Рождественская история
Chapter 5
Thehandinwhichhewrotetheaddresswasnotasteadyone,butwriteithedid,somehow,andwentdown-stairstoopenthestreetdoor,readyforthecomingofthepoulterer’sman.Ashestoodthere,waitinghisarrival,theknockercaughthiseye.
‘Ishallloveit,aslongasIlive,’criedScrooge,pattingitwithhishand.‘Iscarcelyeverlookedatitbefore.Whatanhonestexpressionithasinitsface!It’sawonderfulknocker!—Here’stheTurkey!Hallo!Whoop!Howareyou?MerryChristmas!’
ItwasaTurkey.Henevercouldhavestooduponhislegs,thatbird.Hewouldhavesnappedthemshortoffinaminute,likesticksofsealing-wax.
‘Why,it’simpossibletocarrythattoCamdenTown,’saidScrooge.‘Youmusthaveacab.’
Thechucklewithwhichhesaidthis,andthechucklewithwhichhepaidfortheTurkey,andthechucklewithwhichhepaidforthecab,andthechucklewithwhichherecompensedtheboy,wereonlytobeexceededbythechucklewithwhichhesatdownbreathlessinhischairagain,andchuckledtillhecried.
Shavingwasnotaneasytask,forhishandcontinuedtoshakeverymuch;andshavingrequiresattention,evenwhenyoudon’tdancewhileyouareatit.Butifhehadcuttheendofhisnoseoff,hewouldhaveputapieceofsticking-plasteroverit,andbeenquitesatisfied.
Hedressedhimselfallinhisbest,andatlastgotoutintothestreets.