The misery with them all was , clearly , that they sought to interfere , for good , in human matters , and had lost the power for ever . Whether these creatures faded into mist , or mist enshrouded them , he could not tell . But they and their spirit voices faded together ; and the night became as it had been when he walked home . Scrooge closed the window , and examined the door by which the Ghost had entered . It was double locked , as he had locked it with his own hands , and the bolts were undisturbed . He tried to say `` Humbug ! '' but stopped at the first syllable . And being , from the emotion he had undergone , or the fatigues of the day , or his glimpse of the Invisible World , or the dull conversation of the Ghost , or the lateness of the hour , much in need of repose , went straight to bed without undressing , and fell asleep upon the instant . STAVE TWO THE FIRST OF THE THREE SPIRITS When Scrooge awoke it was so dark , that , looking out of bed , he could scarcely distinguish the transparent window from the opaque walls of his chamber . He was endeavouring to pierce the darkness with his ferret eyes , when the chimes of a neighbouring church struck the four quarters . So he listened for the hour . To his great astonishment , the heavy bell went on from six to seven , and from seven to eight , and regularly up to twelve ; then stopped . Twelve ! It was past two when he went to bed . The clock was wrong . An icicle must have got into the works . Twelve ! He touched the spring of his repeater , to correct this most preposterous clock . Its rapid little pulse beat twelve , and stopped . `` Why , it is n't possible , '' said Scrooge , `` that I can have slept through a whole day and far into another night .
It is n't possible that anything has happened to the sun , and this is twelve XXXXX noon ! ''
OF To Whether as at by from in through with