“We have nothing to do but to go away,” whispered Sir Francis.
“Nothing but to go away,” echoed the guide.
Meanwhile Passepartout resolved an idea.
“What folly!” said he. “Why not, after all? It’s a chance, perhaps the only one!”
And he slipped to the lowest branches. The hours passed, and the lighter shades announced the approach of day. This was the moment. This was the hour of the sacrifice. The doors of the pagoda swung open [72] swung open – распахнулись
, and a bright light escaped from its interior. In the midst of it Mr. Fogg and Sir Francis saw the victim. Sir Francis’s heart throbbed. Just at this moment the crowd began to move. The young woman passed among the fakirs, who escorted her with their wild, religious cries.
Phileas Fogg and his companions followed; and in two minutes they reached the banks of the stream. Then they stopped fifty paces from the pyre, upon which still lay the rajah’s corpse. They saw the victim, quite senseless, stretched out beside her husband’s body. Then a torch was brought, and the wood, heavily soaked with oil, instantly took fire [73] took fire – загорелось
.
At this moment Sir Francis and the guide seized Phileas Fogg, who wanted to rush upon the pyre. But the whole scene suddenly changed. A cry of terror arose. The Indians prostrated themselves on the ground.
The old rajah was not dead, then, since he rose of a sudden, like a spectre, took up his wife in his arms, and descended from the pyre in the midst of the clouds of smoke. Fakirs and soldiers and priests lay there, with their faces on the ground. Such a prodigy!
Mr. Fogg and Sir Francis were astonished, the Parsee bowed his head. The resuscitated rajah approached Sir Francis and Mr. Fogg, and said,
“Let’s run!”
It was Passepartout himself, who slipped upon the pyre in the midst of the smoke and delivered the young woman from death! It was Passepartout who passed through the crowd amid the general terror.
A moment after all four of the party disappeared in the woods, and the elephant was bearing them away at a rapid pace.
Passepartout laughed gaily at his success. Sir Francis pressed the fellow’s hand, and his master said,
“Well done!”
Passepartout laughed; for a few moments he was the spouse of a charming woman, a venerable, embalmed rajah! As for the young Indian woman, she was unconscious and was reposing in one of the howdahs.
The elephant was advancing rapidly through the still darksome forest, and soon crossed a vast plain. They halted at seven o’clock. Sir Francis told Phileas Fogg that Aouda could inevitably fall again into the hands of her executioners. These fanatics were throughout the county. They will recover their victim at Madras, Bombay, or Calcutta. She must quit India for ever. Phileas Fogg was ready to reflect upon the matter.
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Phileas Fogg – Филеас Фогг
Reform Club – Реформ-клуб
Change – биржа
Court of Chancery – Канцлерский суд
he had made his fortune – он нажил своё состояние
never took his meals with – никогда не угощал
James Forster – Джеймс Фостер
eighty-four degrees Fahrenheit – 84° по Фаренгейту (=28,89 °C)
64 °F = 17,78 °C
bowed – поклонился
Jean Passepartout – Жан Паспарту
itinerant singer – бродячий певец
circus-rider – цирковой наездник
sergeant fireman – старший пожарный
Madame Tussaud’s – музей мадам Тюссо (музей восковых фигур в Лондоне)
true Parisian of Paris – простой парижанин
abandoned – покинул
found himself alone – оказался один
inspection – зд. осмотр
at the habitual table – за привычным столом
Andrew Stuart – Эндрю Стюарт
John Sullivan – Джон Салливан
Samuel Fallentin – Сэмюэл Фаллентин
Thomas Flanagan – Томас Флэнаган
Gauthier Ralph – Готье Ральф
to make off – стащить
The Daily Telegraph – «Дэйли Телеграф» (название газеты)
principal cashier’s – главный кассир
Liverpool, Glasgow, Havre, Suez, Brindisi, New York – Ливерпуль, Глазго, Гавр, Суэц, Бриндизи, Нью-Йорк
polished manner – прекрасные манеры
in favour of – в пользу
shrewd – хитрый
from London to Suez via Mont Cenis and Brindisi – из Лондона в Суэц через Монт-Сенис и Бриндизи
Bombay – Бомбей (город в Индии, современное название – Мумбай)
Calcutta – Калькутта (город в Индии, современное название – Колката)
Hong Kong – Гонконг
Yokohama – Йокогама
pillage the luggage-vans – разграбить вагоны
All included. – Всё учтено.
at Baring’s – в банке братьев Бэринг
Dover – Дувр
carpet-bag – саквояж
Charing Cross – Чаринг-Кросс
West End – Уэст-Энд (западная часть Лондона)
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