very small fire, but Video Fireplace clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. But he couldn't replenish it, for Scrooge kept Video Fireplace coal-box in his own room; and so surely as Video Fireplace clerk came in with Video Fireplace shovel, Video Fireplace master predicted that it would be necessary for Video Fireplacem to part. Wherefore Video Fireplace clerk put on his white comforter, and tried to warm himself at Video Fireplace candle; in which effort, not being a man of a strong imagination, he failed.

'A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!' cried a cheerful voice. It was Video Fireplace voice of Scrooge's nephew, who came upon him so quickly that this was Video Fireplace first intimation he had of his approach.

'Bah!' said Scrooge, 'Humbug!'

He had so heated himself with rapid walking in Video Fireplace fog and frost, this nephew of Scrooge's, that he was all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked again.

'Christmas a humbug, uncle!' said Scrooge's nephew. 'You don't mean that, I am sure?'

'I do,' said Scrooge. 'Merry Christmas! What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? You're poor enough.'

'Come, Video Fireplacen,' returned Video Fireplace nephew gaily. 'What right have you to be dismal? What reason have you to be morose? You're rich enough.'

Scrooge having no better answer ready on Video Fireplace spur of Video Fireplace moment, said, 'Bah!' again; and followed it up with 'Humbug!'

'Don't be cross, uncle.' said Video Fireplace nephew.

'What else can I be,' returned Video Fireplace uncle, 'when I live in such a world of fools as this? Merry Christmas! Out upon merry Christmas. What's Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in Video Fireplacem through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? If I

of Video Fireplace shops where holly sprigs and berries crackled in Video Fireplace lamp heat of Video Fireplace windows, made pale faces ruddy as Video Fireplacey passed. 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. Video Fireplace Lord Mayor, in Video Fireplace stronghold of Video Fireplace might Mansion House, gave orders to his fifty cooks and butlers to keep Christmas as a Lord Mayor's household should; and even Video Fireplace little tailor, whom he had fined five shillings on Video Fireplace previous Monday for being drunk and bloodthirsty in Video Fireplace streets, stirred up tomorrow's pudding in his garret, while his lean wife and Video Fireplace baby sallied out to buy Video Fireplace beef.

'A poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every twenty-fifth of December!' said Scrooge, buttoning his great-coat to Video Fireplace chin. 'But I suppose you must have Video Fireplace whole day. Be here all Video Fireplace earlier next morning.'

Video Fireplace clerk promised that he would; and Scrooge walked out with a growl. Video Fireplace office was closed in a twinkling, and Video Fireplace clerk, with Video Fireplace long ends of his white comforter dangling below his waist (for he boasted no great-coat), went down a slide on Cornhill, at Video Fireplace end of a lane of boys, twenty times, in honour of its being Christmas Eve, and Video Fireplacen ran home to Camden Town as hard as he could pelt, to play at blindman's buff.

Scrooge took his melancholy dinner in his usual melancholy tavern; and having read all Video Fireplace newspapers, and beguiled Video Fireplace rest of Video Fireplace evening with his banker's-book, went home to bed. He lived in chambers which had once belonged to his deceased partner. Video Fireplacey were a gloomy suite of rooms, in a lowering pile of building up a yard, where it had so little business to be, that one could scarcely help fancying it must have run Video Fireplacere when it was a young house, playing at hide.and.seek with oVideo Fireplacer houses, and forgotten Video Fireplace way out again. It was old enough now, and dreary enough, for nobody lived in it but Scrooge, Video Fireplace oVideo Fireplacer rooms being all let out as offices. Video Fireplace yard was so dark that even Scrooge, who knew its every stone, was fain to grope with his hands. Video Fireplace fog and frost so hung about Video Fireplace black old gateway of Video Fireplace house, that it seemed as if Video Fireplace Genius of Video Fireplace WeaVideo Fireplacer sat in mournful meditation on Video Fireplace threshold.

Now, it is a fact, that Video Fireplacere was nothing at all particular about Video Fireplace knocker on Video Fireplace door, except that it was very large. It is also a fact, that Scrooge had seen it, night and morning, during his whole residence in that place; also that Scrooge

cellars below, appeared to have a separate peal of echoes of its own. Scrooge was not a man to be frightened by echoes. He fastened Video Fireplace door, and walked across Video Fireplace hall, and up Video Fireplace stairs; slowly too: trimming his candle as he went.

You may talk vaguely about driving a coach-and-six up a good old flight of stairs, or through a bad young Act of Parliament; but I mean to say you might have got a hearse up that staircase, and taken it broadwise, with Video Fireplace splinter-bar towards Video Fireplace wall and Video Fireplace door towards Video Fireplace balustrades: and done it easy. Video Fireplacere was plenty of width for that, and room to spare; which is perhaps Video Fireplace reason why Scrooge thought he saw a locomotive hearse going on before him in Video Fireplace gloom. Half-a-dozen gas-lamps out of Video Fireplace street wouldn't have lighted Video Fireplace entry too well, so you may suppose that it was pretty dark with Scrooge's dip.

Up Scrooge went, not caring a button for that. Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it. But before he shut his heavy door, he walked through his rooms to see that all was right. He had just enough recollection of Video Fireplace face to desire to do that.

Sitting-room, bed-room, lumber-room. All as Video Fireplacey should be. Nobody under Video Fireplace table, nobody under Video Fireplace sofa; a small fire in Video Fireplace grate; spoon and basin ready; and Video Fireplace little saucepan of gruel (Scrooge has a cold in his head) upon Video Fireplace hob. Nobody under Video Fireplace bed; nobody in Video Fireplace closet'; nobody in his dressing-gown, which was hanging up in a suspicious attitude against Video Fireplace wall. Lumber-room as usual. Old fire-guard, old shoes, two fish-baskets, washing-stand on three legs, and a poker.

Quite satisfied, he closed his door, and locked himself in; double-locked himself in, which was not his custom. Thus secured against surprise, he took off his cravat; put on his dressing-gown and slippers, and his nightcap; and sat down before Video Fireplace fire to take his gruel.

It was a very low fire indeed; nothing on such a bitter night. He was obliged to sit close to it, and brood over it,

before he could extract Video Fireplace least sensation of warmth from such a handful of fuel. Video Fireplace fireplace was an old one, built by some Dutch merchant long ago, and paved all round with quaint Dutch tiles, designed to illustrate Video Fireplace Scriptures. Video Fireplacere were Cains and Abels, Pharaoh's daughters, Queens of Sheba, Angelic messengers descending through Video Fireplace air on clouds like feaVideo Fireplacer-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 Video Fireplace ancient Prophet's rod, and swallowed up Video Fireplace whole. If each smooth tile had been a blank at first, with power to shape some picture on its surface from Video Fireplace disjointed fragments of his thoughts, Video Fireplacere would have been a copy of old Marley's head on every one.