[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":865},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f3v9ubxkmbnou3":3,"$f3famfifci7s8u":746},{"uncondLen":4,"books":5},1,[6,61,115,162,203,245,290,390,505,548,571,626],{"slug":7,"title":8,"author":9,"year":10,"unit":11,"words":12,"chapters":13},"the-adventures-of-sherlock-holmes","The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes","Arthur Conan Doyle",1892,"Story",104350,[14,17,21,25,29,33,37,41,45,49,53,57],{"n":4,"title":15,"words":16},"A Scandal in Bohemia",8521,{"n":18,"title":19,"words":20},2,"The Red-headed League",9105,{"n":22,"title":23,"words":24},3,"A Case of Identity",6975,{"n":26,"title":27,"words":28},4,"The Boscombe Valley Mystery",9615,{"n":30,"title":31,"words":32},5,"The Five Orange Pips",7314,{"n":34,"title":35,"words":36},6,"The Man with the Twisted Lip",9199,{"n":38,"title":39,"words":40},7,"The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle",7808,{"n":42,"title":43,"words":44},8,"The Adventure of the Speckled Band",9805,{"n":46,"title":47,"words":48},9,"The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb",8283,{"n":50,"title":51,"words":52},10,"The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor",8102,{"n":54,"title":55,"words":56},11,"The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet",9679,{"n":58,"title":59,"words":60},12,"The Adventure of the Copper Beeches",9944,{"slug":62,"title":63,"author":9,"year":64,"unit":65,"words":66,"chapters":67},"the-hound-of-the-baskervilles","The Hound of the Baskervilles",1902,"Chapter",59020,[68,71,74,77,80,83,86,89,92,95,98,101,104,108,111],{"n":4,"title":69,"words":70},"Mr. Sherlock Holmes",2240,{"n":18,"title":72,"words":73},"The Curse of the Baskervilles",3846,{"n":22,"title":75,"words":76},"The Problem",2892,{"n":26,"title":78,"words":79},"Sir Henry Baskerville",4052,{"n":30,"title":81,"words":82},"Three Broken Threads",3409,{"n":34,"title":84,"words":85},"Baskerville Hall",3489,{"n":38,"title":87,"words":88},"The Stapletons of Merripit House",4963,{"n":42,"title":90,"words":91},"First Report of Dr. Watson",2755,{"n":46,"title":93,"words":94},"The Light upon the Moor [Second Report of Dr. Watson]",6644,{"n":50,"title":96,"words":97},"Extract from the Diary of Dr. Watson",3653,{"n":54,"title":99,"words":100},"The Man on the Tor",4561,{"n":58,"title":102,"words":103},"Death on the Moor",4830,{"n":105,"title":106,"words":107},13,"Fixing the Nets",3438,{"n":109,"title":63,"words":110},14,4166,{"n":112,"title":113,"words":114},15,"A Retrospection",4082,{"slug":116,"title":117,"author":9,"year":118,"unit":65,"words":119,"chapters":120},"a-study-in-scarlet","A Study in Scarlet",1887,43194,[121,123,126,129,132,135,138,141,144,147,150,153,156,159],{"n":4,"title":69,"words":122},2758,{"n":18,"title":124,"words":125},"The Science of Deduction",3535,{"n":22,"title":127,"words":128},"The Lauriston Gardens Mystery",3818,{"n":26,"title":130,"words":131},"What John Rance Had to Tell",2534,{"n":30,"title":133,"words":134},"Our Advertisement Brings a Visitor",2516,{"n":34,"title":136,"words":137},"Tobias Gregson Shows What He Can Do",3191,{"n":38,"title":139,"words":140},"Light in the Darkness",3331,{"n":42,"title":142,"words":143},"On the Great Alkali Plain",3603,{"n":46,"title":145,"words":146},"The Flower of Utah",2573,{"n":50,"title":148,"words":149},"John Ferrier Talks with the Prophet",1834,{"n":54,"title":151,"words":152},"A Flight for Life",3371,{"n":58,"title":154,"words":155},"The Avenging Angels",3526,{"n":105,"title":157,"words":158},"A Continuation of the Reminiscences of John Watson, M.d",4490,{"n":109,"title":160,"words":161},"The Conclusion",2114,{"slug":163,"title":164,"author":9,"year":165,"unit":65,"words":166,"chapters":167},"the-sign-of-the-four","The Sign of the Four",1890,42919,[168,170,173,176,179,182,185,188,191,194,197,200],{"n":4,"title":124,"words":169},2925,{"n":18,"title":171,"words":172},"The Statement of the