Рождественская история
Chapter 1
Scroogereturnedhislabourswithanimprovedopinionofhimself,andinamorefacetioustemperthanwasusualwithhim.
Meanwhilethefoganddarknessthickenedso,thatpeopleranaboutwithflaringlinks,profferingtheirservicestogobeforehorsesincarriages,andconductthemontheirway.Theancienttowerofachurch,whosegruffoldbellwasalwayspeepingslilydownatScroogeoutofaGothicwindowinthewall,becameinvisible,andstruckthehoursandquartersintheclouds,withtremulousvibrationsafterwardsasifitsteethwerechatteringinitsfrozenheadupthere.Thecoldbecameintense.Inthemainstreetatthecornerofthecourt,somelabourerswererepairingthegas-pipes,andhadlightedagreatfireinabrazier,roundwhichapartyofraggedmenandboysweregathered:warmingtheirhandsandwinkingtheireyesbeforetheblazeinrapture.Thewater-plugbeingleftinsolitude,itsoverflowingsullenlycongealed,andturnedtomisanthropicice.Thebrightnessoftheshopswherehollysprigsandberriescrackledinthelampheatofthewindows,madepalefacesruddyastheypassed.Poulterers’andgrocers’tradesbecameasplendidjoke;agloriouspageant,withwhichitwasnexttoimpossibletobelievethatsuchdullprinciplesasbargainandsalehadanythingtodo.
