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03 - Around The World in Eighty Days - Jules Verne · Daily Classic Sci Fi Books

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  Speaker 1: Chapter three, in which a conversation takes place which seems
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  Speaker 1: likely to cost Phileas Fogg deer. Phileas Fogg, having shut
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  Speaker 1: the door of his house at half past eleven, and
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  Speaker 1: having put his right foot before his left five hundred
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  Speaker 1: and seventy five times and his left foot before his
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  Speaker 1: right five hundred and seventy six times, reached three form club,
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  Speaker 1: an imposing edifice in Pellmell, which could not have cost
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  Speaker 1: less than three millions. He repaired at once to the
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  Speaker 1: dining room, the nine windows of which opened upon a
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  Speaker 1: tasteful garden, where the trees were already gilded with an
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  Speaker 1: autumn coloring, and took his place at the habitual table,
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  Speaker 1: the cover of which had already been laid for him.
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  Speaker 1: His breakfast consisted of a side dish, a broiled fish
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  Speaker 1: with redding sauce, a scarlet slice of roast beef garnished
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  Speaker 1: with mushrooms, a rhue barb and gooseberry tart, and a
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  Speaker 1: morsel of Chashire cheese, the whole being washed down with
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  Speaker 1: several cups of tea, for which the reform is famous.
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  Speaker 1: He rose at thirteen minutes to one and directed his
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  Speaker 1: steps towards the large hall, a sumptuous apartment adorned with
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  Speaker 1: lavishly framed paintings. A flunkey handed him in uncut times,
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  Speaker 1: which he proceeded to cut with a skill which betrayed
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  Speaker 1: familiarity with this delicate operation. The perusal of this paper
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  Speaker 1: absorbed Phileas Fogg until a quarter before four, whilst the standard,
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  Speaker 1: his next task, occupied him till the dinner hour. Dinner
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  Speaker 1: passed as breakfast had done, and mister Fogg reappeared in
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  Speaker 1: the reading room and sat down to the pell mell
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  Speaker 1: at twenty minutes before six. Half an hour later, several
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  Speaker 1: members of the Reform came in and drew up to
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  Speaker 1: the fireplace, where a coal fire was steadily burning. They
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  Speaker 1: were mister Fogg's usual partners at whist Andrew Stewart, an engineer,
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  Speaker 1: John Sullivan and Samuel Fallentin, bankers, Thomas Flanagan, a brewer,
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  Speaker 1: and gauthier Ralph, one of the directors of the Bank
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  Speaker 1: of England, all rich and highly respectable personages, even in
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  Speaker 1: a club which comprises the princes of English trade and finance. Well, Ralph,
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  Speaker 1: said Thomas Flanagan, what about that robbery, Oh, replied Stuart.
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  Speaker 1: The bank will lose the money. On the contrary, broke
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  Speaker 1: in Ralph. I hope we may put our hands on
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  Speaker 1: the robber. Skillful detectives have been sent to all the
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  Speaker 1: principal ports of America and the continent, and he'll be
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  Speaker 1: a clever fellow if he slips through their fingers. But
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  Speaker 1: have you got the robber's description, asked Stuart, in the
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  Speaker 1: first place, he is no robber at all, returned Ralph positively.
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  Speaker 1: What a sallow who makes off with fifty five thousand pounds?
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  Speaker 1: No robber? No, perhaps he's a manufacturer. Then the Daily
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  Speaker 1: Telegraph says that he is a gentleman. It was Phileas Fogg,
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  Speaker 1: whose head now emerged from behind its newspapers, who made
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  Speaker 1: this remark. He bowed to his friends and entered into
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  Speaker 1: the conversation. The affair which formed its subject, and which
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  Speaker 1: was town talk, had occurred three days before at the
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  Speaker 1: Bank of England. A package of banknotes to the value
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  Speaker 1: of fifty five thousand pounds had been taken from the
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  Speaker 1: principal cashier's table. That functionary being at the moment engaged
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  Speaker 1: in registering the receipt of three shillings and sixpence. Of course,
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  Speaker 1: he could not have his eyes everywhere. Let it be
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  Speaker 1: observed that the Bank of England reposes a touching confidence
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  Speaker 1: in the honesty of the public. There are neither guards
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  Speaker 1: nor gratings to protect its treasures. Gold Solk bank notes
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  Speaker 1: are freely exposed at the mercy of the first comer.
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  Speaker 1: A keen observer of English customs relates that, being in
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  Speaker 1: one of the rooms of the bank one day, he
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  Speaker 1: had the curiosity to examine a gold ingot weighing some
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  Speaker 1: seven or eight pounds. He took it up, scrutinized it,
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  Speaker 1: passed it to his neighbor, he to the next man,
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  Speaker 1: and so on, until the ingot, going from hand to hand,
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  Speaker 1: was transferred to the end of a dark entry, Nor
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  Speaker 1: did it return to its place for half an hour. Meanwhile,
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  Speaker 1: the cashier had not so much as raised his head.
