There is no doubt whatever about that. There is no doubt whatever about that. Tell me why?, I wear the chain I forged in life, replied the Ghost. Dead, your Majesty. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail. It is also a fact, that Scrooge had seen it, night and morning, during his whole residence in that place; also that Scrooge had as little of what is called fancy about him as any man in the city of London, even including -- which is a bold word -- the corporation, aldermen, and livery. Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole administrator, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend, and sole mourner. It comes from other regions, Ebenezer Scrooge, and is conveyed by other ministers, to other kinds of men. The clerk in the Tank involuntarily applauded. But I see it, said the Ghost, notwithstanding., Well! returned Scrooge, I have but to swallow this, and be for the rest of my days persecuted by a legion of goblins, all of my own creation. Ill retire to Bedlam.. Dead, right reverends and wrong reverends of every order. What reason have you to be morose? If the good Saint Dunstan had but nipped the Evil Spirits nose with a touch of such weather as that, instead of using his familiar weapons, then indeed he would have roared to lusty purpose. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The office was closed in a twinkling, and the clerk, with the long ends of his white comforter dangling below his waist (for he boasted no great-coat), went down a slide on Cornhill, at the end of a lane of boys, twenty times, in honour of its being Christmas Eve, and then ran home to Camden Town as hard as he could pelt, to play at blindmans-buff. What reason have you to be merry? Scrooge knew he was dead? When it had said these words, the spectre took its wrapper from the table, and bound it round its head, as before. The brightness of the shops where holly sprigs and berries crackled in the lamp heat of the windows, made pale faces ruddy as they passed. But you were always a good man of business, Jacob, faltered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself. And Scrooges name was good upon change for anything he chose to put his hand to. It was long, and wound about him like a tail; and it was made (for Scrooge observed it closely) of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel. It swung so softly in the outset that it scarcely made a sound; but soon it rang out loudly, and so did every bell in the house. not to know, that ages of incessant labour, by immortal creatures, for this earth must pass into eternity before the good of which it is susceptible is all developed. Poulterers and grocers trades became a splendid joke: a glorious pageant, with which it was next to impossible to believe that such dull principles as bargain and sale had anything to do. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. Foul weather didnt know where to have him. The apparition walked backward from him; and at every step it took, the window raised itself a little, so that when the spectre reached it, it was wide open. 2004 2022 NoSweat Digital Ltd, 124 City Road, London EC1V 2NX, A Blessing In Disguise, Meaning & Context, A Plague On Both Your Houses, Meaning & Context, A Rose By Any Other Name, Meaning & Context, As Luck Would Have It, Meaning & Context, As Old As Methuselah, Meaning & Context, Be Still My Beating Heart, Meaning & Context, Better Late Than Never, Meaning & Context, Call A Spade A Spade, Meaning & Context, Count Your Blessings, Meaning & Context, Eat, Drink and Be Merry, Meaning & Context, Fight Fire With Fire, Meaning & Context, Frailty, Thy Name Is Woman, Meaning & Context, Get Thee To A Nunnery, Meaning & Context, He Who Sups With The Devil Should Have A Long Spoon, Meaning & Context, Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned, Meaning & Context, Hoisted By His Own Petard, Meaning & Context, In My Heart Of Hearts, Meaning & Context, Making The Beast With Two Backs, Meaning & Context, Melted Into Thin Air, Meaning & Context, Neither A Borrower Nor A Lender Be, Meaning & Context, Neither Here Nor There, Meaning & Context, Nothing New Under The Sun, Meaning & Context, Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow, Meaning & Context, Pomp and CIrcumstance, Meaning & Context, Practise What You Preach, Meaning & Context, Screw Your Courage To The Sticking Place, Meaning & Context, Sound And Fury, Signifying Nothing, Meaning & Context, Still Waters Run Deep, Meaning & Context, The Lady Doth Protest Too Much, Meaning & Context, The Plays The Thing, Meaning & Context, There Are More Things In Heaven And Earth, Meaning & Context, To Sleep Perchance To Dream, Meaning & Context, Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeves, Meaning & Context, What Dreams May Come, Meaning & Context, All The Worlds A Stage: Quote & Meaning, Discretion Is The Better Part Of Valor, Meaning & Context, Double Double Toil and Trouble, Meaning, Brevity Is The Soul Of Wit Meaning & Context, Good Night Sweet Prince, Meaning & Context, Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown, Meaning, Cry