."
"Still, I must keep this man here until I
can get a warrant to arrest him from
London."
"Ah, that's your look-out. But I
cannot--"
The consul did not finish his sentence, for
as he spoke a knock was heard at the door, and
two strangers entered, one of whom was the
servant whom Fix had met on the quay. The
other, who was his master, held out his
passport with the request that the consul would
do him the favour to visa it. The consul took
the document and carefully read it, whilst Fix
observed, or rather devoured, the stranger with
his eyes from a corner of the room.
"You are Mr. Phileas Fogg?" said the consul,
after reading the passport.
"I am."
"And this man is your servant?"
"He is: a Frenchman, named
Passepartout."
"You are from London?"
"Yes."
"And you are going--"
"To Bombay."
"Very good, sir. You know that a visa is
useless, and that no passport is required?"
"I know it, sir," replied Phileas Fogg; "but
I wish to prove, by your visa, that I came by
Suez."
"Very well, sir."
The consul proceeded to sign and date the
passport, after which he added his official
seal. Mr. Fogg paid the customary fee, coldly
bowed, and went out, followed by his
servant.
"Well?" queried the detective.
"Well, he looks and acts like a perfectly
honest man," replied the consul.
"Possibly; but that is not the question. Do
you think, consul, that this phelgmatic
gentleman resembles, feature by feature, the
robber whose description I have received?"
"I concede that; but then, you know, all
descriptions--"
"I'll make certain of it," interrupted Fix.
"The servant seems to me less mysterious than
the master; besides, he's a Frenchman, and
can't help talking. Excuse me for a little
while, consul."
Fix started off in search of
Passepartout.
Meanwhile Mr. Fogg, after leaving the
consulate, repaired to the quay, gave some
orders to Passepartout, went off to the
Mongolia in a boat, and descended to his cabin.
He took up his note-book, which contained the
following memoranda:
"Left London, Wednesday, October 2nd, at
8.45 p.m. "Reached Paris, Thursday, October
3rd, at 7.20 a.m. "Left Paris, Thursday, at
8.40 a.m. "Reached Turin by Mont Cenis, Friday,
October 4th, at 6.35 a.m. "Left Turin, Friday,
at 7.20 a.m. "Arrived at Brindisi, Saturday,
October 5th, at 4 p.m. "Sailed on the Mongolia,
Saturday, at 5 p.m. "Reached Suez, Wednesday,
October 9th, at 11 a.m. "Total of hours spent,
158+; or, in days, six days and a half."
These dates were inscribed in an itinerary
divided into columns, indicating the month, the
day of the month, and the day for the
stipulated and actual arrivals at each
principal point Paris, Brindisi, Suez, Bombay,
Calcutta, Singapore, Hong Kong, Yokohama, San
Francisco, New York, and London--from the 2nd
of October to the 21st of December; and giving
a space for setting down the gain made or the
loss suffered on arrival at each locality. This
methodical record thus contained an account of
everything needed, and Mr. Fogg always knew
whether he was behind-hand or in advance of his
time. On this Friday, October 9th, he noted his
arrival at Suez, and observed that he had as
yet neither gained nor lost. He sat down
quietly to breakfast in his cabin, never once
thinking of inspecting the town, being one of
those Englishmen who are wont to see foreign
countries through the eyes of their
domestics.
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