“My dear Stuart,” said Fallentin, “compose yourself. It’s not serious.”
“When I say – ‘I bet’,” replied Andrew Stuart, “It is always serious.”
“So be it,” said Mr. Fogg, and then, turning to his companions, continued: “I have twenty thousand pounds deposited at Baring Brothers. I will willingly risk them.”
“Twenty thousand pounds!”cried John Sullivan.
“Twenty thousand pounds, which an unforeseen delay may make you lose.”
“The unforeseen does not exist,” replied Phileas Fogg quietly.
“But, Mr. Fogg, this period of eighty days is calculated only as a minimum of time.”
“A minimum well employed suffices for everything.”
“But in order not to exceed it, you must jump mathematically from the trains into the steamers, and then from the steamers upon the trains!”
“I will jump mathematically. I bet twenty thousand pounds against who will, but I will make the tour of the world in eighty days or less – that is, nineteen hundred and twenty hours, or one hundred and fifteen thousand two hundred minutes. Do you accept?”
“We accept,” replied Messrs. Stuart, Fallentin, Sullivan, Flaniagan, and Ralph, after having consulted.
“Very well,” said Mr. Fogg, “The Dover train starts at eighty forty-five. I shall take it.”
“This very evening?” asked Stuart.
“This very evening,” relied Phileas Fogg. Then he added, consulting a pocket almanac, “since today is Wednesday, the scond of October, I ought to be back in London, in this very saloon of the Reform Club, on Saturday, the twenty-first of December, at eight forty-five in the evening.” In default of which the twenty thousand pounds at present deposited to my credit with Baring Brothers will belong to you, gentlemen, in fact and by right. Here is a cheque of like amount.”