Chapter II: In Which Passepartout Is Convinced That He Has At Last Found His Ideal

"Faith," muttered Passepartout, somewhat flurried, "I've seen people at Madame Tussaud's as lively as my new master!"

Madame Tussaud's "people," let it be said, are of wax, and are much visited in London; speech is all that is wanting to make them human.

During his brief interview with Mr. Fogg, Passepartout had been carefully observing him. He appeared to be a man about forty years of age, with fine, handsome features, and a tall, well-shaped figure; his hair and whiskers were light, his forehead compact and unwrinkled, his face rather pale, his teeth magnificent. His countenance possessed in the highest degree what physiognomists call "repose in action," a quality of those who act rather than talk. Calm and phlegmatic, with a clear eye, Mr. Fogg seemed a perfect type of that English composure which Angelica Kauffmann has so skilfully represented on canvas. Seen in the various phases of his daily life, he gave the idea of being perfectly well-balanced, as exactly regulated as a Leroy chronometer. Phileas Fogg was, indeed, exactitude personified, and this was betrayed even in the expression of his very hands and feet; for in men, as well as in animals, the limbs themselves are expressive of the passions.

He was so exact that he was never in a hurry, was always ready, and was economical alike of his steps and his motions. He never took one step too many, and always went to his destination by the shortest cut; he made no superfluous gestures, and was never seen to be moved or agitated. He was the most deliberate person in the world, yet always reached his destination at the exact moment.

He lived alone, and, so to speak, outside of every social relation; and as he knew that in this world account must be taken of friction, and that friction retards, he never rubbed against anybody.

As for Passepartout, he was a true Parisian of Paris. Since he had abandoned his own country for England, taking service as a valet, he had in vain searched for a master after his own heart. Passepartout was by no means one of those pert dunces depicted by Moliere with a bold gaze and a nose held high in the air; he was an honest fellow, with a pleasant face, lips a trifle protruding, soft-mannered and serviceable, with a good round head, such as one likes to see on the shoulders of a friend. His eyes were blue, his complexion rubicund, his figure almost portly and well-built, his body muscular, and his physical powers fully developed by the exercises of his younger days. His brown hair was somewhat tumbled; for, while the ancient sculptors are said to have known eighteen methods of arranging Minerva's tresses, Passepartout was familiar with but one of dressing his own: three strokes of a large-tooth comb completed his toilet.

It would be rash to predict how Passepartout's lively nature would agree with Mr. Fogg. It was impossible to tell whether the new servant would turn out as absolutely methodical as his master required; experience alone could solve the question. Passepartout had been a sort of vagrant in his early years, and now yearned for repose; but so far he had failed to find it, though he had already served in ten English houses. But he could not take root in any of these; with chagrin, he found his masters invariably whimsical and irregular, constantly running about the country, or on the look-out for adventure. His last master, young Lord Longferry, Member of Parliament, after passing his nights in the Haymarket taverns, was too often brought home in the morning on policemen's shoulders. Passepartout, desirous of respecting the gentleman whom he served, ventured a mild remonstrance on such conduct; which, being ill-received, he took his leave. Hearing that Mr. Phileas Fogg was looking for a servant, and that his life was one of unbroken regularity, that he neither travelled nor stayed from home overnight, he felt sure that this would be the place he was after. He presented himself, and was accepted, as has been seen.

At half-past eleven, then, Passepartout found himself alone in the house in Saville Row. He began its inspection without delay, scouring it from cellar to garret. So clean, well-arranged, solemn a mansion pleased him; it seemed to him like a snail's shell, lighted and warmed by gas, which sufficed for both these purposes. When Passepartout reached the second story he recognised at once the room which he was to inhabit, and he was well satisfied with it. Electric bells and speaking-tubes afforded communication with the lower stories; while on the mantel stood an electric clock, precisely like that in Mr. Fogg's bedchamber, both beating the same second at the same instant. "That's good, that'll do," said Passepartout to himself.

