Різдвяна історія
Chapter 1
‘Whatdoyouwantwithme?’
‘Much!’—Marley’svoice,nodoubtaboutit.
‘Whoareyou?’
‘AskmewhoIwas.’
‘Whowereyouthen?’saidScrooge,raisinghisvoice.‘You’reparticular,forashade.’Hewasgoingtosay‘toashade,’butsubstitutedthis,asmoreappropriate.
‘InlifeIwasyourpartner,JacobMarley.’
‘Canyou—canyousitdown?’askedScrooge,lookingdoubtfullyathim.
‘Ican.’
‘Doit,then.’
Scroogeaskedthequestion,becausehedidn’tknowwhetheraghostsotransparentmightfindhimselfinaconditiontotakeachair;andfeltthatintheeventofitsbeingimpossible,itmightinvolvethenecessityofanembarrassingexplanation.Buttheghostsatdownontheoppositesideofthefireplace,asifhewerequiteusedtoit.
‘Youdon’tbelieveinme,’observedtheGhost.
‘Idon’t,’saidScrooge.
‘Whatevidencewouldyouhaveofmyrealitybeyondthatofyoursenses?’
‘Idon’tknow,’saidScrooge.
‘Whydoyoudoubtyoursenses?’
‘Because,’saidScrooge,‘alittlethingaffectsthem.Aslightdisorderofthestomachmakesthemcheats.Youmaybeanundigestedbitofbeef,ablotofmustard,acrumbofcheese,afragmentofanunderdonepotato.There’smoreofgravythanofgraveaboutyou,whateveryouare!’
Scroogewasnotmuchinthehabitofcrackingjokes,nordidhefeel,inhisheart,byanymeanswaggishthen.