Case",1820,{"n":22,"title":174,"words":175},"In Quest of a Solution",1721,{"n":26,"title":177,"words":178},"The Story of the Bald-Headed Man",3823,{"n":30,"title":180,"words":181},"The Tragedy of Pondicherry Lodge",2608,{"n":34,"title":183,"words":184},"Sherlock Holmes Gives a Demonstration",3107,{"n":38,"title":186,"words":187},"The Episode of the Barrel",4161,{"n":42,"title":189,"words":190},"The Baker Street Irregulars",3325,{"n":46,"title":192,"words":193},"A Break in the Chain",3611,{"n":50,"title":195,"words":196},"The End of the Islander",3330,{"n":54,"title":198,"words":199},"The Great Agra Treasure",2188,{"n":58,"title":201,"words":202},"The Strange Story of Jonathan Small",10300,{"slug":204,"title":205,"author":9,"year":206,"unit":11,"words":207,"chapters":208},"the-memoirs-of-sherlock-holmes","The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes",1894,95375,[209,212,215,218,221,224,227,230,233,236,239,242],{"n":4,"title":210,"words":211},"Silver Blaze",9571,{"n":18,"title":213,"words":214},"The Adventure of the Cardboard Box",8680,{"n":22,"title":216,"words":217},"The Yellow Face",7499,{"n":26,"title":219,"words":220},"The Stockbroker’s Clerk",6778,{"n":30,"title":222,"words":223},"The “Gloria Scott”",7841,{"n":34,"title":225,"words":226},"The Musgrave Ritual",7550,{"n":38,"title":228,"words":229},"The Reigate Squires",7164,{"n":42,"title":231,"words":232},"The Crooked Man",7114,{"n":46,"title":234,"words":235},"The Resident Patient",6433,{"n":50,"title":237,"words":238},"The Greek Interpreter",6995,{"n":54,"title":240,"words":241},"The Naval Treaty",12600,{"n":58,"title":243,"words":244},"The Final Problem",7150,{"slug":246,"title":247,"author":9,"year":248,"unit":11,"words":249,"chapters":250},"the-return-of-sherlock-holmes","The Return of Sherlock Holmes",1905,111951,[251,254,257,260,263,266,269,272,275,278,281,284,287],{"n":4,"title":252,"words":253},"The Adventure of the Empty House",8682,{"n":18,"title":255,"words":256},"The Adventure of the Norwood Builder",9207,{"n":22,"title":258,"words":259},"The Adventure of the Dancing Men",9624,{"n":26,"title":261,"words":262},"The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist",7820,{"n":30,"title":264,"words":265},"The Adventure of the Priory School",11439,{"n":34,"title":267,"words":268},"The Adventure of Black Peter",8097,{"n":38,"title":270,"words":271},"The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton",6698,{"n":42,"title":273,"words":274},"The Adventure of the Six Napoleons",8312,{"n":46,"title":276,"words":277},"The Adventure of the Three Students",6449,{"n":50,"title":279,"words":280},"The Adventure of the Golden Pince-nez",8908,{"n":54,"title":282,"words":283},"The Adventure of the Missing Three-quarter",7971,{"n":58,"title":285,"words":286},"The Adventure of the Abbey Grange",9125,{"n":105,"title":288,"words":289},"The Adventure of the Second Stain",9619,{"slug":291,"title":292,"author":293,"year":294,"unit":65,"words":295,"chapters":296},"dracula","Dracula","Bram Stoker",1897,160996,[297,300,303,306,309,312,315,318,321,324,327,330,333,336,339,342,346,350,354,358,362,366,370,374,378,382,386],{"n":4,"title":298,"words":299},"Chapter 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20",5909,{"n":363,"title":364,"words":365},21,"Chapter 21",6175,{"n":367,"title":368,"words":369},22,"Chapter 22",5454,{"n":371,"title":372,"words":373},23,"Chapter 23",5667,{"n":375,"title":376,"words":377},24,"Chapter 24",6307,{"n":379,"title":380,"words":381},25,"Chapter 25",6258,{"n":383,"title":384,"words":385},26,"Chapter 26",7158,{"n":387,"title":388,"words":389},27,"Chapter 27",8178,{"slug":391,"title":392,"author":393,"year":394,"unit":65,"words":395,"chapters":396},"treasure-island","Treasure Island","Robert Louis Stevenson",1883,67672,[397,400,403,406,409,412,415,418,421,424,427,430,433,436,439,442,445,448,451,454,457,460,463,466,469,472,475,478,482,486,490,494,498,502],{"n":4,"title":398,"words":399},"The Old Sea-dog at the Admiral