A Christmas Carol——4、The last of the spirits

'The third spirit will come at midnight.'Scrooge suddenly remembered the words of Jacob Marley's ghost,and,lifting his eyes,saw a spirti,all in black,coming slowly towards him.It was a tall,silent figure,wearing a long black robe which hid its head and body.When it came close to him,it stopped and pointed onwards with one hand.Scroge was more afriad of this spirit than he had been of the other,and his voice was shaking as he asked,'Are you the spirit of Christmas Yet to Come?'the ghost neither spoke nor moved,but still pointed onwards.
'Are you going to show me shadows of the things which haven't happened yet,but will happen in the future?'Scrooge asked.
There was no answer.
'Ghost of the future!'he continued.'You frighten me very much,but I think you can help me to change my life.I'll be very grateful to you if you show me the future.Won't you speak to me?'
Again,no reply.
'Well,show me the way,spirt!'said Scrooge finally.'The night is passing,and time it valuable to me,I know.'
The ghost moved away,with Scrooge following in its shadow.Suddenly they were in the heart of the capital,among the businessmen and money lenders.The ghost pointed to one small group of men,so Scrooge went closer to listen to their conversation.
'No,I don't know much about it,'said one fat man.'I only know he's dead.'
'When did he die?'asked another man.
'Last night,I think.'
'Why,what was the matter with him?'asked a third.
'I've no idead,'replied the fat man,looking bored.'Who cares?'
'What's he done with his money?'asked a red-faced gentleman.
'I haven't heard,'said the fat man.'He hasn't left it to me,that's all I know.'
They all laughed at this.Scrooge knew the man,and looked towards the spirit,hoping it would explain what the conversation meant.But the ghost moved on,pointing at two more men.Scrooge listened again.He knew these men well.They were rich and important,and he had oftne done business with them.'
'How are you?'said one.'
'How are you?'replied the other.
'Well!'said the first.'The old man had died at last,has he?'
'So they tell me,'replied the second.'Gold,isn't it?'
'Nice and frosty for Christmas.Good morning!'
Not another word.That was the end of their meeting.
Scrooge wondered why the spirit wanted him to hear these conversations.What would they mean?The dead man could not be his partner Jacob,because he was already dead.
Scrooge watched carefully,trying to understand.He looked round for his own shadow,but could not see himself anywhere.'Perhaps that's not surprising,'he thougt,'because if I change my life,and I'm planning to do that,I won't be the same person in the future!'Just then he noticed the spirit,standing quiet and dark beside him,with its pointing hand.He felt the unseen eyes staring fixedly at him behind the black robe Scrooge's body shook,and he felt cold.
They left the busy offices and banks,and went to another part of the capital,where Scrooge had never been before.The streets were narrow and dirty,the houses miserably poor,the people unwashed and half-dressed.Down one street there was a smal shop,where an old man was sitting waiting for customers.His business was buying old furniture or clothes,and selling them agian,to the poorest people in London.As Scrooge and spirit watched,three women arrived at the shop door at the same time,each carrying a large bundle.They looked very surprised and a little ashamed to see each other.Suddenly they all started laughing.
'Ladies,you couldn't find a better place to meet,'said Joe,the old man,getting up.'Now come inside,and show me what you've got to sell.'
Inside,the first woman put her bundle on the table and said,'I don't care if everybody knows where this comes from!We all have to take care of ourselves!He always did!'
'That's right,'agreed the second woman.
'Very true,'agreed the third.
'Does a dead man need these things?'continued the first woman.'And why was he so mean while he saw alive?'We all worked for him,didn't we?Cleaned his house,washed his clothes,cooked hi soup?And what did we get?Three shillings a week!It's no surprise that he died alone,with no friens around him!'
'You never spoke a true word,'said the second.
'He was a bad man,we all know that,'said the third.
'Now what have we here?'said old Joe,opening the women's bundles.'Buttons,pencils,boots,silver spoons,some excellent bedcurtains,blankets and-a very good shirt,'he added,feeling the fine cotton.
'Yes,it was he best,'said the first woman.'They put it on him after he died.But he doesn't need it now that he's dead!And the blankets and bed-curtains!He doesn't need them either!'
'You took the shirt off a dead body,and the blankerts and curtains off his bed,while he was lying there!Well,well!said Joe,shaking his head.'Here's your money.'And he counted out several shillings into the women's hands.
'Ha ha ha!'laughed the first woman.'He frightened everyone away when he was alive,and we've made money out of him now that he's dead!Ha ha ha!'
Scrooge felt sick and angry at the same time.'Spirit,'he said'I see now.I would be that unhappy man.Good Heavens,what's this?'
Joe and the women had disappearedn,and Scrooge was standing in a dark room.Opposite him was a bed,with no blankets or curtains.A light shone down from above,on to the body of a dead man,covered with a sheet.
'How sad'thought Scrooge,'to die with no friends of family around him!To lie in an empty room,with no candles or flowers,and robbed of his colthes!To know that nobody loves him,because he loved nobody in his left!Money can't by a happy life,or a peacefu death!'He looked at the spirit,whose hand was pointing at the man's covered head.It would be easy to life the sheet,and see who the man was.But for some season Scrooge could not do it.
'Spirit,'he said,'this is a terrible place.Let's go!'
Stilll the ghost's unmoving finger pointed at the man's head.
