Різдвяна історія
Chapter 2
Youcouldn’thavepredicted,atanygiventime,whatwouldhavebecomeofthemnext.AndwhenoldFezziwigandMrsFezziwighadgoneallthroughthedance;advanceandretire,bothhandstoyourpartner,bowandcurtsey,corkscrew,thread-the-needle,andbackagaintoyourplace;Fezziwigcut—cutsodeftly,thatheappearedtowinkwithhislegs,andcameuponhisfeetagainwithoutastagger.
Whentheclockstruckeleven,thisdomesticballbrokeup.MrandMrsFezziwigtooktheirstations,oneoneithersideofthedoor,andshakinghandswitheverypersonindividuallyasheorshewentout,wishedhimorheraMerryChristmas.Wheneverybodyhadretiredbutthetwo‘prentices,theydidthesametothem;andthusthecheerfulvoicesdiedaway,andtheladswerelefttotheirbeds;whichwereunderacounterintheback-shop.
Duringthewholeofthistime,Scroogehadactedlikeamanoutofhiswits.Hisheartandsoulwereinthescene,andwithhisformerself.Hecorroboratedeverything,rememberedeverything,enjoyedeverything,andunderwentthestrangestagitation.Itwasnotuntilnow,whenthebrightfacesofhisformerselfandDickwereturnedfromthem,thatherememberedtheGhost,andbecameconsciousthatitwaslookingfulluponhim,whilethelightuponitsheadburntveryclear.
‘Asmallmatter,’saidtheGhost,‘tomakethesesillyfolkssofullofgratitude.’
‘Small,’echoedScrooge.
