Chapter 3

           Awakinginthemiddleofaprodigiouslytoughsnore,andsittingupinbedtogethisthoughtstogether,ScroogehadnooccasiontobetoldthatthebellwasagainuponthestrokeofOne.Hefeltthathewasrestoredtoconsciousnessintherightnickoftime,fortheespecialpurposeofholdingaconferencewiththesecondmessengerdespatchedtohimthroughJacobMarley’sintervention.But,findingthatheturneduncomfortablycoldwhenhebegantowonderwhichofhiscurtainsthisnewspectrewoulddrawback,heputthemeveryoneasidewithhisownhands,andlyingdownagain,establishedasharplook-outallroundthebed.For,hewishedtochallengetheSpiritonthemomentofitsappearance,anddidnotwishtobetakenbysurprise,andmadenervous.

           Gentlemenofthefree-and-easysort,whoplumethemselvesonbeingacquaintedwithamoveortwo,andbeingusuallyequaltothetime-of-day,expressthewiderangeoftheircapacityforadventurebyobservingthattheyaregoodforanythingfrompitch-and-tosstomanslaughter;betweenwhichoppositeextremes,nodoubt,thereliesatolerablywideandcomprehensiverangeofsubjects.WithoutventuringforScroogequiteashardilyasthis,Idon’tmindcallingonyoutobelievethathewasreadyforagoodbroadfieldofstrangeappearances,andthatnothingbetweenababyandrhinoceroswouldhaveastonishedhimverymuch.