第三十二章 斐利亚·福克直接和厄运作斗争
“中国号”邮船开走了，似乎把斐利亚·福克最后的希望也带走了。当时在纽约的所有来往大西洋的定期邮船，没有一艘能帮他实现计划。法国横渡大西洋公司的“佩雷尔号”轮船——它的轮船很漂亮，航行速度跟任何轮船比较都不逊色——要在十四日才开往勒阿弗尔，而这条船不直接去利物浦或伦敦。汉堡航线的船虽然去利物浦或伦敦，但须先去勒阿弗尔，那样就多走一段路，对于斐利亚·福克最后的努力大不利。英曼公司的船第二天才开，并且也不能在二十一日以前赶到利物浦……
福克先生根据《布拉德肖旅行指南》的记载，知道了以上这些情况。
至于路路通，他几乎给气疯了。耽误了四十五分钟，这可把他给毁了。这完全是他自己的错——事实上，他不应该帮助他的主人，而应该为主人扫除前进道路上的一切障碍！他想起在旅行过程中，自己做了许多蠢事，实际上都是为了他自己，他在计算中老是把这些损耗算在自己身上，他想他的打赌定会使福克先生破产，还要加上这笔巨额的旅费，这一笔无补于实际的开销，足以使福克先生倾家荡产。想到这里，他就拚命地责备起自己来了。但是，福克先生并没有责怪他；在离开库纳尔码头的时候，他只说了这么一句话：
“我们研究一下明天该怎么解决。请过来吧。”
福克先生、艾娥达夫人和路路通渡过赫德森河，坐上一辆马车，到百老汇大街的圣尼古拉旅馆开了几个房间。这一夜就这样过去了。对斐利亚·福克来说，这一夜是很短暂的，他睡得很熟。但是艾娥达夫人和路路通却一夜都没睡着，他们在着急。
第二天是十二月十二日。从十二日早上七点钟到二十一日晚上八点四十五分，只剩下九天十三小时四十五分钟。如果福克先生昨天晚上搭上“中国号”——
这艘大西洋上最快的轮船之一，他就能按时到达利物浦，然后到达伦敦。可是，他偏偏下了船。现在……
福克先生独自出了旅馆。他指示路路通留在旅馆里等待他回来，并且让艾娥达夫人随时准备待命出发。他来到赫德森河畔，仔细在停泊于码头和河心的许多船只中寻找那些即将离港的船只。有好几条船都挂起了开航的信号旗，正准备在早潮时出海，在这个庞大的、异常繁华的港口，每天总有好几百只船准备开往世界各地。但其中大部分都是帆船，对于现在的福克先生来说，他不能利用它们。
看来福克先生的最后打算就要落空了。就在这时，他发现前面不远的地方，在炮台码头外面，有一只带螺旋推进器的铁壳船，船身很细长，烟囱里正冒着浓烟，看样子马上就要出海了。
福克先生叫来一条小船，坐上去，划了不大一会儿，就到了那只船的舱门前。这只船的甲板上部是木制的，船身是铁壳的。福克先生登上甲板，问船长在哪儿。船长这时走了过来。这人看上去五十来岁，是个海上讨生活的人，两只眼睛怪有劲的，古铜色的皮肤，红头发，粗脖子，一看就知道是个饱经风浪的人。
“船长在哪儿？”福克先生问。
“我就是。”
“我是斐利亚·福克，英国人，伦敦人。”
“我是安德鲁·斯皮蒂，卡迪夫人。”
“您就要出海吗？”
“一小时后就走。”
“您这船开往……？”
“波尔多。”
“您船上装的是什么货？”
“底舱没有装任何货，只有压舱物。”
“您船上有旅客吗？”
“没有。我从来不搭客。那简直是累赘。”
“您的船跑得快吗？”
“每小时十一至十二海里。“亨利埃塔号”就是这样。”
“您愿意送我们三个人到利物浦吗？”
“去利物浦？您怎么不说到中国去呢？”
“我只说到利物浦。”
“不行。”
“不行？”
“不行。我是去波尔多，我只到波尔多。”
“多少钱都不干吗？”
“多少钱都不行。”
船长的口气是不容有任何商量余地的。
“可是，“亨利埃塔号”的主人……”福克先生说。
“我就是这条船的主人，”船长回答，“这船就是我的。”
“我租您的船。”
“不租。”
“我把您的船买下来。”
“不卖。”
斐利亚·福克连眼睛也没眨一下，但是，眼前的局势很严重，这跟香港的情况不一样，也跟“仰光号”船上那位船长的情形不同。这儿，金钱没能解决一切困难。然而，必须想法子渡过海洋。如果乘气球，那是很冒险的，而且也不可能办得到。
但他好像还是想出了办法，因为他这样问船长：
“您能把我们都载到波尔多吗？”
“不行，您给我两百块钱也不行。”
“我给您两千元（一万法郎）。”
“一个人给两千元？”
“一个人给两千元。”
“你们一共是四个人吗？”
“四个人。”
斯皮蒂船长开始搔起脑袋来。不改变航线就可以净赚八干元，这很值得他放弃对旅客那种厌恶的情绪。再说，两千元一个的旅客，已经不是旅客了，而是一笔上等的好货。
“我九点钟开船，”斯皮蒂船长简单地说，“您和另外几位……来得及吗？”
“九点钟我们一定上船。”福克先生也同样简单地说。
现在是八点半钟。福克先生离开了“亨利埃塔号”，上了岸，叫了一辆马车，赶到圣尼古拉旅馆，把艾娥达夫人和路路通接来。路上顺手牵羊还把那位寸步不离的费克斯也带上了。福克先生用一种不慌不忙的、冷冰冰的态度处理着这一切。当他们一行人中终于登上“亨利埃塔号”的时候，水手们正准备起锚。
路路通听说这最后的旅程要花多少钱，不禁“唔”了一声，这一声“唔”拖遍了所有元音。
至于费克斯，他暗自想着：英国国家银行还不至于因为这一桩案子就全部破产了吧。同时，到了英国之后，就算福克先生往海里扔几把钞票不算，光是他花掉的，至少也已超过七千英镑了（合十七万五千法郎）。
IN WHICH PHILEAS FOGG ENGAGES IN A DIRECT STRUGGLE WITH BAD FORTUNE
The “China,” in leaving, seemed to have carried off Phileas Fogg’s last
hope. None of the other steamers were able to serve his projects. The
“Pereire,” of the French Transatlantic Company, whose admirable
steamers are equal to any in speed and comfort, did not leave until the
14th; the Hamburg boats did not go directly to Liverpool or London, but
to Havre; and the additional trip from Havre to Southampton would
render Phileas Fogg’s last efforts of no avail. The Inman steamer did
