Chapter 4

           ThePhantomslowly,gravely,silentlyapproached.Whenitcame,Scroogebentdownuponhisknee;forintheveryairthroughwhichthisSpiritmoveditseemedtoscattergloomandmystery.

           Itwasshroudedinadeepblackgarment,whichconcealeditshead,itsface,itsform,andleftnothingofitvisiblesaveoneoutstretchedhand.Butforthisitwouldhavebeendifficulttodetachitsfigurefromthenight,andseparateitfromthedarknessbywhichitwassurrounded.

           Hefeltthatitwastallandstatelywhenitcamebesidehim,andthatitsmysteriouspresencefilledhimwithasolemndread.Heknewnomore,fortheSpiritneitherspokenormoved.

           ‘IaminthepresenceoftheGhostofChristmasYetToCome,’saidScrooge.

           TheSpiritanswerednot,butpointedonwardwithitshand.

           ‘Youareabouttoshowmeshadowsofthethingsthathavenothappened,butwillhappeninthetimebeforeus,’Scroogepursued.‘Isthatso,Spirit?’

           Theupperportionofthegarmentwascontractedforaninstantinitsfolds,asiftheSpirithadinclineditshead.Thatwastheonlyanswerhereceived.

           Althoughwellusedtoghostlycompanybythistime,Scroogefearedthesilentshapesomuchthathislegstrembledbeneathhim,andhefoundthathecouldhardlystandwhenhepreparedtofollowit.TheSpiritpausesamoment,asobservinghiscondition,andgivinghimtimetorecover.

           ButScroogewasalltheworseforthis.