"Is your master at home, my dear?" said Scrooge
to the girl. Nice girl! Very.
"Yes, sir."
"Where is he, my love?" said Scrooge.
"He's in the dining-room, sir, along with mistress.
I'll show you up-stairs, if you please."
"Thank 'ee. He knows me," said Scrooge, with his
hand already on the dining-room lock. "I'll go in here,
my dear."
He turned it gently, and sidled his face in, round
the door. They were looking at the table (which was
spread out in great array); for these young
housekeepers are always nervous on such points,
and like to see that everything is right.
"Fred!" said Scrooge.
Dear heart alive, how his niece by marriage
started! Scrooge had forgotten, for the moment,
about her sitting in the corner with the footstool, or
he wouldn't have done it, on any account.
"Why bless my soul!" cried Fred, "who's that?"
"It's I. Your uncle Scrooge. I have come to
dinner. Will you let me in, Fred?"
Let him in! It is a mercy he didn't shake his arm
off. He was at home in five minutes. Nothing could
be heartier. His niece looked just the same. So did
Topper when he came. So did the plump sister when
she came. So did every one when they came.
Wonderful party, wonderful games, wonderful
unanimity, won-der-ful happiness!
But he was early at the office next morning. Oh,
he was early there. If he could only be there first,
and catch Bob Cratchit coming late! That was the
thing he had set his heart upon.
And he did it; yes he did! The clock struck nine.
No Bob. A quarter past. No Bob. He was full eighteen
minutes and a half, behind his time. Scrooge sat
with his door wide open, that he might see him come
into the Tank.
His hat was off, before he opened the door; his
comforter too. He was on his stool in a jiffy; driving
away with his pen, as if he were trying to overtake
nine o'clock.
"Hallo!" growled Scrooge, in his accustomed
voice, as near as he could feign it. "What do you
mean by coming here at this time of day."
"I am very sorry, sir," said Bob. "I am behind my
time."
"You are?" repeated Scrooge. "Yes. I think you
are. Step this way, if you please."
"It's only once a year, sir," pleaded Bob,
appearing from the Tank. "It shall not be repeated. I
was making rather merry yesterday, sir."
"Now, I'll tell you what, my friend," said Scrooge,
"I am not going to stand this sort of thing any
longer. And therefore," he continued, leaping from
his stool, and giving Bob such a dig in the waistcoat
that he staggered back into the Tank again: "and
therefore I am about to raise your salary!"
Bob trembled, and got a little nearer to the ruler.
He had a momentary idea of knocking Scrooge down
with it; holding him, and calling to the people in the
court for help and a strait-waistcoat.
"A merry Christmas, Bob!" said Scrooge, with an
earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he
clapped him on the back. "A merrier Christmas, Bob,
my good fellow, than I have given you for many a
year! I'll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist
your struggling family, and we will discuss your
affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of
smoking bishop, Bob! Make up the fires, and buy
another coal-scuttle before you dot another i, Bob
Cratchit."
Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all,
and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not
die, he was a second father. He became as good a
friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the
good old city knew, or any other good old city,
town, or borough, in the good old world. Some
people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he
let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was
wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on
this globe, for good, at which some people did not
have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing
that such as these would be blind anyway, he
thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up
their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less
attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that
was quite enough for him.
He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but
lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever
afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he
knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive
possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of
us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God
Bless Us, Every One!