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

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  Speaker 1: Chapter fourteen, in which Phileas Fogg descends the whole length
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  Speaker 1: of the beautiful valley of the Ganges without ever thinking
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  Speaker 1: of seeing it. The rash exploit had been accomplished, and
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  Speaker 1: for an hour Passpartout laughed gaily at his success. Sir
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  Speaker 1: Francis pressed the worthy fellow's hand, and his master said,
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  Speaker 1: well done, which from him was high commendation, to which
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  Speaker 1: Passepartout replied that all the credit of the affair belonged
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  Speaker 1: to mister Fogg, as for him he had only been
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  Speaker 1: struck with a queer idea, and he laughed to think
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  Speaker 1: that for a few moments he Passepartout the ex chimnast
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  Speaker 1: ex Sergeant Fireman had been the spouse of a charming
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  Speaker 1: woman of Venerable embalmd Raja. As for the young Indian woman,
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  Speaker 1: she had been unconscious throughout what was passing, and now
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  Speaker 1: wrapped up in a traveling blanket, was reposing in one
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  Speaker 1: of the howda. The elephant, thanks to the skillful guidance
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  Speaker 1: of the Parsi, was advancing rapidly through the still darksome forest,
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  Speaker 1: and an hour after leaving the pagoda had crossed a
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  Speaker 1: vast plain. They made a halt at seven o'clock. The
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  Speaker 1: young woman being still in a state of complete prostration.
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  Speaker 1: The guide made her drink a little brandy in water,
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  Speaker 1: but the drowsiness which stupefied her could not yet be
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  Speaker 1: shaken off. Sir Francis, who was familiar with the effects
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  Speaker 1: of the intoxication produced by the fumes of hemp, reassured
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  Speaker 1: his companions on her account, but he was more disturbed
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  Speaker 1: at the prospect of her future fate. He told Phileas
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  Speaker 1: Fogg that should Aouda remain in India, she would inevitably
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  Speaker 1: fall again into the hands of her executioners. These fanatics
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  Speaker 1: were scattered throughout the country and would despite the English
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  Speaker 1: police recover their victim at Madras, Bombay or Calcutta. She
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  Speaker 1: would only be safe by quitting India forever. Phileas Fogg
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  Speaker 1: replied that he would reflect upon the matter. The station
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  Speaker 1: at Allahabad was reached about ten o'clock, and the interrupted
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  Speaker 1: line of railway being resumed would enable them to reach
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  Speaker 1: Calcutta in less than twenty four hours. Phileas Fogg would
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  Speaker 1: thus be able to arrive in time to take the
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  Speaker 1: steamer which left Calcutta the next day, October twenty fifth
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  Speaker 1: at noon for Hong Kong. The young woman was placed
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  Speaker 1: in one of the waiting rooms of the station, whilst
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  Speaker 1: pass Partout was charged with purchasing for her various articles
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  Speaker 1: of toilet, a dress, shawl, and some furs, for which
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  Speaker 1: his master gave him unlimited credit. Pass Partout started off
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  Speaker 1: forthwith and found himself in the streets of Allahabad, that is,
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  Speaker 1: the city of God, one of the most venerated in India,
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  Speaker 1: being built at the junction of the two sacred rivers
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  Speaker 1: Ganges and Jumna, the waters of which attract pilgrims from
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  Speaker 1: every part of the peninsula the Ganges, according to the
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  Speaker 1: legends of the Ramayana, whence, owing to Brahma's agency, it
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  Speaker 1: descends to the earth. Passepartout made it a point as
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  Speaker 1: he made his purchases to take a good look at
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  Speaker 1: the city. It was formerly defended by a noble fort,
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  Speaker 1: which has since become a state prison. Its commerce has
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  Speaker 1: dwindled away, and Passepartout in vain, looked about him for
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  Speaker 1: such a bazaar as he used to frequent in Regent Street.
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  Speaker 1: At last he came upon an elderly, crusty jew who
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  Speaker 1: sold second hand articles and from whom he purchased a
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  Speaker 1: dress of scotch stuff, a large mantle, and a fine
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  Speaker 1: otterskin pelisse, for which he did not hesitate to pay
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  Speaker 1: seventy five pounds. He then returned triumphantly to the station.
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  Speaker 1: The influence to which the priests of Pelagi had subjected
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  Speaker 1: Aouda began gradually to yield, and she became more herself,
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  Speaker 1: so that her fine eyes resumed all their soft Indian expression.
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  Speaker 1: When the poet King ukaf Uddaal celebrates the charms of
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  Speaker 1: the Queen of Amanagara, he speaks thus her shining tresses,
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  Speaker 1: divided in two parts, encircled the harmonious contour of her
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  Speaker 1: white and delicate cheeks, brilliant in their glow and freshness.
