The next morning, Passepartout was completely starving. He needed to eat immediately, but his pockets were empty. He realized that his European clothes were too nice for a poor man. If he could trade his suit, he might get some money for food.
After a long search, he found a native dealer in old clothes. The man agreed to an exchange. Passepartout walked out wearing an old Japanese coat, but he now had a few silver coins jingling in his pocket. He immediately went to a small tea-house and ate a huge breakfast of rice and chicken.
With a full stomach, he needed a plan to leave Japan. He wanted to go to the United States. He thought about asking for work on a ship, but he knew nobody would hire a man dressed in dirty, oversized clothes.
While he was thinking, he saw a man carrying a large sign through the streets. The sign advertised an acrobatic show by the Honourable William Batulcar. The sign said the circus was giving its final shows before traveling to the United States.
"The United States!" Passepartout said to himself. "That is exactly what I need!"
He followed the man to a large, colorful building and asked to see Mr. Batulcar. He asked the manager for a job as a servant. Batulcar laughed and said he already had two strong arms to serve him. However, when Batulcar realized Passepartout was French, he asked if he knew how to sing and do gymnastic tricks. Passepartout remembered his younger days as a street performer and nodded. Batulcar gave him a job on the spot.
The performance started at three o'clock. The large tent was packed with an excited audience of both locals and foreigners. The musicians played loud drums and flutes while the acrobats did amazing tricks. They threw lighted candles and kept spinning tops perfectly steady on the edges of swords.
But the main attraction was the "Long Noses." This was a special group of gymnasts who wore strange historical costumes with large wings on their backs. The most unusual part was the long bamboo noses tied to their faces. Some of these fake noses were six feet long! The gymnasts used these noses to do their tricks.
For the final act, fifty men were going to build a human pyramid. They would not stand on each other's shoulders; they would stand on the long noses. Because one of the strongest men had recently left the circus, Passepartout was chosen to take his place at the bottom of the pyramid.
Passepartout felt a bit silly putting on his wings and a six-foot nose, but he lay flat on the floor. Other gymnasts climbed up and stood on his long nose to balance. Soon, a tower of men reached all the way to the ceiling. The crowd cheered loudly.
Suddenly, the pyramid shook. The bottom nose moved! The whole tower of men crashed down to the floor like a house of cards.
It was Passepartout’s fault. He had completely abandoned his position. He jumped over the stage lights and ran to the seats, throwing himself at the feet of a gentleman in the crowd.
"My master! My master!" he cried.
"You are here?" asked Phileas Fogg calmly.
"Yes, it is me!"
"Very well. Then let us go to the ship, young man."
Mr. Fogg and Aouda walked out of the theater with Passepartout. They were stopped by Mr. Batulcar, who was absolutely furious about his ruined show. Phileas Fogg quickly calmed the angry manager by handing him a thick pile of banknotes.
At half-past six, the exact time the ship to America was leaving, Mr. Fogg and Aouda stepped on board. Right behind them was Passepartout, still wearing his circus wings and his six-foot nose.