He suddenly observed, hung over the clock, a card which, upon inspection, proved to be a programme of the daily routine of the house. It comprised all that was required of the servant, from eight in the morning, exactly at which hour Phileas Fogg rose, till half-past eleven, when he left the house for the Reform Club—all the details of service, the tea and toast at twenty-three minutes past eight, the shaving-water at thirty-seven minutes past nine, and the toilet at twenty minutes before ten. Everything was regulated and foreseen that was to be done from half-past eleven a.m. till midnight, the hour at which the methodical gentleman retired.

Mr. Fogg's wardrobe was amply supplied and in the best taste. Each pair of trousers, coat, and vest bore a number, indicating the time of year and season at which they were in turn to be laid out for wearing; and the same system was applied to the master's shoes. In short, the house in Saville Row, which must have been a very temple of disorder and unrest under the illustrious but dissipated Sheridan, was cosiness, comfort, and method idealised. There was no study, nor were there books, which would have been quite useless to Mr. Fogg; for at the Reform two libraries, one of general literature and the other of law and politics, were at his service. A moderate-sized safe stood in his bedroom, constructed so as to defy fire as well as burglars; but Passepartout found neither arms nor hunting weapons anywhere; everything betrayed the most tranquil and peaceable habits.

Having scrutinised the house from top to bottom, he rubbed his hands, a broad smile overspread his features, and he said joyfully, "This is just what I wanted! Ah, we shall get on together, Mr. Fogg and I! What a domestic and regular gentleman! A real machine; well, I don't mind serving a machine."

Chapter III: In Which A Conversation Takes Place Which Seems Likely To Cost Phileas Fogg Dear
Chapter I: In Which Phileas Fogg And Passepartout Accept Each Other, The One As Master, The Other As Man

Footnotes

  1. Passepartout is exclaiming joyfully over the great match between himself as a domestic servant and Fogg as his employer or master.

    master, (historical usage, out-dated): a man who has others work for him

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  2. verb, phrasal verb (British expression): to have a friendly relationship; to have a harmonious relationship, e.g., get on well together

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  3. metaphor, figure of speech: comparing Fogg to a machine because he is as methodical, regulated, unvarying as a machine

    Verne is also establishing foreshadowing of upcoming changes and setting up suspense.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  4. Figure of speech, metaphor: Implied metaphor comparing the mansion at No. 7 to a temple where the goddess of disorder was worship to give an image of disarray and chaos to compare against Fogg's methodical order and precision. Sheridan, who lived in No. 7 before Fogg, was noted for being quite unruly and disordered.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  5. Fogg selects his wearing apparel by day and season a year in advance, numbering each selection to correspond with the advancing days of the year, from day 1 to day 365.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  6. The most elegant, best made, highest quality, and most aesthetically pleasing.

    In other words, Fogg had the finest of clothes in his wardrobe.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  7. noun: the process of washing, dressing and grooming with the aid of a servant or by oneself

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  8. noun: the tasks done for someone

    The specific details of Passepartout's new duties in his role as sole domestic servant to Fogg.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  9. noun (British spelling of "program"): a planned series of ordered events and schedules times

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  10. verb: to unintentionally reveal of give evidence of something

    Fogg's arms and legs unintentionally gave evidence to Passepartout the methodical, precise nature of his new master Phileas Fogg.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  11. verb: operating methodically, like the workings of a clock; in good order; well controlled

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  12. adjective: emotionally stable; well regulated; not at odds with himself or his priorities

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  13. This means that Fogg perfectly fit the stereotype of Englishmen being calm and in control of themselves; the opposite of being flighty, emotional and expressive.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  14. noun: a person's facial features including one's expression or even one's habitual mode of expression (habitually a sour countenance, a lively countenance, a cheerful countenance, etc)

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  15. Jules Verne introduces an effective, smooth way to describe our protagonist, Phileas Fogg: He is described through the eyes of Passepartout's upon his first encounter with Fogg.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  16. noun: oral conversation with or examination of someone

    Specifically, "interview" refers to Fogg's examination of Passepartout's qualifications for being a domestic servant, and a prompt, precise one at that.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  17. adjective: full of energy and emotion; communicative; responsive; outgoing

    This is an ironic observation suggesting that Fogg is rather more like a wax dummy from Madame Tussaud's then like an expressive human being.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  18. An allusion to Fogg being as methodical, well regulated, precise as a machine, which was a common allusion and metaphor for the 1800s.