not depart till the next day, and could not cross the Atlantic in time
to save the wager.
Mr. Fogg learned all this in consulting his “Bradshaw,” which gave him
the daily movements of the transatlantic steamers.
Passepartout was crushed; it overwhelmed him to lose the boat by
three-quarters of an hour. It was his fault, for, instead of helping
his master, he had not ceased putting obstacles in his path! And when
he recalled all the incidents of the tour, when he counted up the sums
expended in pure loss and on his own account, when he thought that the
immense stake, added to the heavy charges of this useless journey,
would completely ruin Mr. Fogg, he overwhelmed himself with bitter
self-accusations. Mr. Fogg, however, did not reproach him; and, on
leaving the Cunard pier, only said: “We will consult about what is best
to-morrow. Come.”
The party crossed the Hudson in the Jersey City ferryboat, and drove in
a carriage to the St. Nicholas Hotel, on Broadway. Rooms were engaged,
and the night passed, briefly to Phileas Fogg, who slept profoundly,
but very long to Aouda and the others, whose agitation did not permit
them to rest.
The next day was the 12th of December. From seven in the morning of the
12th to a quarter before nine in the evening of the 21st there were
nine days, thirteen hours, and forty-five minutes. If Phileas Fogg had
left in the “China,” one of the fastest steamers on the Atlantic, he
would have reached Liverpool, and then London, within the period agreed
upon.
Mr. Fogg left the hotel alone, after giving Passepartout instructions
to await his return, and inform Aouda to be ready at an instant’s
notice. He proceeded to the banks of the Hudson, and looked about among
the vessels moored or anchored in the river, for any that were about to
depart. Several had departure signals, and were preparing to put to sea
at morning tide; for in this immense and admirable port there is not
one day in a hundred that vessels do not set out for every quarter of
the globe. But they were mostly sailing vessels, of which, of course,
Phileas Fogg could make no use.
He seemed about to give up all hope, when he espied, anchored at the
Battery, a cable’s length off at most, a trading vessel, with a screw,
well-shaped, whose funnel, puffing a cloud of smoke, indicated that she
was getting ready for departure.
Phileas Fogg hailed a boat, got into it, and soon found himself on
board the “Henrietta,” iron-hulled, wood-built above. He ascended to
the deck, and asked for the captain, who forthwith presented himself.
He was a man of fifty, a sort of sea-wolf, with big eyes, a complexion
of oxidised copper, red hair and thick neck, and a growling voice.
