Різдвяна історія

           Theywereportlygentlemen,pleasanttobehold,andnowstood,withtheirhatsoff,inScrooge’soffice.Theyhadbooksandpapersintheirhands,andbowedtohim.

           ‘ScroogeandMarley’s,Ibelieve,’saidoneofthegentlemen,referringtohislist.‘HaveIthepleasureofaddressingMr.Scrooge,orMr.Marley?’

           ‘Mr.Marleyhasbeendeadthesesevenyears,’Scroogereplied.‘Hediedsevenyearsago,thisverynight.’

           ‘Wehavenodoubthisliberalityiswellrepresentedbyhissurvivingpartner,’saidthegentleman,presentinghiscredentials.

           Itcertainlywas;fortheyhadbeentwokindredspirits.Attheominousword‘liberality,’Scroogefrowned,andshookhishead,andhandedthecredentialsback.

           ‘Atthisfestiveseasonoftheyear,Mr.Scrooge,’saidthegentleman,takingupapen,‘itismorethanusuallydesirablethatweshouldmakesomeslightprovisionforthePoorandDestitute,whosuffergreatlyatthepresenttime.Manythousandsareinwantofcommonnecessaries;hundredsofthousandsareinwantofcommoncomforts,sir.’

           ‘Aretherenoprisons?’askedScrooge.

           ‘Plentyofprisons,’saidthegentleman,layingdownthepenagain.

           ‘AndtheUnionworkhouses?’demandedScrooge.‘Aretheystillinoperation?’

           ‘Theyare.Still,’returnedthegentleman,‘IwishIcouldsaytheywerenot.’

           ‘TheTreadmillandthePoorLawareinfullvigour,then?’saidScrooge.

           ‘Bothverybusy,sir.’