El
nuevo valet se presenta ante Phileas Fogg. De La vuelta al mundo en ochenta días,
de Julio Verne…
Phileas Fogg was
seated squarely in his armchair, his feet close together like those of a
grenadier on parade, his hands resting on his knees, his body straight, his
head erect; he was steadily watching a complicated clock which indicated the
hours, the minutes, the seconds, the days, the months, and the years. At
exactly half-past eleven Mr. Fogg would, according to his daily habit, quit
Saville Row, and repair to the Reform.
A rap at this
moment sounded on the door of the cosy apartment where Phileas Fogg was seated,
and James Forster, the dismissed servant, appeared.
"The new
servant," said he.
A young man of
thirty advanced and bowed.
"You are a
Frenchman, I believe," asked Phileas Fogg, "and your name is
John?"
"Jean, if
monsieur pleases," replied the newcomer, "Jean Passepartout, a
surname which has fixed to me because I have a natural aptness for going out of
one business into another. I believe I'm honest, monsieur, but, to be
outspoken, I've had several trades. I've been an itinerant singer, a
circus-rider, when I used to jump like Leotard,
and dance on a rope like Blondin.
Then I got to be a professor of gymnastics, so as to make better use of my
talents; and then I was a sergeant fireman at Paris, and assisted at many a big
fire. But I quitted France five years ago, and, wishing to taste the sweets of
domestic life, took service as a valet here in England. Finding myself out of
place, and hearing that Monsieur Phileas Fogg was the most exact and settled
gentleman in the United Kingdom, I have come to monsieur in the hope of living
with him a tranquil life, and forgetting even the name of Passepartout."
Around the world, map by Roke |
"Passepartout
suits me," responded Mr. Fogg. "You are well recommended to me; I
hear a good report of you. You know my conditions?"
"Yes,
monsieur."
"Good! What
time is it?"
"Twenty-two
minutes after eleven," returned Passepartout, drawing an enormous silver
watch from the depths of his pocket.
"You are
too slow," said Mr. Fogg.
"Pardon me,
monsieur, it is impossible—"
"You are
four minutes too slow. No matter; it's enough to mention the error. Now from
this moment, twenty-nine minutes after eleven, a.m., this Wednesday, 2nd
October, you are in my service."
Phileas Fogg got
up, took his hat in his left hand, put it on his head with an automatic motion,
and went off without a word.
Passepartout
heard the street door shut once; it was his new master going out. He heard it
shut again; it was his predecessor, James Forster, departing in his turn. Passepartout
remained alone in the house in Saville Row... (Adaptado de La vuelta al mundo en
ochenta días, de Julio Verne)
Vocabulario
reemplazado
Vault clung
Vocabulario
Leotard: Jules
Léotard (1838 –1870) was a revolutionary French acrobatic performer and
aerialist who developed the art of trapeze. He also popularised the one-piece
gym wear that now bears his name.
Blondin:
Charles Blondin (1824 - 1897) fue un acróbata y equilibrista francés.
El libro
En la historia Phileas Fogg y su valet francés
Passepartout intentan dar la vuelta al mundo en 80 días para ganar la apuesta
de £20,000 que sus amigos le habían jugado en el Reform Club.
De
la web
Around the
World in Eighty Days, audiobook. From Librivox
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