第73章

Well，gentlemen，resumed Andrew Stuart，if Phileas Fogg had come in the 7.23 train，he would have got here by this time.We can，therefore，regard the bet as won.

Wait；don't let us be too hasty，replied Samuel Fallentin.You know that Mr Fogg is very eccentric.His punctuality is well known；he never arrives too soon，or too late；and I should not be surprised if he appeared before us at the last minute.

Why，said Andrew Stuart nervously，if I should see him，I should not believe it was he.

The fact is，resumed Thomas Flanagan，Mr Fogg's project was absurdly foolish.Whatever his punctuality，he could not prevent the delays which were certain to occur；and a delay of only two or three days would be fatal to his tour.

Observe，too，added John Sullivan，that we have received no intelligence from him，though there are telegraphic lines all along his route.

He has lost，gentlemen，said Andrew Stuart，-he has a hundred times lost！You know，besides，that the'China'-the only steamer he could have taken from New York to get here in time-arrived yesterday.I have seen a list of the passengers and the name of Phileas Fogg is not among them.Even if we admit that fortune has favoured him，he can scarcely have reached America.I think he will be at least twenty days behindhand，and that Lord Albemarle will lose a cool five thousand.

It is clear，replied Gauthier Ralph；and we have nothing to do but to present Mr Fogg's cheque at Barings tomorrow.

At this moment，the hands of the club clock pointed to twenty minutes to nine.

Five minutes more，said Andrew Stuart.

The five gentlemen looked at each other.Their anxiety was becoming intense；but，not wishing to betray it，they readily assented to Mr Fallentin's proposal of a rubber.

I wouldn't give up my four thousand of the bet，said Andrew Stuart，as he took his seat，for three thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine.

The clock indicated eighteen minutes to nine.

The players took up their cards，but could not keep their eyes off the clock.Certainly，however secure they felt，minutes had never seemed so long to them！

Seventeen minutes to nine，said Thomas Flanagan，as he cut the cards which Ralph handed to him.

Then there was a moment of silence.The great saloon was perfectly quiet；but the murmurs of the crowd outside were heard，with now and then a shrill cry.The pendulum beat the seconds，which each player eagerly counted，as he listened with mathematical regularity.

Sixteen minutes to nine！said John Sullivan，in a voice which betrayed his emotion.

One minute more，and the wager would be won.Andrew Stuart and his partners suspended their game.They left their cards，and counted the seconds.

At the fortieth second，nothing.At the fiftieth，still nothing.

At the fifty-fifth，a loud cry was heard in the street，followed by applause，hurrahs，and some fierce growls.

The players rose from their seats.

At the fifty-seventh second the door of the saloon opened；and the pendulum had not beat the sixtieth second when Phileas Fogg appeared，followed by an excited crowd who had forced their way through the club doors，and in his calm voice，said，Here I am，gentlemen！