'I understand you,but I can't look at him,spirit,I can't!'said Scrooge wildy.'If there's anyone in this town who feels anything at this man's death,show that person to me,spirit,please!'
For a moment the spirit lifeted its dark robe like a wing,and showed Scrooge a room,where a mother and her children were sitting.The young woman kept looking at the clock,and when her husband arrived,she hurried to meet him.
'What-what is the news?'she asked him worriedly.'Is it good!...or...or bad?'
'There is still hope,Caroline,'he replied.
'How can there be hope?If that hard,mean old man wants us to pay back the money now,they'll send us to priosn!We haven't got enough to pay him!'
'He is dead,Caroline,'answered her husband.
'Thank God for that!'cried the young woman from her heart.The next moment she realized what she had said.'Oh,I didn't mean that.I'm sorry if anyone dies.'
'Perhaps the person who inherits his business will give us more time to pay the money back.And we'll have the money by then.Tonight we can sleep well,Caroline!'
'So,spirit,'said Scroogei in a broken voice,'you can show me only happiness at this man's death.If frightens me,spirti.Show me,please,that there can be sadness at a death.'
The ghost took him silently through the streets,to poor Bob Cratchit's house.The room seemd strangely quiet.The mother and her daughters were making a small white cotton shirt together,while the usually noisy young Cratchits sat silently in a corner,and Peter was reading a book.Mrs Cratchit put her work down on the table,and coverd her face with her hands.
'The colour hurts my eyes,'she said.The colour?Ah,poor Tiny Tim!
They're a little better now,'she went on.'It's difficult to work by candellight.And I don't want to show red eyes to your father when he comes home.'
'He's a bit late,'said Peter,'but I think he's walked more slowly these last few days,mother.'
They were very quiet again.At last she said bravely,'I've known him walk with-with Tiny Tim in his arms,very fast indeed.'
'So have I,'cried Peter.'Often!'
'But he was very light to carry,and your father loved him so muchf!And there's your father at the door now!'she got up quickly to kill Bob as he came in.He looked tired and thin,and needed his long scarf,poor man!Martha took his boots and scarf off,and Belinda brought him his tea,and the littel Cratchits sat close to him.He was ver cheerful with all of them,and was please with the littel shirt that his wife and daughters were making.
'I'll be ready long before Sunday,won't it?'he said.
'Sunday!You went there todya,then,Bob?asked his wife.
'Yes,my dear.You'd love to see it.It's a beautiful green place.But you'll see it often.I promised him that we would go there every Sunday.My little,little child!'cried Bob,hiding his face in his hands.He had loved the boy very much.
He went upstairs to the quiet bedroom,where the child lay.Poor Bob sat down beside him,and when he felt calmer,he kissed the little face,and went downstairs again,almost happy.
'My dears,'he used t his children,'one of these days some of you will marry and leave home.In a few year's time perhaps all of you will.But I'm sure none of us will ever forget Tiny Tim,will we?'
'Never,father!they all cried.
'And I know,'said Bob,'that when we remeber how patient and gentle he was,although he was only a little child,we won't argue among ourselves.We'll remember poor Tiny Tim,and love each other!'
'We will,father!'they all cried again.
'I am very happy,said Bob,'I am very happy!Mrs Cratchit kissed him,his daughters kissed him,the two young Cratchits kissed him,and he and Peter shook hands.Tiny Tim,your goodness lives on in your family!
'Spirit,'said Scrooge,'I know that you will leave me soon.Tell me who that dead man on the bed was!'
No answer came in words,but the ghost of Christmas Yet to Come took Scrooge through the streets of London agaon.
'Wait a moment,'said Scrooge.'We're passing my office.Let me see how I shall look in the future!'
The spirit stopped.Its hand was pointing away from the office.But Scrooge hurried up to the windwo and looked in.It was an office still,bu tnot his.The furniture was not the same,and the figure in the chair was not himself.The ghost continued to point onwards,and Scrooge followed.They reached a churh,and entered the churchyard.Here,among the untid graves and the uncut grass,lay the miserable man whose name Scrooge would soon learn.It was a lonly place,most suitable for a man so unloved.
The spirit stood and pointed down at one of the graves.
Scrooge was strangely afraid.
'Before I look more closely at that gravestone,'he said,'answer me one question.Are these the shadows of the things that will be,or are the only shadows of the things that may be?'
Without replying,the ghost pointed silently down at the grave.Scrooge moved sloyly toward it,and following the finger,read on the stone his own name,EBENENER SCROOGE.
'Am I that man who was lying on the bed?'he cried.
The spirit pointed from the grave to him,and back again.
'No,spirti!Oh,no no!'
The finger was still there.
Scrooge fell to the ground in front of the ghost,holding its ong dark robe.'Spirit!Listen!I am a changed man!I have learnt my lesson from you spirits!Why show me this terrible end,if there is no hope for me!'
For the first time the hand appeared to shake.
'Good spirit,tell me that my future will change,if I change my life now!'
The kind head shook again.
'I will remember the past,and think of the future.I will be good to other people.I will keep Christmas in my heart,and will try to be kind,and cheerful,and merry,every day.Oh,tell me I can clean away the writting on this stone!'
Wildly,he caught the ghostly hand and held it for a moment.But the spirit was stronger than him,and pulled its hand away.Just then Scrooge noticed that something strange was happening to the spirit.It was getting smaller and smaller,and suddenly it became-a bedpost.