Benbow",2203,{"n":18,"title":401,"words":402},"Black Dog Appears and Disappears",2243,{"n":22,"title":404,"words":405},"The Black Spot",2151,{"n":26,"title":407,"words":408},"The Sea-chest",2134,{"n":30,"title":410,"words":411},"The Last of the Blind Man",1849,{"n":34,"title":413,"words":414},"The Captain’s Papers",1952,{"n":38,"title":416,"words":417},"I Go to Bristol",1816,{"n":42,"title":419,"words":420},"At the Sign of the Spy-glass",1764,{"n":46,"title":422,"words":423},"Powder and Arms",1711,{"n":50,"title":425,"words":426},"The Voyage",1932,{"n":54,"title":428,"words":429},"What I Heard in the Apple-Barrel",2062,{"n":58,"title":431,"words":432},"Council of War",1839,{"n":105,"title":434,"words":435},"How I Began My Shore Adventure",1788,{"n":109,"title":437,"words":438},"The First Blow",1912,{"n":112,"title":440,"words":441},"The Man of the Island",2222,{"n":343,"title":443,"words":444},"Narrative Continued by the Doctor: How the Ship Was Abandoned",1634,{"n":347,"title":446,"words":447},"Narrative Continued by the Doctor: The Jolly-boat’s Last Trip",1470,{"n":351,"title":449,"words":450},"Narrative Continued by the Doctor: End of the First Day’s Fighting",1469,{"n":355,"title":452,"words":453},"Narrative Resumed by Jim Hawkins: The Garrison in the Stockade",1998,{"n":359,"title":455,"words":456},"Silver’s Embassy",1884,{"n":363,"title":458,"words":459},"The Attack",2009,{"n":367,"title":461,"words":462},"How I Began My Sea Adventure",2073,{"n":371,"title":464,"words":465},"The Ebb-tide Runs",1578,{"n":375,"title":467,"words":468},"The Cruise of the Coracle",1974,{"n":379,"title":470,"words":471},"I Strike the Jolly Roger",1703,{"n":383,"title":473,"words":474},"Israel Hands",2933,{"n":387,"title":476,"words":477},"“Pieces of Eight”",2159,{"n":479,"title":480,"words":481},28,"In the Enemy’s Camp",2726,{"n":483,"title":484,"words":485},29,"The Black Spot Again",2107,{"n":487,"title":488,"words":489},30,"On Parole",2306,{"n":491,"title":492,"words":493},31,"The Treasure-hunt--Flint’s Pointer",2253,{"n":495,"title":496,"words":497},32,"The Treasure-hunt--The Voice Among the Trees",1943,{"n":499,"title":500,"words":501},33,"The Fall of a Chieftain",1985,{"n":503,"title":504,"words":165},34,"And Last",{"slug":506,"title":507,"author":508,"year":509,"unit":65,"words":510,"chapters":511},"alices-adventures-in-wonderland","Alice's Adventures in Wonderland","Lewis Carroll",1865,26371,[512,515,518,521,524,527,530,533,536,539,542,545],{"n":4,"title":513,"words":514},"Down the Rabbit-Hole",2181,{"n":18,"title":516,"words":517},"The Pool of Tears",2093,{"n":22,"title":519,"words":520},"A Caucus-Race and a Long Tale",1694,{"n":26,"title":522,"words":523},"The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill",2607,{"n":30,"title":525,"words":526},"Advice from a Caterpillar",2180,{"n":34,"title":528,"words":529},"Pig and Pepper",2588,{"n":38,"title":531,"words":532},"A Mad Tea-Party",2282,{"n":42,"title":534,"words":535},"The Queen’s Croquet-Ground",2482,{"n":46,"title":537,"words":538},"The Mock Turtle’s Story",2266,{"n":50,"title":540,"words":541},"The Lobster Quadrille",2025,{"n":54,"title":543,"words":544},"Who Stole the Tarts?",1872,{"n":58,"title":546,"words":547},"Alice’s Evidence",2101,{"slug":549,"title":550,"author":551,"year":552,"unit":553,"words":554,"chapters":555},"a-christmas-carol","A Christmas Carol","Charles Dickens",1843,"Stave",28402,[556,559,562,565,568],{"n":4,"title":557,"words":558},"Marley's Ghost",6414,{"n":18,"title":560,"words":561},"The First of the Three Spirits",6149,{"n":22,"title":563,"words":564},"The Second of the Three Spirits",8199,{"n":26,"title":566,"words":567},"The Last of the Spirits",5348,{"n":30,"title":569,"words":570},"The End of It",2292,{"slug":572,"title":573,"author":574,"year":575,"unit":65,"words":576,"chapters":577},"the-time-machine","The Time Machine","H. G. Wells",1895,32311,[578,581,584,587,590,593,596,599,602,605,608,611,614,617,620,623],{"n":4,"title":579,"words":580},"Introduction",1680,{"n":18,"title":582,"words":583},"The