se are the
fellows that wanted to burn our young lady."

The priests stood erect before the judge, and the clerk read aloud the
complaint of sacrilege against Phileas Fogg and his servant, who were
accused of having defiled a place consecrated to the Brahmin religion.

"You hear the charge," said the judge to Phileas Fogg.

"Yes, your honour," replied the accused, looking at his watch, "and I
confess it."

"You admit it?"

"I admit it, and I wait to see what these priests in their turn will
confess respecting their doings at the Pagoda of Pillaji."

The priests looked at each other. They evidently did not understand
the reference.

"Of course," cried Passe-partout impetuously, "at the Pagoda of
Pillaji, where they were about to burn their victim."

The priests looked stupefied, and the judge was almost equally
astonished.

"What victim?" he asked. "To burn whom? In Bombay?"

"Bombay!" exclaimed Passe-partout.

"Of course. We are not talking of the Pagoda of Pillaji but of the
Pagoda of Malabar Hill at Bombay."

"And as a proof," added the clerk, "here are the shoes of the profaner
of the temple;" and he placed a pair of shoes upon the desk as he
spoke.

"My shoes!" exclaimed Passe-partout, who was surprised into this
incautious admission.

One can imagine the confusion which ensued. The incident at the pagoda
in Bombay had been quite forgotten by both master and man, and it was
on account of that that they were both detained.

The detective Fix had seen at once the advantage he could derive from
that _contretemps_; so, delaying his departure for twelve hours, he
consulted with the priests at Malabar Hill and had promised them a
large reward, knowing very well that the English Government would
punish with extreme severity any trespass of such a description. Then
he had sent the priests by train on the track of the offenders. Owing
to the time spent by Phileas Fogg and his party in releasing the young
widow from the suttee, Fix and the Hindoo priests had reached Calcutta
first, but in any case Mr. Fogg and his servant would have been
arrested as they left the train in consequence of a telegraphic
despatch which had been forwarded to Calcutta by the authorities. The
disappointment of Fix may be imagined when he heard on his arrival
that Fogg had not reached Calcutta. He thought that his victim had
stopped at one of the intermediate stations, and Had taken refuge in
the southern provinces. For four-and-