Around the World in Eighty Days Chance Quotes

It seems the bummed out members of the Reform club think that determination and perseverance can't possibly count for anything. Are they underestimating Phileas or are they underestimating the role that chance plays in his success?

Funny how things tend to work out for a reason. Fogg stops to save Aouda from certain death purely by chance, and it workes out for him pretty well in the end.

Phileas says this a lot in the novel. Does he believe this at the end? Do you? Why or why not?