Stave Oxe（第3/10页）
The clerk in the tank involuntarily applauded. Becoming immediately sensible of the impropriety，he poked the fire，and extinguished the last frail spark for ever.
“ Let me hear another sound from you，” said Scrooge，“ and you’ll keep your Christmas bylosing your situation！You’re quite a powerful speaker，sir，” he added，turning to his nephew. “ I wonder you don’t go into Parliament.，’
“ Don’t be angry，uncle. Come！Dine with us to-morrow.”
Scrooge said that he would see him—Yes，indeed he did. He went the whole length of that expression，and said that he would see him in that extremity first.
“ But why ？ ” cried Scrooge’s nephew. “ Why ？ ”
“ Why did you get married ？” said Scrooge.
“ Because I fell in love.”
“ Because you fell in love！” growled Scrooge，as if that were the only one thing in the world more ridiculous than a Merry Christmas. “ Good-afternoon！”
“Nay，uncle，but you never came to see me before that happened. Why give it as a reason for not coming now ？ ”
“ Good-afternoon，” said Scrooge.
“ I want nothing from you；I ask nothing of you；why cannot we be friends ？”
“ Good-afternoon，” said Scrooge.
“ I am sorry，with all my heart，to find you so resolute. We have never had any quarrel，to which I have been a party. But I have made the trial in homage to Christmas，and I’ll keep my Christmas humour to the last. So a Merry Christmas，uncle！”
“ Good-afternoon！” said Scrooge.
“ And a happy New Year！”
“ Good-afternoon！” said Scrooge.
His nephew left the room without an angry word，notwithstanding. He stopped at the outer door to bestow the greetings of the season on the clerk，who，cold as he was，was warmer than Scrooge；for he returned them cordially.
“ There’s another fellow，”muttered Scrooge，who overheard him；“ my clerk，with fifteen shillings a week，and a wife and family，talking about a merry Christmas. I’ll retire to Bedlam.”
This lunatic，in letting Scrooge’s nephew out，had let two other people in. They were portly gentlemen，pleasant to behold，and now stood，with their hats off，in Scrooges office. They had books and papers in their hands，and bowed to him.
“ Scrooge and Marley’s，I believe，” said one of the gentlemen，referring to his list. “ Have I the pleasure of addressing Mr. Scrooge or Mr. Marley ？ ”
“ Mr. Marley has been dead these seven years，” Scrooge replied. “ He died seven years ago，this very night.”
“ We have no doubt his liberality is well repre sented by his surviving partner，” said the gentleman，presenting his credentials.
It certainly was；for they had been two kindred spirits. At the ominous words “ liberality，” Scrooge frowned，and shook his head，and handed the credentials back.
“ At this festive season of the year，Mr. Scrooge，” said the gentleman，taking up a pen，“ it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the poor and destitute，who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries；hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts，sir.”
“Are there no prisons ？” asked Scrooge.
“ Plenty of prisons，”said the gentleman，laying down the pen again.
“ And the union workhouses ？ ” demanded Scrooge. “ Are they still in operation ？ ”
“ They are. Still，” returned the gentleman，“ I wish I could say that they were not.”
“The treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour，then ？ ” said Scrooge.
“ Both very busy，sir.”
“ Oh！I was afraid，from what you said at first，that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course，” said Scrooge. “ I’m very glad to hear it.”