floating garden-borders.
Passe-partout remarked several of the natives, elderly men, clothed in
nankeen; and when he went to a barber's to be shaved, he inquired of
the man, who spoke pretty good English, who they were, and was
informed that these men were all eighty years of age, and were
therefore permitted to wear the imperial colour, namely yellow.
Passe-partout, without exactly knowing why, thought this very funny.

After being shaved, he went to the quay from which the _Carnatic_ was
to start, and there he found Fix walking up and down, in a very
disturbed manner.

"Ho, ho!" thought Passe-partout, "this does not look well for the
Reform Club;" and with a merry smile he accosted the detective without
appearing to have noticed his vexation. Fix had indeed good reasons
for feeling annoyed. The warrant had not arrived. No doubt it was on
its way, but it was quite impossible it could reach Hong Kong for
several days, and as this was the last British territory at which Mr.
Fogg would touch, he would escape if he could not be detained somehow.

"Well, Mr. Fix," said Passe-partout, "have you decided to come to
America with us?"

"Yes," replied Fix, between his clenched teeth.

"Come along, then," said Passe-partout, laughing loudly; "I knew you
could not leave us. Come and engage your berth."

So they went to the office, and took four places. But the clerk
informed them that the _Carnatic_, having had her repairs completed,
would sail that evening at eight o'clock, and not next morning, as
previously announced.

"Very good," said Passe-partout, "that will suit my master exactly. I
will go and tell him."

And now Fix determined to make a bold move. He would tell
Passe-partout everything. This was perhaps the only way by which he
could keep Phileas Fogg at Hong Kong.

As they quitted the office. Fix offered his companion some
refreshment, which Passe-partout accepted. They saw a tavern close by,
which they entered, and reached a large well-decorated room, at the
end of which was a large camp-bedstead furnished with cushions. On
this lay a number of men asleep. About thirty people were seated at
small tables drinking beer, porter, brandy, or other liquors; and the
majority of drinkers were smoking long pipes of red clay filled with
little balls of opium steeped in rose-water. From time to time a
smoker would subside under the table, and the waiters would carry him
and place him on the bed at the end of the room.