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  Speaker 1: Her ebony brows have the form and charm of the
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  Speaker 1: bow of Karna, the god of Love, and beneath her
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  Speaker 1: long silken lashes, the purest reflections and a celestial light
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  Speaker 1: swim as in the sacred lakes of Himalaya, in the
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  Speaker 1: black pupils of her great clear eyes, Her teeth fine equal,
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  Speaker 1: and white glitter between her smiling lips like dewdrops in
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  Speaker 1: a passion flower's half enveloped breast, her delicately formed ears,
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  Speaker 1: her vermilion hands, her little feet eat curved in slender
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  Speaker 1: as the lotus bud, glittered with the brilliancy of the
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  Speaker 1: loveliest pearls of Ceylon, the most dazzling diamonds of Golconda.
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  Speaker 1: Her narrow and supple waist, which a hand may clasp around,
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  Speaker 1: sets forth the outline of her rounded figure, and the
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  Speaker 1: beauty of her bosom, where youth in its flower displays
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  Speaker 1: the wealth of its treasures, and beneath the silken folds
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  Speaker 1: of her tunic, she seems to have been modeled in
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  Speaker 1: pure silver by the godlike hand of Vicvar Karma, the
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  Speaker 1: immortal sculptor. It is enough to say, without applying this
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  Speaker 1: poetical rhapsoy to Aouda, that she was a charming woman
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  Speaker 1: in all the European acceptation of the phrase. She spoke
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  Speaker 1: English with great purity, and the guide had not exaggerated
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  Speaker 1: in saying that the young Parsi had been transformed by
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  Speaker 1: her bringing up. The train was about to start from Allahabad,
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  Speaker 1: and mister Fogg proceeded to pay the guide the price
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  Speaker 1: agreed upon for his service, and not a farthing more,
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  Speaker 1: which astonished Passepartout, who remembered all that his master owed
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  Speaker 1: to the guide's devotion. He had indeed risked his life
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  Speaker 1: in the adventure at Pelagi, and if he should be
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  Speaker 1: caught afterwards by the Indians, he would with difficulty escape
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  Speaker 1: their vengeance. Chilluni also must be disposed of what should
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  Speaker 1: be done with the elephant which had been so dearly purchased.
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  Speaker 1: Phileas Fogg had already determined this question, Parsi said he
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  Speaker 1: to the guide, you have been serviceable and devoted. I
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  Speaker 1: have paid for your service, but not for your devotion.
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  Speaker 1: Would you like to have this elephant? He is yours?
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  Speaker 1: The guide's eyes glistened. Your honor is giving me a fortune,
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  Speaker 1: cried he. Take him. Guide returned mister Fogg, and I
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  Speaker 1: shall still be your debtor. Good, exclaimed Passepartout. Take him, friend,
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  Speaker 1: Chiuni is brave and faith beast. And going up to
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  Speaker 1: the elephant, he gave him several lumps of sugar, saying here, CuNi,
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  Speaker 1: here here. The elephant grunted out his satisfaction, and clasping
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  Speaker 1: Passepartout around the waist with his trunk, lifted him as
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  Speaker 1: high as his head. Passepartout, not in the least alarmed,
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  Speaker 1: caressed the animal, which replaced him gently on the ground.
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  Speaker 1: Soon after, Phileas Fogg, Sir Francis Cromarty and Passepartout, installed
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  Speaker 1: in a carriage with Aouda, who had the best seat,
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  Speaker 1: were whirling at full speed towards Benares. It was a
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  Speaker 1: run of eighty miles and was accomplished in two hours.
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  Speaker 1: During the journey, the young woman fully recovered her senses.
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  Speaker 1: What was her astonishment to find herself in this carriage
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  Speaker 1: on the railway, dressed in European abiliments and with travelers
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  Speaker 1: who were quite strangers to her. Her companions first set
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  Speaker 1: about fully reviving her with a little liquor, and then
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  Speaker 1: Sir Francis narrated to her what had passed, dwelling upon
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  Speaker 1: the courage with which Phileas Fogg had not hesitated to
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  Speaker 1: risk his life to save her, and the recounting the
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  Speaker 1: happy sequel of the venture, the result of Passepartout's rash idea.