Machine",1335,{"n":22,"title":585,"words":586},"The Time Traveller Returns",1983,{"n":26,"title":588,"words":589},"Time Travelling",2086,{"n":30,"title":591,"words":592},"In the Golden Age",1653,{"n":34,"title":594,"words":595},"The Sunset of Mankind",2183,{"n":38,"title":597,"words":598},"A Sudden Shock",2321,{"n":42,"title":600,"words":601},"Explanation",4181,{"n":46,"title":603,"words":604},"The Morlocks",2154,{"n":50,"title":606,"words":607},"When Night Came",2519,{"n":54,"title":609,"words":610},"The Palace of Green Porcelain",2465,{"n":58,"title":612,"words":613},"In the Darkness",2638,{"n":105,"title":615,"words":616},"The Trap of the White Sphinx",1066,{"n":109,"title":618,"words":619},"The Further Vision",1900,{"n":112,"title":621,"words":622},"The Time Traveller’s Return",480,{"n":343,"title":624,"words":625},"After the Story",1667,{"slug":627,"title":628,"author":629,"year":630,"unit":65,"words":631,"chapters":632},"around-the-world-in-eighty-days","Around the World in Eighty Days","Jules Verne",1873,62197,[633,636,639,642,645,648,651,654,657,660,663,666,669,672,675,678,681,684,687,690,693,696,699,701,704,707,710,713,716,719,722,725,728,731,734,738,742],{"n":4,"title":634,"words":635},"In Which Phileas Fogg and Passepartout Accept Each Other, the One as Master, the Other as Man",1453,{"n":18,"title":637,"words":638},"In Which Passepartout is Convinced That He Has at Last Found His Ideal",1114,{"n":22,"title":640,"words":641},"In Which a Conversation Takes Place Which Seems Likely to Cost Phileas Fogg Dear",1991,{"n":26,"title":643,"words":644},"In Which Phileas Fogg Astounds Passepartout, His Servant",942,{"n":30,"title":646,"words":647},"In Which a New Species of Funds, Unknown to the Moneyed Men, Appears on ’change",932,{"n":34,"title":649,"words":650},"In Which Fix, the Detective, Betrays a Very Natural Impatience",1299,{"n":38,"title":652,"words":653},"Which Once More Demonstrates the Uselessness of Passports as Aids to Detectives",763,{"n":42,"title":655,"words":656},"In Which Passepartout Talks Rather More, Perhaps, Than is Prudent",1076,{"n":46,"title":658,"words":659},"In Which the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean Prove Propitious to the Designs of Phileas Fogg",1544,{"n":50,"title":661,"words":662},"In Which Passepartout is Only Too Glad to Get Off with the Loss of His Shoes",1552,{"n":54,"title":664,"words":665},"In Which Phileas Fogg Secures a Curious Means of Conveyance at a Fabulous Price",2530,{"n":58,"title":667,"words":668},"In Which Phileas Fogg and His Companions Venture Across the Indian Forests, and What Ensued",2083,{"n":105,"title":670,"words":671},"In Which Passepartout Receives a New Proof That Fortune Favors the Brave",2035,{"n":109,"title":673,"words":674},"In Which Phileas Fogg Descends the Whole Length of the Beautiful Valley of the Ganges Without Ever Thinking of Seeing It",1917,{"n":112,"title":676,"words":677},"In Which the Bag of Banknotes Disgorges Some Thousands of Pounds More",1829,{"n":343,"title":679,"words":680},"In Which Fix Does Not Seem to Understand in the Least What is Said to Him",1609,{"n":347,"title":682,"words":683},"Showing What Happened on the Voyage from Singapore to Hong Kong",1718,{"n":351,"title":685,"words":686},"In Which Phileas Fogg, Passepartout, and Fix Go Each About His Business",1340,{"n":355,"title":688,"words":689},"In Which Passepartout Takes a Too Great Interest in His Master, and What Comes of It",2060,{"n":359,"title":691,"words":692},"In Which Fix Comes Face to Face with Phileas Fogg",1740,{"n":363,"title":694,"words":695},"In Which the Master of the “tankadere” Runs Great Risk of Losing a Reward of Two Hundred Pounds",2563,{"n":367,"title":697,"words":698},"In Which Passepartout Finds Out That, Even at the Antipodes, It is Convenient to Have Some Money in One’s Pocket",2064,{"n":371,"title":700,"words":426},"In Which Passepartout’s