CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The Bag of Money Gets Smaller

The train entered the station and the three exited the train. Just as they were leaving the station a policeman came up to them, and said, "Mr Phineas Fogg?"

"I am he."

"Is this man your servant?" added the policeman.

"Yes."

"Be so good, both of you, as to follow me."

Mr Fogg did not look surprised. This man was a policeman, and law is sacred to an Englishman.

Mr Fogg, Aouda, and Passepartout were taken to a carriage. In twenty minutes they were in the English side of town, and they stopped at a house. The policeman took them to a room with locked windows, and said, "You will see Judge Obadiah at half past eight."

He then left, and closed the door.

"Why, we are prisoners!" said Passepartout, falling into a chair.

Aouda said to Mr Fogg, "Sir, you must leave me! It is because you saved me that you are here!"

Mr Fogg said it was impossible. It was unlikely he would be arrested for preventing a suttee. There was some mistake.

"But the steamer leaves at noon!" said Passepartout, nervously.

"We shall be on board by noon," replied his master.

At half past eight the policeman took them to a courtroom. A crowd of Europeans and Indians were in the back of the room. Mr Fogg and his companions sat on a bench. Judge Obadiah, a fat, round man, entered soon after. The clerk, Mr Oysterpuff, followed him.

"The first case," said the judge.

"Phineas Fogg?" demanded Oysterpuff.

"I am here," replied Mr Fogg.

"Passepartout?"

"Here," said Passepartout.

"Good. Bring in the three that made the charge."

A door opened, and three Indian priests entered.

"These are the men who were going to burn our young lady," Passepartout quietly said.

The clerk read the charge of disturbing a religious place. "You hear the charge?" asked the judge.

"Yes, sir," replied Mr Fogg, "and I admit it."

"You admit it?"

"I admit it, and I wish to hear these priests admit what they were going to do at the temple of Pillaji."

The priests looked at each other. They did not seem to understand.

"Yes," cried Passepartout, "at the temple of Pillaji, when they were about to burn a woman."

The judge was astonished.

"What woman?" said Judge Obadiah. "Burn whom? In Bombay itself?"

"Bombay?" cried Passepartout.

"Certainly. We are not talking about the temple of Pillaji, but of the temple of Malabar Hill, in Bombay."

"And as proof," added the clerk, "here are the criminal's shoes."

"My shoes!" cried Passepartout, surprised.

The master and servant were confused. After their adventure, they had forgotten about trouble in Bombay.

Fix the detective thought he could use Passepartout's trouble against Mr Fogg. He delayed leaving Bombay by twelve hours, and talked to the priests of Malabar Hill. He promised the three men money in damages, and sent them to Calcutta on the next train. They arrived before Mr Fogg, because the Englishman had stopped to help Aouda.

Had Passepartout not been so busy, he would have noticed the detective in the corner of the court-room. He was watching closely, because the warrant had not reached Calcutta, as it had done at Bombay and Suez.

"The facts are admitted?" asked the judge.

"Admitted," replied Mr Fogg, coldly.

"As English law protects the religions of the Indian people, and as the man Passepartout has admitted that he disturbed the temple of Malabar Hill, I sentence Passepartout to fifteen days in prison and a fine of three hundred pounds.

"And as the master must be held responsible for his servant, I sentence Phineas Fogg to one week in prison and a fine of one hundred and fifty pounds."

Fix was very happy. If Phineas Fogg was in Calcutta for a week, the warrant would arrive in time. Passepartout was astonished. This sentence ruined his master. A wager of twenty thousand pounds was lost, because he had gone to that temple.

Phineas Fogg calmly said, "I offer bail."

Fix was worried, but then the judge said bail was two thousand pounds per person.

"I will pay it now," said Mr Fogg.

"This money will be returned to you when you are released from prison," said the judge. "Meanwhile, you are free on bail."

Mr Fogg took Aouda's arm, and they left. Passepartout sadly followed them. Fix still hoped the robber would not leave two thousand pounds behind him. He followed the three, and saw them board the steamer at eleven o'clock.

"The robber is off, after all!" he said. "Two thousand pounds sacrificed! I'll follow him to the end of the world if necessary, but at this rate he'll use all the stolen money."

Fix was not far off; since leaving London, Mr Fogg had already spent more than five thousand pounds.

(end of section)