Dripread - Book

'' 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.

" HEEE I AM, GENTLEMEN," SAID HE.

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! "

CHAPTER XXXVII.

IN WHICH IT IS SHOWN THAT PHILEAS FOGG GAINED NOTHING BY HIS TOUR AROUND THE WORLD, UNLESS IT WERE HAPPINESS.

Yes ; Phlleas Fogg in person.

The reader will remember that at five minutes past eight in the evening?about five and twenty hours after the arrival of the travellers in London?Passepartout had been sent by his master to engage the services of the Reverend Samuel Wilson in a certain marriage ceremony, which was to take place the next day.

Passepartout went on his errand enchanted. He soon reached the clergyman's house, but found him not at home. Passepartout waited a good twenty minutes, and when he left the reverend gentleman, it was thirty-five minutes past eight. But in what a state he was ! With his hair in disorder, and without his hat, he ran along the street as never man was seen to run before, overturning passers-by, rushing over the sidewalk like a waterspout.

His haie all in disoedee, without a uat, KNOCKiisa down

TOOT-PASSENGEES, ON HE EAN.

In three minutes he was in Saville Row again^ and staggered breathlessly into I\Ir. Fogg's room.

He could not speak.

"What is the matter ? " asked Mr. Fogg.

" My miaster! " gasped Passepartout, ? " marriage ? impossible ? "

" Impossible } "

" Impossible?for to-morrow."

" Why so } "

" Because to-morrow?is Sunday ! "

" Monday," replied Mr. Fogg.

" No?to-day?is Saturday."

" Saturday .'' Impossible ! "

" Yes, yes, yes, yes ! " cried Passepartout. '* You have made a mistake of one day! We arrived twenty-four hours ahead of time; but there are only ten minutes left!"

Passepartout had seized his master by the collar, and was dragging him along with irresistible force.

Phileas Fogg, thus kidnapped, without having time to think, left his house, jumped into a cab, promised a hundred pounds to the cabman, and, having run over two dogs and overturned five carriages, reached the Reform Club.

The clock indicated a quarter before nine when he appeared in the great saloon.

Phileas Fogg had accomplished the journey round the world in eighty days !

Phileas Fogg had won his wager of twenty thousand pounds!

How was it that a man so exact and fastidious could have made this error of a day ? How came he to think that he had arrived in London on Saturday, the twenty-first day of December, when it was really Friday, the twentieth, the seventy-ninth day only from his departure ?

The cause of the error is very simple.

Phileas Fogg had, without suspecting it, gained one day on his journey, and this merely because he had travelled constantly eastivard; he would, on the contrary, have lost a day, had he gone in the opposite direction, that is, westward.

Around the world in eighty days