Nose Becomes Outrageously Long",{"n":375,"title":702,"words":703},"During Which Mr. Fogg and Party Cross the Pacific Ocean",1948,{"n":379,"title":705,"words":706},"In Which a Slight Glimpse is Had of San Francisco",2002,{"n":383,"title":708,"words":709},"In Which Phileas Fogg and Party Travel by the Pacific Railroad",1605,{"n":387,"title":711,"words":712},"In Which Passepartout Undergoes, at a Speed of Twenty Miles an Hour, a Course of Mormon History",1944,{"n":479,"title":714,"words":715},"In Which Passepartout Does Not Succeed in Making Anybody Listen to Reason",2442,{"n":483,"title":717,"words":718},"In Which Certain Incidents Are Narrated Which Are Only to Be Met with on American Railroads",2124,{"n":487,"title":720,"words":721},"In Which Phileas Fogg Simply Does His Duty",2132,{"n":491,"title":723,"words":724},"In Which Fix, the Detective, Considerably Furthers the Interests of Phileas Fogg",1842,{"n":495,"title":726,"words":727},"In Which Phileas Fogg Engages in a Direct Struggle with Bad Fortune",1050,{"n":499,"title":729,"words":730},"In Which Phileas Fogg Shows Himself Equal to the Occasion",2479,{"n":503,"title":732,"words":733},"In Which Phileas Fogg at Last Reaches London",975,{"n":735,"title":736,"words":737},35,"In Which Phileas Fogg Does Not Have to Repeat His Orders to Passepartout Twice",1573,{"n":739,"title":740,"words":741},36,"In Which Phileas Fogg’s Name is Once More at a Premium on ’change",1057,{"n":743,"title":744,"words":745},37,"In Which It is Shown That Phileas Fogg Gained Nothing by His Tour Around the World, Unless It Were Happiness",938,{"n":30,"title":569,"passages":747,"rows":864,"words":570},[748,761,782,801,816,839,856],{"i":749,"prompt":750,"paras":751,"emb":758},67,"A small old man in a nightcap clutches at the black robe of a hooded phantom that is shrinking and collapsing into a carved wooden bedpost.",[752,753,754,755,756,757],"YES! and the bedpost was his own. The bed was his own, the room was his own. Best and happiest of all, the Time before him was his own, to make amends in!","\"I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future!\" Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed. \"The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. Oh Jacob Marley! Heaven, and the Christmas Time be praised for this! I say it on my knees, old Jacob; on my knees!\"","He was so fluttered and so glowing with his good intentions, that his broken voice would scarcely answer to his call. He had been sobbing violently in his conflict with the Spirit, and his face was wet with tears.","\"They are not torn down,\" cried Scrooge, folding one of his bed-curtains in his arms, \"they are not torn down, rings and all. They are here--I am here--the shadows of the things that would have been, may be dispelled. They will be. I know they will!\"","His hands were busy with his garments all this time; turning them inside out, putting them on upside down, tearing them, mislaying them, making them parties to every kind of extravagance.","\"I don't know what to do!\" cried Scrooge, laughing and crying in the same breath; and making a perfect Laocoön of himself with his stockings. \"I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world. Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!\"",[759,760],0,48,{"i":762,"prompt":763,"paras":764,"emb":780},68,"A joyful thin old man in a nightcap leans out of an open window into bright morning sunshine, shouting down to a boy in Sunday clothes on a snowy street.",[765,766,767,768,769,770,771,772,773,774,775,776,777,778,779],"He had frisked into the sitting-room, and was now standing there: perfectly winded.","\"There's the saucepan that the gruel was in!\" cried Scrooge, starting off again, and going round the fireplace. \"There's the door, by which the Ghost of Jacob Marley entered! There's the corner where the Ghost of Christmas Present, sat! There's the window where I saw the wandering Spirits! It's all right, it's all true, it all happened. Ha ha ha!