目 录 上一节 下一节 
密探用手摸着自己的前额。在他接着谈下去之前,他感到非常犹豫。他该怎么办呢?路路通的误会看起来绝不是装的,不过这就使费克斯的计划更难完成了。这个小伙子讲的完完全全是老实话,这是很明显的。他也绝对不会是福克的同谋,这一点本来是费克斯最担心的。这时,费克斯心里说:“既然他不是福克的同谋,他就一定会帮助我。” He had no time to lose: Fogg must be detained at Hong Kong, so he resolved to make a clean breast of it. 密探又重新拿定了主意。何况时间也不容许他再拖延下去了。无论如何必须在香港把福克逮起来。于是他就直截了当地对路路通说: "Listen to me," said Fix abruptly. "I am not, as you think, an agent of the members of the Reform Club--" “你听我说,你注意听着。我不是你所猜想的那种人。我不是改良俱乐部那些会员派来的暗探……” "Bah!" retorted Passepartout, with an air of raillery. “噢!”路路通滑稽地看着费克斯说。 "I am a police detective, sent out here by the London office." “我是警察厅的侦探,接受了伦敦警察当局的任务……” 
“您……警察厅的侦探……” "I will prove it. Here is my commission." “对了,我给你看证件,”费克斯说,“喏,这是我的出差证明书。” Passepartout was speechless with astonishment when Fix displayed this document, the genuineness of which could not be doubted. 侦探从他的皮夹里拿出一张证件给路路通看,那是伦敦警察总局局长签署的公差证明书。路路通给吓傻了。两眼直瞪着费克斯,一句话也说不上来了。这时费克斯就接着说: "Mr. Fogg's wager," resumed Fix, "is only a pretext, of which you and the gentlemen of the Reform are dupes. He had a motive for securing your innocent complicity." “福克先生说打赌,这不过是个借口。你和那些改良俱乐部的会员都是被他这个花招儿给骗了。因为他需要你这个不自觉的同谋者为他服务。” "But why?" “那是为什么?……”路路通嚷着说。 
“你听我说,上一个月,9月28号那一天,英国国家银行被人偷走了五万五千英镑,这个人的外貌已经被查出来了。喏,这就是有关他的外貌的记录,这简直跟福克先生一模一样。” "What nonsense!" cried Passepartout, striking the table with his fist. "My master is the most honourable of men!" “去你的吧!”路路通用他的大拳头捶着桌子说,“我的主人是世界上最正派的人!” "How can you tell? You know scarcely anything about him. You went into his service the day he came away; and he came away on a foolish pretext, without trunks, and carrying a large amount in banknotes. And yet you are bold enough to assert that he is an honest man!" “你怎么会知道他是正派人?”费克斯说,“你甚至连认识也不认识他!你在他动身那一天才到他家工作。他找了个毫无意义的借口急急忙忙地离开了伦敦,连行李也不带,只带了一大口袋钞票!你敢担保他是正派人?” "Yes, yes," repeated the poor fellow, mechanically. “我敢担保!我就是敢担保!”可怜的路路通机械地重复着说。 "Would you like to be arrested as his accomplice?" “那么你是愿意作为他的从犯一起被捕了!” 
