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Round the world in eighty days, tr. by H. Frith
Round the world in eighty days tr by H Frith Author:Jules Verne Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: " What is the matter with you ? " asked Mr. Fogg. " Oh dear me ! In my hurry I quite forgot " "What?" " I forgot to turn the gas off in my room !" " Ver... more »y well, my lad," replied Mr. Fogg coolly, " then it must burn while we are away—at your expense." CHAPTER V. In which a New Kind of Investment appears on the Stock Exchange. When Phileas Fogg quitted London, he had no doubt that his departure would create a great sensation. The report of the bet spread from the club to outsiders, and so to all the newspapers in the United Kingdom. This question of going round the world in eighty days was commented upon, discussed, and dissected, and argued as much as the Alabama Claims had been. Some agreed with Phileas Fogg, but the majority were against him. To accomplish the tour in fact was an impossibility, under the present system of communication. It was sheer madness. The Times, The Standard, Tlie Morning Chronicle, and twenty other respectable journals gave their verdict against Mr. Fogg. The Daily Telegraph was the onlypaper that to a certain extent supported him. Phileas Fogg was generally looked upon as a maniac, and his friends at the Reform Club were much blamed for having taken up the wager, which only betrayed the want-of brain of its proposer. Extremely passionate but logical articles were written upon the question. We all know the interest that the English take in any geographical problem, and readers of every class devoured the columns in which Mr. Fogg's expedition was debated. For the first few days some bold spirits, principally women, espoused his cause, particularly when The Illustrated London News published his portrait, and certain gentlemen went so far as to say: " Well, why should he not after all? More extraordinary things have happened." T...« less