SCROOGE. Good afternoon. FIRST LASS. I'm sorry, sir. Sorry-- SCROOGE. Sorry for them? FIRST LASS. No, sir, I'm sorry for you, sir. Good afternoon. (_Exits L. followed by_ SECOND LASS.) SCROOGE. Sorry for me, hey? (_Pause. He works. The clock strikes five._) Sorry for me! CRATCHIT (_closes his book, blows out candle_). Is there anything more, sir? (_Comes to C._) SCROOGE. You'll want all day off tomorrow, I suppose? CRATCHIT. If it's quite convenient, sir. SCROOGE. Well, it isn't--and it's not fair. If I'd dock you a half a crown for it you'd think I was ill using you, wouldn't you? CRATCHIT (_nervously_). I don't know, sir. SCROOGE. And yet you expect me to pay a full day's wages for no work. CRATCHIT. It only comes once a year, sir. Only once a year. SCROOGE. A poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every twenty-fifth of December! But I suppose you've got to have the whole day. But you be here all the earlier next morning. CRATCHIT. Oh, yes, indeed, sir. (_Goes out R._) SCROOGE. I'll stay here a bit and finish up the work. _Enter_ CRATCHIT _from R. with hat. He turns up his coat collar, wraps the long white woolen muffler around chin and pulls hat down over his face._ CRATCHIT (_crosses to door L._). I'm going, sir. SCROOGE. All right. CRATCHIT (_shields face with arm as though he were afraid Scrooge might throw something at him_). Merry Christmas, sir! (_Runs out L._) SCROOGE. Bah! Humbug! (_He works at ledger. Finally drops his head on his arms and sleeps. The light of his candle goes out. Note: Scrooge might blow it out unseen by audience._) _The stage is now in darkness. A musical bell tolls off L. After a pause another bell tolls off R. The clinking of chains is heard. When the stage is completely darkened the_ GHOST OF MARLEY _slips in and sits at R. He is entirely covered with black, face and all, as he slips in, so as to be quite invisible._ _Mysterious music. Sudden clap of thunder heard. An auto light from the wings at R. is thrown on the_ GHOST'S _face. This light should be green. The thunder dies away. Clanking of chains heard._ GHOST (_groans_). SCROOGE (_starts up, looks at Ghost, pauses_). How now! What do you want with me? GHOST. Much. SCROOGE. Who are you? GHOST. Ask me who I was. SCROOGE. Well, who were you, then? GHOST. In life I was your partner, Jacob Marley. It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. SCROOGE. You are fettered. Tell me why. GHOST. I wear the chain I forged in life. I made it link by link, yard by yard, the heavy chain of avarice. Now I must make amends for the opportunities I neglected in life. SCROOGE. But you were always a good man of business, Jacob.