    allusion, literary device
    an indirect (unarticulated) reference to a meaningful well-known concept, person, myth, Scripture, art work, etc, the purpose of which is to call up a complex idea with few words, e.g., "like Superman"

    metaphor, literary device
    comparison between things without using "like" or "as"; for the purpose of giving greater understanding of one of the things compared

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  19. The Reform Club. [See Chapter 1, paragraph 1, "Reform Club"]

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  20. Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Poet and playwright, notably The School for Scandal. Previous owner of Queensberry House, Fogg's mansion. [See Chapter 1, paragraph 1, "Sheridan"]

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  21. adverb: generously; more than sufficiently; having no lack

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  22. A large, tall cabinet of wood for storing clothes and clothing accessories, e.g., such as the wardrobe Lucy went into in the spare room in the Professor's house in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  23. adjective: systematically following routine; unwaveringly following established procedure

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  24. Perfectly accurate and perfectly set clocks that are identical in appearance and in precision.

    This is a neat symbol for Fogg's characterization, e.g., "unbroken regularity."

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  25. The wooden or stone frame around a fireplace opening often fitted with a shelf atop it: mantelshelf.

    "On the mantel stood" implies a large mantel with either a natural shelf comprised by the size of the mantel or with an added extension shelf as in "mantelshelf."

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  26. High-technological means of internal communications from the mid to late 1800s.

    Speaking tubes were extensions of 1 inch diameter pipe, up to 100 feet or more in length, that extended from one interior room to another allowing communication in a regular speaking voice or even a whisper.

    At first whistles, then, later, "electric bells" were used to signal an alert to the person at the receiving end of the speaking tube.

    Fogg's mansion was technologically up to date and state of the art.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  27. noun: a room in an attic, typically a small, dismal, dark room with poor temperature control, e.g., Raskolnikov's garret room in Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  28. A room below the level of the house; a room in the foundational level used for storage of wine, food such as roots and cheese, candles, and fuel coal.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  29. verb: subjecting something to a thorough search in order to find particular targets of interest

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  30. noun: the careful, critical examination of something, someone or someplace; a scrutinizing look at or around something, someone or someplace

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  31. Settled, regular, dependable, habitual. No surprises at hand.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  32. Idiom, figure of speech: left

    Passepartout left the service of young Lord Lonberry.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  33. adverb plus verb compounded word: badly responded to; poorly accepted

    Passepartout's "mild remonstrance" did not please young Lord Longferry, MP, at all.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  34. noun: forceful protest combined with reproach (disapproval) and disappointment

    To say Passepartout gave a "mild remonstrance" is an ironic contradiction.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  35. A West End district in London noted in the 1800s as a place for every kind of entertainment from restaurants to theaters and to all-night taverns (until Parliament regulated closing of taverns at midnight).

    This implies that Passepartout's previous "master" or employer had been living a youthful riotous life of revelry. This is not the settled life Passepartout is looking for.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  36. Idiom, figure of speech; to be on the lookout for someone or something: to be mindfully alert to the expectation of or presence of someone or something; to be watchful for someone or something

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  37. Idiom (phrasal verb), variant of "run around", figure of speech: going from here to there with recklessness, without plan or in a carefree or haphazard way

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  38. adjective: not established and orderly; not balanced and well arranged

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  39. adjective: given to fanciful changes in mood, plan or behavior; playfully amusing in behavior (not steady, settled and predictable)

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  40. Idiom, figure of speech: to become accepted; to become a part of the accepted system or ideology; to begin to belong in a group, culture or society.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  41. A feeling of embarrassed distress; a sense of embarrassing failure and humiliation.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  42. Intensely longed for peace and tranquility; for a settled life; for a steady, dependable lifestyle.

    yearn, verb
    intense feeling of longing and need

    repose, noun
    a state of rest, composure, tranquility

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  43. noun: an unsettled person with no home; a wanderer from place to place; an itinerant

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  44. adjective: devoid of appropriate consideration and contemplation of consequences; foolhardy

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  45. Minerva: Roman goddess of wisdom, arts and crafts (navigation to weaving) who sprang full grown wearing a helmet from Jupiter's head. Legend accredits sculptors' inventiveness with Minerva's hair arrangement even though shown wearing a helmet.