Havoc! And Let Slip The Dogs Of War: Speech & Analysis, My Kingdom For A Horse, Meaning & Context, Something Is Rotten in the State Of Denmark, Meaning, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Meaning & Context, Though She Be But Little, She Is Fierce: Quote & Analysis, Oh What A Tangled Web We Weave Saying Origin & Meaning, The World Is Your Oyster Saying Origin & Meaning, Till Death Do Us Part Saying Origin & Meaning, These Violent Delights Have Violent Ends Quote & Analysis, To Thine Own Self Be True, Meaning & Context, Two Household, Both Alike in Dignity, Meaning, Romeo and Juliet Quotes in Modern English, Monologues vs Soliloquies Differences & Definitions, Blow, Winds and Crack Your Cheeks Monologue Analysis, Friends, Romans, Countrymen Speech Analysis, Full Of Vexation Come I, With Complaint Monologue Analysis, Her Father Loved Me, Oft Invited Me Monologue Analysis, How Sweet The Moonlight Sleeps Upon This Bank! Monologue Analysis, I Am Armd And Well Prepared Monologue Analysis, I Know A Bank Where The Wild Thyme Blows Monologue Analysis, I Must Eat My Dinner Monologue Analysis, Like To The Pontic Sea Monologue Analysis, My Mistress With A Monster Is In Love Monologue Analysis, O, Reason Not The Need Monologue Analysis, Once More Unto The Breach Dear Friends Speech Analysis, Romans, Countrymen and Lovers! It also has that d-alliteration and a nice iambic rhythm. Most idiomatic expressions have some poetry in them along with a vivid image. The water-plug being left in solitude, its overflowings sullenly congealed, and turned to misanthropic ice. Three verbs that tell what the noun in the first line does But I have made the trial in homage to Christmas, and Ill keep my Christmas humour to the last. `Mr. Marley has been dead these seven years, Scrooge replied. But why? cried Scrooges nephew. There were Cains and Abels, Pharaohs daughters; Queens of Sheba, Angelic messengers descending through the air on clouds like feather-beds, Abrahams, Belshazzars, Apostles putting off to sea in butter-boats, hundreds of figures to attract his thoughts; and yet that face of Marley, seven years dead, came like the ancient Prophets rod, and swallowed up the whole. Business! cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. And Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change for anything he chose to put his hand to. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come roundapart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from thatas a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. As Scrooge looked fixedly at this phenomenon, it was a knocker again. The city clocks had only just gone three, but it was quite dark alreadyit had not been light all dayand candles were flaring in the windows of the neighbouring offices, like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air. Marley and Scrooge were business partners once. He lived in chambers which had once belonged to his deceased partner. The apparition walked backward from him; and at every step it took, the window raised itself a little, so that when the spectre reached it, it was wide open. Favorite. In that sense, they were dead, as even if you disposed of the door you would not be able to pull the nails out easily, and so they couldnt be used, and might as well be dead. He is portrayed to be punished for this focus in his afterlife. Yet such was I! And then let any man explain to me, if he can, how it happened that Scrooge, having his key in the lock of the door, saw in the knocker, without its undergoing any intermediate process of changenot a knocker, but Marleys face. There it stood, years afterwards, above the warehouse door: Scrooge and Marley. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate. Now, it is a fact, that there was nothing at all particular about the knocker on the door, except that it was very large. Two adjectives The third upon the next night when the last stroke of Twelve has ceased to vibrate. Now, it is a fact, that there was nothing at all particular about the knocker on the door, except that it was very large. Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerks fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. You will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a door-nail. Once upon a time -- of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve -- old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house. Of course he did. But you dont keep it., Let me leave it alone, then, said Scrooge. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail. Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerks fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. Whats Christmas-time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, and not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books, and having every item in em through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. It was long, and wound about him like a tail; and it was made (for Scrooge observed it closely) of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel.