Phileas Fogg had won his wager, and had made his journey around the world in eighty days. To do this he had employed every means of conveyance — stea… - Jules Verne

But what then? What had he really gained by all this trouble? What had he brought back from this long and weary journey?
Nothing, you say? Perhaps so; nothing but a charming woman, who, strange as it may appear, made him the happiest of men!
Truly, would you not for less than that make the tour around the world?

"Besides," said Kennedy, "the time when industry gets a grip of everything and uses it to its own advantage may not be particularly amusing. If men go on inventing machinery they'll end up by being swallowed by their own machines. I've always thought that the last day will be brought about by some colossal boiler heated to three thousand atmospheres blowing up the world."
"And I bet the Yankees will have had a hand in it," said Joe.

Reality provides us with facts so romantic that imagination itself could add nothing to them.

My uncle wasted a great deal of breath in giving him directions, but worthy Hans took not the slightest notice of his words.