Aouda in vain attempted to retain Mr.

Fogg; as vainly did the detective

endeavour to make the quarrel his. Passepartout wished to throw the colonel out of
the window, but a sign from his master checked him. Phileas Fogg left the car, and
the American followed him upon the platform. ‘Sir,’ said Mr. Fogg to his
adversary, ‘I am in a great hurry to get back to Europe, and any delay whatever
will be greatly to my disadvantage.’

‘When and where you will,’ replied the American, ‘and with whatever weapon
you choose.’
‘Well, what’s that to me?’ replied Colonel Proctor.
‘Sir,’ said Mr. Fogg, very politely, ‘after our meeting at
San Francisco, I determined to return to America and find you as soon as I had
completed the business which called me to England.’
‘Really!’
‘Will you appoint a meeting for six months hence?’
‘Why not ten years hence?’
‘I say six months,’ returned Phileas Fogg; ‘and I shall be at the place of
meeting promptly.’
‘All this is an evasion,’ cried Stamp Proctor. ‘Now or never!’
‘Very good. You are going to New York?’
‘No.’

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