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  Speaker 1: But in the present instance, things had not gone so smoothly,
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  Speaker 1: the package of notes not being found. When five o'clock
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  Speaker 1: sounded from the ponderous clock in the drawing office, the
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  Speaker 1: amount was passed to the account of profit and loss.
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  Speaker 1: As soon as the robbery was discovered, picked detectives hastened
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  Speaker 1: off to Liverpool, Glasgow, Havre, Suez, Brindisi, New York and
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  Speaker 1: other ports. Inspired by the proffered reward of two thousand
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  Speaker 1: pounds and five per cent on the sum that might
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  Speaker 1: be recovered. Detectives were also charged with narrowly watching those
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  Speaker 1: who arrived at or left London by rail, and a
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  Speaker 1: judicial examination was at once entered upon. There were real
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  Speaker 1: grounds for supposing, as the Daily Telegraph said that the
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  Speaker 1: thief did not belong to a professional band. On the
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  Speaker 1: day of the robbery, a well dressed gentleman, of polished
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  Speaker 1: manners and with a well to do air had been
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  Speaker 1: observed going to and fro in the paying room where
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  Speaker 1: the crime was committed. A description of him was easily
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  Speaker 1: procured and sent to the detectives, and some hopeful spirits,
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  Speaker 1: of whom Ralph was won, did not despair of his apprehension.
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  Speaker 1: The papers and clubs were full of the affair, and
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  Speaker 1: everywhere people were discussing the probabilities of a successful pursuit,
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  Speaker 1: and the Reform Club was especially agitated, several of its
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  Speaker 1: members being bank officials. Ralph would not concede that the
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  Speaker 1: work of the detectives was likely to be in vain,
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  Speaker 1: for he thought that the prize offered would greatly stimulate
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  Speaker 1: their zeal And activity. But Stuart was far from sharing
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  Speaker 1: this confidence, and as they placed themselves at the whist table,
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  Speaker 1: they continued to argue the matter. Stuart and Flanagan played together,
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  Speaker 1: while Phileas Fogg had Fellentin for his partner. As the
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  Speaker 1: game proceeded, the conversation ceased, excepting between the rubbers, when
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  Speaker 1: it revived again. I maintain, said Stuart, that the chances
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  Speaker 1: are in favor of the thief, who must be a
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  Speaker 1: shrewd fellow. Well where can he fly to? Asked Ralph?
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  Speaker 1: No country is safe for him, Pshaw, Where could he go? Then? Oh?
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  Speaker 1: I don't know that the world is big enough it was,
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  Speaker 1: once said Phileas Fogg in a low tone. Cut sir,
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  Speaker 1: he added, handing the cards to Thomas Flanagan. The discussion
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  Speaker 1: fell during the rubber, after which Stuart took up its thread.
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  Speaker 1: What do you mean by wants? Has the world grown smaller? Certainly,
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  Speaker 1: returned Ralph. I agree with mister Fogg. The world has
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  Speaker 1: grown smaller since a man can now go round it
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  Speaker 1: ten times more quickly than a hundred years ago, and
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  Speaker 1: that is why the search for this thief will be
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  Speaker 1: more likely to succeed. And also why the thief can
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  Speaker 1: get away more easily? Be so good as to play,
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  Speaker 1: mister Stuart, said Phileas Fogg. But the incredulous Stuart was
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  Speaker 1: not convinced, and when the hand was finished, said, eagerly,
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  Speaker 1: you have a strange one ralph of proving that the
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  Speaker 1: world has grown smaller, So because you can go round
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  Speaker 1: it in three months in eighty days, interrupted Phileas Fogg.
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  Speaker 1: That is true, gentlemen, added John Sullivan, only eighty days
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  Speaker 1: now that the section between Ruthal and Allahabad on the
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  Speaker 1: Great Indian Peninsula Railway has been opened. Here is the
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  Speaker 1: estimate made by the Daily Telegraph from London to Suez
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  Speaker 1: via Mont Cenis and Brindisi by rail and steamboats. Seven
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  Speaker 1: days from Suez to Bombay by steamer, thirteen days from
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  Speaker 1: Bombay to Calcutta by rail, three days from Calcutta to
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  Speaker 1: Hong Kong by steamer, thirteen days from Hong Kong to Yokohama,
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  Speaker 1: Japan by steamer, six days from Yokohama to San Francisco
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  Speaker 1: by steamer, twenty two days from San Francisco to New
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  Speaker 1: York by rail. Seven days from New York to London
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  Speaker 1: by steamer and rail nine days total eighty days. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: in eighty days, exclaimed Stuart, who in his excitement made
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  Speaker 1: a false steel. But that doesn't take into account bad weather,
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  Speaker 1: contrary winds, shipwrecks, railway accidents and so on, all included,
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  Speaker 1: returned Phileas Fogg, continuing to play despite the discussion. But
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  Speaker 1: suppose the Hindoos, our Indians pull up the rails, replied Stuart.
