Рождественская история
Chapter 1
TheLordMayor,inthestrongholdofthemightyMansionHouse,gaveorderstohisfiftycooksandbutlerstokeepChristmasasaLordMayor’shouseholdshould;andeventhelittletailor,whomhehadfinedfiveshillingsonthepreviousMondayforbeingdrunkandbloodthirstyinthestreets,stirredupto-morrow’spuddinginhisgarret,whilehisleanwifeandthebabysalliedouttobuythebeef.
Foggieryet,andcolder!Piercing,searching,bitingcold.IfthegoodSaintDunstanhadbutnippedtheEvilSpirit’snosewithatouchofsuchweatherasthat,insteadofusinghisfamiliarweapons,thenindeedhewouldhaveroaredtolustypurpose.Theownerofonescantyoungnose,gnawedandmumbledbythehungrycoldasbonesaregnawedbydogs,stoopeddownatScrooge’skeyholetoregalehimwithaChristmascarol:butatthefirstsoundof
‘Godblessyou,merrygentlemen!Maynothingyoudismay!’
Scroogeseizedtherulerwithsuchenergyofaction,thatthesingerfledinterror,leavingthekeyholetothefogandevenmorecongenialfrost.
Atlengththehourofshuttingupthecounting-housearrived.Withanill-willScroogedismountedfromhisstool,andtacitlyadmittedthefacttotheexpectantclerkintheTank,whoinstantlysnuffedhiscandleout,andputonhishat.
‘You’llwantalldayto-morrow,Isuppose?’saidScrooge.
‘Ifquiteconvenient,sir.’
‘It’snotconvenient,’saidScrooge,‘andit’snotfair.IfIwastostopyouhalf-a-crownforit,you’dthinkyourselfill-used,I’llbebound?’
Theclerksmiledfaintly.