\"","Really, for a man who had been out of practice for so many years, it was a splendid laugh, a most illustrious laugh. The father of a long, long line of brilliant laughs!","\"I don't know what day of the month it is!\" said Scrooge. \"I don't know how long I've been among the Spirits. I don't know anything. I'm quite a baby. Never mind. I don't care. I'd rather be a baby. Hallo! Whoop! Hallo here!\"","He was checked in his transports by the churches ringing out the lustiest peals he had ever heard. Clash, clang, hammer; ding, dong, bell. Bell, dong, ding; hammer, clang, clash! Oh, glorious, glorious!","Running to the window, he opened it, and put out his head. No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; cold, piping for the blood to dance to; Golden sunlight; Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells. Oh, glorious! Glorious!","\"What's to-day!\" cried Scrooge, calling downward to a boy in Sunday clothes, who perhaps had loitered in to look about him.","\"EH?\" returned the boy, with all his might of wonder.","\"What's to-day, my fine fellow?\" said Scrooge.","\"To-day!\" replied the boy. \"Why, CHRISTMAS DAY.\"","\"It's Christmas Day!\" said Scrooge to himself. \"I haven't missed it. The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can. Of course they can. Hallo, my fine fellow!\"","\"Hallo!\" returned the boy.","\"Do you know the Poulterer's, in the next street but one, at the corner?\" Scrooge inquired.","\"I should hope I did,\" replied the lad.","\"An intelligent boy!\" said Scrooge. \"A remarkable boy! Do you know whether they've sold the prize Turkey that was hanging up there?--Not the little prize Turkey: the big one?\"",[760,781],40,{"i":783,"prompt":784,"paras":785,"emb":799},69,"A delighted thin old man in a dressing gown pats a brass door knocker beside a poulterer's man carrying an enormous turkey in a snowy street.",[786,787,788,789,790,791,792,793,794,795,796,797,798],"\"What, the one as big as me?\" returned the boy.","\"What a delightful boy!\" said Scrooge. \"It's a pleasure to talk to him. Yes, my buck!\"","\"It's hanging there now,\" replied the boy.","\"Is it?\" said Scrooge. \"Go and buy it.\"","\"Walk-ER!\" exclaimed the boy.","\"No, no,\" said Scrooge, \"I am in earnest. Go and buy it, and tell 'em to bring it here, that I may give them the direction where to take it. Come back with the man, and I'll give you a shilling. Come back with him in less than five minutes and I'll give you half-a-crown!\"","The boy was off like a shot. He must have had a steady hand at a trigger who could have got a shot off half so fast.","\"I'll send it to Bob Cratchit's!\" whispered Scrooge, rubbing his hands, and splitting with a laugh. \"He sha'n't know who sends it. It's twice the size of Tiny Tim. Joe Miller never made such a joke as sending it to Bob's will be!\"","The hand in which he wrote the address was not a steady one, but write it he did, somehow, and went down-stairs to open the street door, ready for the coming of the poulterer's man. As he stood there, waiting his arrival, the knocker caught his eye.","\"I shall love it, as long as I live!\" cried Scrooge, patting it with his hand. \"I scarcely ever looked at it before. What an honest expression it has in its face! It's a wonderful knocker!--Here's the Turkey! Hallo! Whoop! How are you! Merry Christmas!\"","It was a Turkey! He never could have stood upon his legs, that bird. He would have snapped 'em short off in a minute, like sticks of sealing-wax.","\"Why, it's impossible to carry that to Camden Town,\" said Scrooge. \"You must have a cab.