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  Speaker 1: Suppose they stop the trains, pillaged, the luggage, vans and
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  Speaker 1: scalp the passengers all included, calmly retorted Fogg, adding as
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  Speaker 1: he threw down the cards two tromps. Stuart, whose turn
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  Speaker 1: it was to deal, gathered them up and went on
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  Speaker 1: you right theoretically, mister Fogg, but practically practically also, mister Stewart,
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  Speaker 1: I'd like to see you do it in eighty days.
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  Speaker 1: It depends on you. Shall we go Heaven preserve me?
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  Speaker 1: But I would weigher four thousand pounds that such a
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  Speaker 1: journey made under these conditions is impossible, Quite possible. On
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  Speaker 1: the contrary, returned mister Fogg. Well make it then, the
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  Speaker 1: journey round the world in eighty days. Yes, I should
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  Speaker 1: like nothing better. When at once only I warned you
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  Speaker 1: that I shall do it at your expense. It's absurd,
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  Speaker 1: cried Stuart, who was beginning to be annoyed at the
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  Speaker 1: persistency of his friend. Come, let's go on with the game.
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  Speaker 1: Deal over again, then, said Phileas Fogg. There's a false deal.
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  Speaker 1: Stuart took up the pack with a feverish hand, then
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  Speaker 1: suddenly put them down again. Well, mister Fogg, said he
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  Speaker 1: it shall be so, I will wager the four thousand
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  Speaker 1: on it. Calm yourself, my dear Stuart, said Falentin. It's
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  Speaker 1: only a joke when I say I'll wager, returned Stuart.
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  Speaker 1: I mean it all right, said mister Fogg, and turning
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  Speaker 1: to the others, he continued, I have a deposit of
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  Speaker 1: twenty thousand at bearings, which I will willingly risk upon it.
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  Speaker 1: Twenty thousand pounds, cried Stuart, twenty thousand pounds which you
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  Speaker 1: would lose by a single accidental delay. The unforeseen does
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  Speaker 1: not exist, quietly replied Phileas Fogg. But mister Fogg, eighty
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  Speaker 1: days are only the estimate of the least possible time
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  Speaker 1: in which the journey can be made. Oh well, you
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  Speaker 1: this minimum suffices for everything, But in order not to
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  Speaker 1: exceed it, you must jump mathematically from the trains upon
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  Speaker 1: the steamers, and from the steamers upon the trains again.
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  Speaker 1: I will jump mathematically. You are joking. A true Englishman
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  Speaker 1: doesn't joke when he is talking about so serious a
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  Speaker 1: thing as a wager, replied Phileas Fogg solemnly. I will
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  Speaker 1: bet twenty thousand pounds against anyone who wishes that I
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  Speaker 1: will make the tour of the world in eighty days
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  Speaker 1: or less in nineteen hundred and twenty hours or one
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  Speaker 1: hundred and fifteen thousand, two hundred minutes. Do you accept?
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  Speaker 1: We accept, replied Messrs Stuart, Valentine, Sullivan, Flanagan and Ralph.
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  Speaker 1: After consoling each other, good, said mister Fogg. The train
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  Speaker 1: ane leaves for Dover at a quarter before nine. I
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  Speaker 1: will take it this very evening, asked Stuart. This very evening,
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  Speaker 1: returned Phileas Fogg. He took out and consulted a pocket almanac,
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  Speaker 1: and added, as today is Wednesday, the second of October,
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  Speaker 1: I shall be due in London in this very room
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  Speaker 1: of the Reform Club on Saturday, the twenty first of December,
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  Speaker 1: at a quarter before nine p m. Or else. The
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  Speaker 1: twenty thousand pounds now deposited in my name at barings
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  Speaker 1: will belong to you in fact and in right, gentlemen.
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  Speaker 1: Here is a check for the amount. A memorandum of
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  Speaker 1: the wager was at once drawn up and signed by
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  Speaker 1: the six parties, during which Phileas Fogg preserved a stoical composure.
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  Speaker 1: He certainly did not bet to win, and had only
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  Speaker 1: staked the twenty thousand pounds half of his fortune because
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  Speaker 1: he saw that he might have to expend the other
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  Speaker 1: half to carry out this difficult, not to say, unattainable project.
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  Speaker 1: As for his antagonists, they seemed much agitated, not so
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  Speaker 1: much by the value of their stake as because they
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  Speaker 1: had some scruples about betting under conditions so difficult to
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  Speaker 1: their friend. The clock struck seven, and the party offered
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  Speaker 1: to suspend the game so that mister Fogg might make
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  Speaker 1: his preparations for departure. I am quite ready now, was
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  Speaker 1: his tranquil response. Diamonds are trumps. Be so good as
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  Speaker 1: to play, gentlemen. End of chapter