Quite satisfied, he closed his door, and locked himself in; double-locked himself in, which was not his custom. 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. I dont mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a doornail. `A merry Christmas, uncle! He died seven years ago, this very night.. What reason have you to be morose? Old fire-guard, old shoes, two fish-baskets, washing-stand on three legs, and a poker. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Scrooge never painted out Old Marleys name. `He died seven years ago, this very night.. After all, the author. Learn how your comment data is processed. It was not an agreeable idea. You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato. `Mr. Marley has been dead these seven years, Scrooge replied. Scrooge signed it. With an ill-will Scrooge dismounted from his stool, and tacitly admitted the fact to the expectant clerk in the Tank, who instantly snuffed his candle out, and put on his hat. Scrooge had often heard it said that Marley had no bowels, but he had never believed it until now. At length the hour of shutting up the counting-house arrived. Expect the second on the next night at the same hour. There is no doubt that Marley was dead. Scrooge asked the question, because he didnt know whether a ghost so transparent might find himself in a condition to take a chair; and felt that in the event of its being impossible, it might involve the necessity of an embarrassing explanation. "no rest, no peace. The misery with them all was, clearly, that they sought to interfere, for good, in human matters, and had lost the power for ever. It was double-locked, as he had locked it with his own hands, and the bolts were undisturbed. Youre poor enough., Come, then, returned the nephew gaily. Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Scrooge fell upon his knees, and clasped his hands before his face. But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grind- stone, Scrooge! But how much greater was his horror, when the phantom taking off the bandage round its head, as if it were too warm to wear indoors, its lower jaw dropped down upon its breast! A slight disorder of the stomach makes them cheats. If I was to stop half-a-crown for it, youd think yourself ill-used, Ill be bound?, And yet, said Scrooge, you dont thinkmeill-used, when I pay a days wages for no work.. Scrooge signed it. 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. Not so much in obedience, as in surprise and fear: for on the raising of the hand, he became sensible of confused noises in the air; incoherent sounds of lamentation and regret; wailings inexpressibly sorrowful and self-accusatory. Scrooge signed it. How could it be otherwise? You can view our. It held up its chain at arms length, as if that were the cause of all its unavailing grief, and flung it heavily upon the ground again. When it had said these words, the spectre took its wrapper from the table, and bound it round its head, as before. Youll want all day to-morrow, I suppose? said Scrooge. Scrooge never painted out Old Marleys name. The spectre, after listening for a moment, joined in the mournful dirge; and floated out upon the bleak, dark night. Tell me why?, I wear the chain I forged in life, replied the Ghost. When they were within two paces of each other, Marleys Ghost held up its hand, warning him to come no nearer. The mention of Marleys funeral brings me back to the point I started from. 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. Whether these creatures faded into mist, or mist enshrouded them, he could not tell. a terrible sensation to which it had been a stranger from infancy, The sound resounded through the house like thunder, but I mean to say you might have got a hearse up that staircase, and taken it broadwise, with the splinter-bar towards the wall and the door towards the balustrades: and done it easy. Much good it has ever done you!, There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say, But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round. The audience needs to acknowledge the fact Marley is dead because otherwise it is of no significance that he returns as a ghost to haunt Scrooge. But why? cried Scrooges nephew. You will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a door-nail. When they were within two paces of each other, Marleys Ghost held up its hand, warning him to come no nearer. How could it be otherwise? The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Your email address will not be published. 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. Humbug, I tell you! At this time of the rolling year, the spectre said, I suffer most. It beckoned Scrooge to approach, which he did. `We have no doubt his liberality is well represented by his surviving partner, said the gentleman, Scrooge frowned, and shook his head, and handed the credentials back, `At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge, said the gentleman, taking up a pen, `it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and Destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. May nothing you dismay!. Becoming immediately sensible of the impropriety, he poked the fire, and extinguished the last frail spark for ever. (Stave 1) "Marley was dead; to begin with." This is the opening line to the book. 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. Can youcan you sit down? asked Scrooge, looking doubtfully at him. Scrooge glanced about him on the floor, in the expectation of finding himself surrounded by some fifty or sixty fathoms of iron cable: but he could see nothing. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!. Good afternoon!, Nay, uncle, but you never came to see me before that happened. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Merry Christmas! but he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! When will you come to see me? No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was oclock, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge. Scrooge said that he would see himyes, indeed he did. The fog and frost so hung about the black old gateway of the house, that it seemed as if the Genius of the Weather sat in mournful meditation on the threshold. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge closed the window, and examined the door by which the Ghost had entered. It was full as heavy and as long as this, seven Christmas Eves ago. Dickens emphasizes the single fact of Marleys death to prepare readers to be as astonished as Scrooge is when Marleys Ghost appears. They often came down handsomely, and Scrooge never did. Be here all the earlier next morning. Scrooge signed it. That is no light part of my penance, pursued the Ghost. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. We have no doubt his liberality is well represented by his surviving partner, said the gentleman, presenting his credentials. Scrooge could not feel it himself, but this was clearly the case; for though the Ghost sat perfectly motionless, its hair, and skirts, and tassels, were still agitated as by the hot vapour from an oven. And beard thee too. One wonders what Shakespeare meant when he used that doornail simile. But then Marley died and now their firm belonged to Scrooge, who was a stingy and heartless old man. You will therefore permit me to repeat, and emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a doornail. Marley was dead, to begin with. Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole administrator, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend, and sole mourner. However Marley does not as he is "doomed to wander the world". It is a ponderous chain!. There is no doubt whatever about that. This quotation forms the first sentence of the novella A Christmas Carol. 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. What right have you to be dismal? The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. It was not angry or ferocious, but looked at Scrooge as Marley used to look: with ghostly spectacles turned up on its ghostly forehead. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail. We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. If each smooth tile had been a blank at first, with power to shape some picture on its surface from the disjointed fragments of his thoughts, there would have been a copy of old Marleys head on every one. Save it to put in your poetry book. Marley was dead, to begin with - there's no doubt about that. The yard was so dark that even Scrooge, who knew its every stone, was fain to grope with his hands. But he couldnt replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room; and so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel, the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part. Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it. There is no doubt whatever about that. `What right have you to be dismal? Jacob Marley is described as having a pigtail and wearing a waistcoat and boots. There it stood, years afterwards, above the warehouse door: Scrooge and Marley. In the 1995 made-for-TV film Ebbie, Jeffrey DeMunn plays Marleys modern version, Jake Marley, Elizabeth Ebbie Scrooges mentor and later partner who dies of a heart attack right in front of her. What right have you to be merry? for a customized plan. The hair was curiously stirred, as if by breath or hot air; and, though the eyes were wide open, they were perfectly motionless.
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