路路通两手抱着脑袋,他的脸色全变了。他不敢抬头看费克斯。福克先生,艾娥达夫人的救命恩人,这么一个仁慈而又勇敢的人,他会是贼?可是费克斯提出来的那些怀疑又那样活龙活现!路路通是绝不肯相信自己的主人会做这种事的。 "Well, what do you want of me?" said he, at last, with an effort. “干脆说吧,你想要我怎么样?”他鼓起最大勇气向费克斯说。 "See here," replied Fix; "I have tracked Mr. Fogg to this place, but as yet I have failed to receive the warrant of arrest for which I sent to London. You must help me to keep him here in Hong Kong--" “喏,”费克斯说,“我盯着福克先生一直盯到今天,但是我还没有接到我向伦敦要的那张拘票,所以我需要你帮助我拖住他留在香港……” "I! But I--" “你叫我……” "I will share with you the two thousand pounds reward offered by the Bank of England." “我跟你平分英国国家银行许下的两千英镑奖金。” 
“我不干!”路路通说着,就打算站起来,可是他感觉到精神恍惚,又没有力气,于是又坐了下来。 "Mr. Fix," he stammered, "even should what you say be true-- if my master is really the robber you are seeking for--which I deny-- I have been, am, in his service; I have seen his generosity and goodness; and I will never betray him--not for all the gold in the world. I come from a village where they don't eat that kind of bread!" “费克斯先生,”他结结巴巴他说,“即使你刚才对我说的那些话都是真的……即使我的主人真的是你要抓的那个贼,……我也不承认……我是他的仆人……我看他是个好人,是个仁人君子。要我出卖他,绝对办不到。就是把全世界的金子都给我,我也不能那么干……” "You refuse?" “你拒绝吗?” "I refuse." “我不干!” "Consider that I've said nothing," said Fix; "and let us drink." “好吧,那就算我什么也没说,”费克斯说,“来,咱们喝酒。” 
“好,咱们喝酒!” Passepartout felt himself yielding more and more to the effects of the liquor. Fix, seeing that he must, at all hazards, be separated from his master, wished to entirely overcome him. Some pipes full of opium lay upon the table. Fix slipped one into Passepartout's hand. He took it, put it between his lips, lit it, drew several puffs, and his head, becoming heavy under the influence of the narcotic, fell upon the table. 路路通觉得越来越醉了。费克斯认为现在必须不惜任何代价把路路通和他的主人隔离开。他决定一不做,二不休。正好桌上放着几支装好了鸦片的烟枪。费克斯拿了一支放到路路通手里,路路通迷迷糊糊地接过来放到嘴上就吸了几口。他的头因为麻醉而感到沉重,结果晕倒了。 "At last!" said Fix, seeing Passepartout unconscious. "Mr. Fogg will not be informed of the Carnatic's departure; and, if he is, he will have to go without this cursed Frenchman!" And, after paying his bill, Fix left the tavern. “好了,”费克斯说,“再没有人去通知福克先生卡尔纳蒂克号提早开船的消息了。即使他能走的话,至少这个死不了的法国人是不会再跟着他走了!”费克斯付了账就扬长而去。 While these events were passing at the opium-house, Mr. Fogg, unconscious of the danger he was in of losing the steamer, was quietly escorting Aouda about the streets of the English quarter, making the necessary purchases for the long voyage before them. It was all very well for an Englishman like Mr. Fogg to make the tour of the world with a carpet-bag; a lady could not be expected to travel comfortably under such conditions. He acquitted his task with characteristic serenity, and invariably replied to the remonstrances of his fair companion, who was confused by his patience and generosity: 当费克斯在酒店里和路路通进行谈判要断送福克的前途的时候,斐利亚·福克正陪着艾娥达夫人在英国侨民住宅区的大街上散步。自从艾娥达夫人接受了福克先生带她到欧洲去的建议,他就不能不考虑到在这样长的一段旅途中需要准备的一切东西。象他这样一个英国人,拿起个旅行袋就去环游世界,当然无所谓,但是,对一位妇女来说,这样就行不通了。因此,就必须购买一些旅途中所需要的衣物。虽然艾娥达夫人那么恳切地一再表示反对和推辞,但福克先生还是我行我素,不声不响地完成了他的任务。他回答艾娥达夫人总是这两句老话: "It is in the interest of my journey--a part of my programme." “这是我自己路上用的,这是我计划好要买的。” 
东西都买齐了。福克先生和艾娥达夫人就回到俱乐部大饭店,去享受他们预定好的那一顿非常丰盛的晚餐,饭后,艾娥达夫人有点疲倦了,她照英国习惯轻轻握了握这位沉静的救命恩人的手,就回自己的房间去了。这位尊贵的绅士,整整一个晚上都在专心地阅读《泰晤士报》和《伦敦新闻画报》。 Had he been capable of being astonished at anything, it would have been not to see his servant return at bedtime. But, knowing that the steamer was not to leave for Yokohama until the next morning, he did not disturb himself about the matter. When Passepartout did not appear the next morning to answer his master's bell, Mr. Fogg, not betraying the least vexation, contented himself with taking his carpet-bag, calling Aouda, and sending for a palanquin. 假如福克先生是一位多疑古怪的人,那么,到了睡觉时候,还不见自己的仆人,他就会感到意外了。但是福克先生知道开往横滨的船在明天早晨以前不会离开香港,所以他对此事也就不太注意。第二天早上,福克先生打铃叫人,路路通还是不在。当这位高贵的绅士知道他的仆人根本就没有回旅馆的时候,他是怎样想的,谁也不知道。福克先生只好自己提了旅行袋,一面叫人通知艾娥达夫人,一面叫人去雇轿子。
|