    This contrasts with and emphasizes Passepartout's description as being much less inventive with his hair arrangement.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  46. Roman sculptors who carved or cast statues of Minerva, like sculptors Phidias and Cephisodote. Minerva was Athena to the Greeks.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  47. Worn askew; in disarray; all tossed about (rather like some recent "tastefully disheveled" hair styles).

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  48. This means he was extremely physically fit because he walked about as a singer; he was a circus performer; he was a gymnastics teacher; he was a fire fighter. He had always used his body to the height of its capacity.

    This is an important element of characterization for Passepartout making believable what develops later.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  49. archaic, adjective: stately, maybe somewhat stout; dignified

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  50. adjective: having a ruddy, highly colored complexion: pink cheeked, rosy faced

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  51. Implying the friend is a reasonable thinker and reasonable action taker: with a "good head on his shoulders."

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  52. Jutting outward somewhat; sticking further out than expected.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  53. Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (1622-1673), known as Molière. French actor and playwright, the best playwright of French comedy. Developed a double sided comedy style where opposites were together: the intelligent with the pedantic etc.

    This duality appears between Fogg and Passepartout, with their opposing qualities, and contributes to the conflict in the plot movement.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  54. An impertinent, disrespectful, saucy simpleton and dullard.

    pert: impudent, disrespectful, saucy, impudent

    dunce: simpleton, dullard, ignoramus

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  55. Idiom, figure of speech: meaning, having similar desires and propensities (inclinations)

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  56. Ironic, figure of speech: literal meaning, Fogg never bumped into anybody; figurative meaning, Fogg never had social relationships with anybody.

    Fogg is ironically characterized as someone who deliberately avoide momentum retarding (slowing) encounters.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  57. Friction, the force of resistance, retards: it slows down forward motion by resistance to that motion.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  58. The force of resistance from one surface moving against another.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  59. Idiom, figure of speech: meaning he had no friends, no family with whom he was in a social relationship

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  60. adjective: acting in an intentional, unhurried manner; consciously considered, careful 

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  61. The desired end result, the goal of motion or activity. Fogg got to where he wanted to go with the least diversion of energy or movement.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  62. In a lifestyle, careful not to use more resources (personal and ecological) than is needed.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  63. An unusual, even eccentric, opinion held and expressed by the narrator (perhaps even by Jules Verne) that claims that a man's passionate feelings (e.g., anger, love, exactitude) are expressed in the movement and positioning of his limbs, of his "very hands and feet."

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  64. Literary technique whereby abstract ideas, like honor or exactitude, are represented as human images: Fogg personifies in human form the abstraction of "exactitude," which is "precision."

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  65. The quality of requiring or displaying exactness, precision.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  66. Pierre Le Roy (1717–1785), French clockmaker. Leroy chronometer: marine chronometer with detached escapement: Precise marine clock providing a portable time standard that was so regulated it could determine longitude and allow for long distance sea voyages.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  67. Swiss portrait painter of renown, trained by her father and traveling as his assistant, who added a characteristic "composure" to English portraits.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  68. A descriptive word, based on the four Greek "humors," for someone who has a disposition that is calm, stable and unemotional.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  69. This refers to the established characterization of Fogg as silent yet demanding (he fired his first sole domestic).

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  70. Idiom, figure of speech: meaning a person who, though energetic and involved, gives the appearance of perfect tranquility and composure.

    repose, noun:
    tranquility, composure, calm

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  71. Those persons who study facial features in order to read an individual's character traits.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  72. Figure of speech, hyperbole (exaggeration) meaning that the sculpted figures are fully life-like though made of wax.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  73. A London museum of wax figures sculpted by Marie Tussaud in the images of famous people.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  74. adjective: anxious, agitated

    Passepartout is somewhat unnerved by Fogg's demeanor.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  75. Middle English from Old French feid: exclamation showing surprise or expressing emphasis.

    Passepartout uses it because, being French, he is familiar with it as an exclamation from the Old French.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison