You are not a skater , I suppose ? '' `` No . No . Something else to think of . Good morning ! '' Not another word . That was their meeting , their conversation , and their parting . Scrooge was at first inclined to be surprised that the Spirit should attach importance to conversations apparently so trivial ; but , feeling assured that they must have some hidden purpose , he set himself to consider what it was likely to be . They could scarcely be supposed to have any bearing on the death of Jacob , his old partner , for that was Past , and this Ghost 's province was the Future . Nor could he think of any one immediately connected with himself , to whom he could apply them . But nothing doubting that , to whomsoever they applied , they had some latent moral for his own improvement , he resolved to treasure up every word he heard , and everything he saw ; and especially to observe the shadow of himself when it appeared . For he had an expectation that the conduct of his future self would give him the clue he missed , and would render the solution of these riddles easy . He looked about in that very place for his own image , but another man stood in his accustomed corner , and , though the clock pointed to his usual time of day for being there , he saw no likeness of himself among the multitudes that poured in through the Porch . It gave him little surprise , however ; for he had been revolving in his mind a change of life , and thought and hoped he saw his new-born resolutions carried out in this . Quiet and dark , beside him stood the Phantom , with its outstretched hand . When he roused himself from his thoughtful quest , he fancied , from the turn of the hand , and its situation in reference to himself , that the Unseen Eyes were looking at him keenly . It made him shudder , and feel very cold . They left the busy scene , and went into an obscure part of the town , where Scrooge had never penetrated before , although he recognised its situation and its bad repute . The ways were foul and narrow ; the shops and houses wretched ; the people half naked , drunken , slipshod , ugly . Alleys and archways , like so many cesspools , disgorged their offences of smell , and dirt , and life upon the straggling streets ; and the whole quarter reeked with crime , with filth and misery .
Far in this den XXXXX infamous resort , there was a low-browed , beetling shop , below a pent-house roof , where iron , old rags , bottles , bones , and greasy offal were bought .
For although from in into of on that to upon