Phileas Fogg’s sudden departure created a massive sensation in London. The news of his bet spread quickly from the Reform Club to the daily newspapers. Soon, the whole country was arguing about his journey around the world.
Most people thought he was completely insane. A famous scientific society even published a long article proving that the trip was impossible. The article listed all the natural and mechanical obstacles Fogg would face. A single bad storm, a broken railway track, or a delayed ship would ruin everything. If he missed just one connection, his entire strict schedule would collapse.
Because the English love to gamble, people started placing money on Fogg as if he were a racehorse. At first, a few people supported him. But after the scientific article came out, almost everyone bet that he would fail. Only one old, disabled lord continued to risk his money on Fogg, simply because he wanted an Englishman to be the first to achieve the impossible.
Then, a week after Fogg left London, the situation completely changed.
The chief of police received an urgent telegram from a detective in Egypt:
"I have found the bank robber, Phileas Fogg. Send an arrest warrant to Bombay immediately. — Fix, Detective."
The effect of this short message was explosive. The perfect gentleman was suddenly a wanted criminal. People looked at Fogg's photograph and realized his face perfectly matched the description of the man who had stolen fifty-five thousand pounds from the Bank of England.
Suddenly, everything made sense. People remembered his mysterious lifestyle, his quiet habits, and his rushed departure. The public realized that the famous bet was not a brave adventure at all. It was just a clever trick to confuse the police and escape the country.