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  Speaker 1: Mister Fogg said nothing, while Passepartout abashed kept repeating that
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  Speaker 1: it wasn't worth telling. Aouda pathetically thanked her deliverers rather
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  Speaker 1: with tears than words. Her fine eyes interpreted her gratitude
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  Speaker 1: better than her lips. Then, as her thoughts strayed back
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  Speaker 1: to the scene of the sacrifice and recalled the dangers
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  Speaker 1: which still menaced her, she shuddered with terror. Phileas Fogg
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  Speaker 1: understood what was passing in Aouda's mind and offered, in
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  Speaker 1: order to reassure her, to escort her to Hong Kong,
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  Speaker 1: where she might remain safely until the affair was hushed up,
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  Speaker 1: an offer which she eagerly and gratefully accepted. She had,
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  Speaker 1: it seems, a Parsi relation, who was one of the
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  Speaker 1: principal merchants of Hong Kong, which is wholly an English city,
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  Speaker 1: though on an island on the Chinese coast. At half
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  Speaker 1: past twelve, the train stopped at Banars. The Brahmin legends
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  Speaker 1: assert that this city is built on the side of
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  Speaker 1: the ancient Khasi, which, like Mahomet's tomb, was once suspended
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  Speaker 1: between heaven and earth. Though the Banars of today, which
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  Speaker 1: the Orientalists call the Athens of India, stands quite unpoetically
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  Speaker 1: on the solid earth. Passepartout caught glimpses of its brick
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  Speaker 1: houses and clay huts, giving an aspect of desolation to
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  Speaker 1: the place as the train entered it. Banarus was Sir
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  Speaker 1: Francis Cromarty's destination. The troops he was rejoining being encamped
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  Speaker 1: some miles northward of the city. He bade adieu to
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  Speaker 1: Vileas Fogg, wishing him all success and expressing the hope
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  Speaker 1: that he would come that way again. In a less original,
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  Speaker 1: but more profitable fashion. Mister Fogg lightly pressed him by
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  Speaker 1: the hand. The parting of Aouda, who did not forget
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  Speaker 1: what she owed to Sir Francis betrayed more warmth, and
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  Speaker 1: as for passepartout, he received a hearty shake of the
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  Speaker 1: hand from the gallant general. The railway, on leaving Benares,
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  Speaker 1: passed for a while along the valley of the Ganges.
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  Speaker 1: Through the windows of their carriage, the travelers had glimpses
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  Speaker 1: of the diversified landscape of Bihar, with its mountains clothed
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  Speaker 1: in verdure, its fields of barley, wheat and corn, its
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  Speaker 1: jungles peopled with green alligators, its neat villages, and its
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  Speaker 1: still thickly leaved forests. Elephants were bathing in the waters
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  Speaker 1: of the Sacred River, and groups of Indians. Despite the
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  Speaker 1: advanced season and chilly air were performing solemnly their pious ablutions.
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  Speaker 1: These were fervent Brahmins, the bitterest foes of Buddhism, their
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  Speaker 1: deity being Vishnu, the solar god Shiva, the divine impersonation
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  Speaker 1: of natural forces am Brahma, the supreme ruler of priests
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  Speaker 1: and legislators. What would these divinities think of India, anglicized
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  Speaker 1: as it is to day, With steamers whistling and scudding
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  Speaker 1: along the Ganges, frightening the gulls which float upon its surface,
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  Speaker 1: the turtles swarming along its banks, and the faithful dwelling
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  Speaker 1: upon its borders. The panorama passed before their eyes like
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  Speaker 1: a flash, save when the steam concealed it fitfully from
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  Speaker 1: the view, the travelers could scarcely discern the fort of Chupenie,
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  Speaker 1: twenty miles southwestward from Benaris, the ancient stronghold of the
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  Speaker 1: Rajas of Behar or Ghazipur and its famous rose water factories,
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  Speaker 1: or the tomb of Lord cornwallis rising on the left
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  Speaker 1: bank of the Ganges. The fortified town of Buksar or Patna,
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  Speaker 1: a large manufacturing and trading place where is held the
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  Speaker 1: principal opium market of India or Munghir, a more than
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  Speaker 1: European town, for it is as English as Manchester or Birmingham,
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  Speaker 1: with its iron factories, edged tool factories, and high chimneys
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  Speaker 1: puffing clouds of black smoke. Heavenward night came on. The
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  Speaker 1: train passed on at full speed, in the midst of
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  Speaker 1: the roaring of the tigers, bears and wolves which fled
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  Speaker 1: before the locomotive, and the marvels of Bengal Golconda ruined Gower, Mrschetabad,
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  Speaker 1: the ancient capital Burdwan Hugli, and the French town of Chandranagore,
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  Speaker 1: where Passepartout would have been proud to see his country's
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  Speaker 1: flag flying, were hidden from their view in the darkness.
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  Speaker 1: Calcutta was reached at seven in the morning, and the
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  Speaker 1: packet left for Hong Kong at noon, so that Phileas
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  Speaker 1: Fogg had five hours before him. According to his journal,
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  Speaker 1: he was due at Calcutta on the twenty fifth of October,
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  Speaker 1: and that was the exact date of his actual arrival.
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  Speaker 1: He was therefore neither behindhand nor ahead of time. The
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  Speaker 1: two days game between London and Bombay had been lost,
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  Speaker 1: as has been seen in the journey across India. But
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  Speaker 1: it is not to be supposed that Phileas Fogg regretted
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  Speaker 1: them end of chapter