e had
indeed condemned him, with all his wish for rest, to journey around
the world in eighty days.

However, having purchased some necessary articles, he walked about the
streets of Bombay. There were a great number of people about--Europeans
of all nationalities; Persians, wearing pointed caps; Buntryas, with
round turbans; Scindees, with square caps; Armenians, in their flowing
robes; Parsees, with black mitres. It was a Parsee festival that day.

These Parsees are followers of Zoroaster, and are the most industrious,
most intelligent, and most civilised of the native races, and to which
the majority of the Bombay merchants belong. On that occasion a sort
of religious carnival was being held; there were processions, and
numbers of dancing-girls clad in gauzy rose-coloured garments, who
danced modestly and gracefully to the sound of the tom-tom and viols.

Passe-partout, as may be imagined, drank in all these sights and
sounds with delight; and his expression at the unusual spectacle was
that of the greatest astonishment.

Unfortunately, his curiosity very nearly compromised the object of his
master's journey. He wandered on, after watching the carnival, on his
way to the station; but seeing the splendid pagoda on Malabar Hill, he
thought he would like to go in. He was quite unaware of two things:
first, that certain pagodas are closed to all Christians, and even the
believers can only obtain admittance by leaving their shoes or
slippers at the doors of the temple. The British Government,
respecting the native creed, severely punishes anyone attempting to
violate the sanctity of the native mosques or temples.

But Passe-partout, innocent of harm, tourist-like, went in, and was
admiring the pagoda and the lavish ornamentation of the interior, when
he suddenly found himself sprawling on his back on the pavement Over
him stood three angry men, who rushed upon him, tore off his shoes,
and began to pommel him soundly, uttering savage cries as they did so.

The agile Frenchman was quickly upon his feet again, and with a couple
of well-directed blows of his fists upset two of his adversaries, who
were much encumbered in their long robes; then, rushing out of the
temple, he quickly distanced the remaining Hindoo and evaded him in
the crowd.

At five minutes to eight he presented himself at the railroad station,
without his hat and shoes and minus the parcel in which all his
purchases were wrapped. Fix was there on the