\"","The chuckle with which he said this, and the chuckle with which he paid for the Turkey, and the chuckle with which he paid for the cab, and the chuckle with which he recompensed the boy, were only to be exceeded by the chuckle with which he sat down breathless in his chair again, and chuckled till he cried.",[800,781],88,{"i":802,"prompt":803,"paras":804,"emb":814},70,"A thin, stooped old miser in his best coat and top hat smiles happily as he walks along a snowy Victorian street past cheerful passersby.",[805,806,807,808,809,810,811,812,813],"Shaving was not an easy task, for his hand continued to shake very much; and shaving requires attention, even when you don't dance while you are at it. But if he had cut the end of his nose off, he would have put a piece of sticking-plaister over it, and been quite satisfied.","He dressed himself \"all in his best,\" and at last got out into the streets. The people were by this time pouring forth, as he had seen them with the Ghost of Christmas Present; and walking with his hands behind him, Scrooge regarded every one with a delighted smile. He looked so irresistibly pleasant, in a word, that three or four good-humoured fellows said, \"Good morning, sir! A merry Christmas to you!\" And Scrooge said often afterwards, that of all the blithe sounds he had ever heard, those were the blithest in his ears.","He had not gone far, when coming on towards him he beheld the portly gentleman, who had walked into his counting-house the day before, and said, \"Scrooge and Marley's, I believe?\" It sent a pang across his heart to think how this old gentleman would look upon him when they met; but he knew what path lay straight before him, and he took it.","\"My dear sir,\" said Scrooge, quickening his pace, and taking the old gentleman by both his hands. \"How do you do? I hope you succeeded yesterday. It was very kind of you. A merry Christmas to you, sir!\"","\"Mr. Scrooge?\"","\"Yes,\" said Scrooge. \"That is my name, and I fear it may not be pleasant to you. Allow me to ask your pardon. And will you have the goodness\"--here Scrooge whispered in his ear.","\"Lord bless me!\" cried the gentleman, as if his breath were taken away. \"My dear Mr. Scrooge, are you serious?\"","\"If you please,\" said Scrooge. \"Not a farthing less. A great many back-payments are included in it, I assure you. Will you do me that favour?\"","\"My dear sir,\" said the other, shaking hands with him. \"I don't know what to say to such munifi--\"",[815,781],128,{"i":817,"prompt":818,"paras":819,"emb":836},71,"A thin, stooped old miser in a top hat peeks round a dining-room door at a startled young couple standing beside a set table in a Victorian house.",[820,821,822,823,824,825,826,827,828,829,830,831,832,833,834,835],"\"Don't say anything, please,\" retorted Scrooge. \"Come and see me. Will you come and see me?\"","\"I will!\" cried the old gentleman. And it was clear he meant to do it.","\"Thank'ee,\" said Scrooge. \"I am much obliged to you. I thank you fifty times. Bless you!\"","He went to church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people hurrying to and fro, and patted children on the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of houses, and up to the windows, and found that everything could yield him pleasure. He had never dreamed that any walk--that anything--could give him so much happiness. In the afternoon he turned his steps towards his nephew's house.","He passed the door a dozen times, before he had the courage to go up and knock. But he made a dash, and did it:","\"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!",[837,838],168,46,{"i":840,"prompt":841,"paras":842,"emb":853},72,"A grinning thin, stooped old miser claps a startled clerk in a long scarf on the back inside a gloomy Victorian counting-house with a small coal fire.",[843,844,845,846,847,848,849,850,851,852],"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, sir, 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!\"",[854,855],214,49,{"i":857,"prompt":858,"paras":859,"emb":862},73,"A smiling thin old man in a long coat carries a small boy with a crutch on his shoulders along a snowy Victorian street, both laughing.",[860,861],"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!",[863,743],263,300,1793453960831]