he 6th of November.

The weather, which had hitherto been very fine, changed with the last
quarter of the moon. There was a high wind, fortunately favourable,
and a very heavy sea.

The captain set the sails at every opportunity, and the _Rangoon_,
under these circumstances, made rapid progress. But in very rough
weather extra precautions were necessary, and steam had to be reduced.
This delay did not appear to affect Phileas Fogg in the least, but it
worried Passe-partout tremendously. He swore at the captain, the
engineers, and the company, and consigned all concerned to a warmer
climate than Hong Kong. Perhaps the thought of the gas that was still
burning in his room in London may have had something to do with his
impatience.

"You seem in a great hurry to reach Hong Kong," said Fix to him one
day.

"I am," replied Passe-partout. "You think Mr. Fogg is anxious to catch
the steamer for Yokohama?"

"Very anxious indeed."

"You believe in this journey round the world, then?"

"Most decidedly; don't you?"

"Not a bit of it."

"You are a sly one," replied Passe-partout with a wink.

This remark rather disturbed Fix, without his knowing why. Could the
Frenchman have discovered who he was? He did not know what to do. But
how could Passe-partout have found out his real object? And yet in
speaking as he did, Passe-partout must certainly have had some
ulterior motive.

On a subsequent occasion the valet went still further, and said, half
maliciously:

"Well, Mr. Fix, shall we be so unfortunate as to lose the pleasure of
your society at Hong Kong?"

"Well," replied Fix, somewhat embarrassed, "I am not quite sure. You
see--"

"Ah," said Passe-partout, "if you would only come with us I should be
so delighted. An agent of the company cannot stop halfway, you know.
You were only going to Bombay, and here you are almost in China.
America is not far off, and from America to Europe is but a step."

Fix looked very hard at his companion, whose face was perfectly
innocent, and laughed too. But Passe-partout was in the humour for
quizzing, and asked him if he made much by his present business.

"Yes and no," replied Fix, without flinching. "We have our good and
bad times, but of course I do not travel at my own expense."

"Of that I am quite sure," said Passe-partout, laughing.

Fix then returned to his cabin, where he remained deep in thought.
Somehow or another the Frenchman had found him out, but had he told