It wore a tunic of the purest white ; and round its waist was bound a lustrous belt , the sheen of which was beautiful . It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand : and , in singular contradiction of that wintry emblem , had its dress trimmed with summer flowers . But the strangest thing about it was , that from the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light , by which all this was visible ; and which was doubtless the occasion of its using , in its duller moments , a great extinguisher for a cap , which it now held under its arm . Even this , though , when Scrooge looked at it with increasing steadiness , was not its strangest quality . For , as its belt sparkled and glittered , now in one part and now in another , and what was light one instant at another time was dark , so the figure itself fluctuated in its distinctness : being now a thing with one arm , now with one leg , now with twenty legs , now a pair of legs without a head , now a head without a body : of which dissolving parts no outline would be visible in the dense gloom wherein they melted away . And , in the very wonder of this , it would be itself again ; distinct and clear as ever . `` Are you the Spirit , sir , whose coming was foretold to me ? '' asked Scrooge . `` I am ! '' The voice was soft and gentle . Singularly low , as if , instead of being so close beside him , it were at a distance . `` Who and what are you ? '' Scrooge demanded . `` I am the Ghost of Christmas Past . '' `` Long Past ? '' inquired Scrooge ; observant of its dwarfish stature . `` No . Your past . '' Perhaps Scrooge could not have told anybody why , if anybody could have asked him ; but he had a special desire to see the Spirit in his cap ; and begged him to be covered . `` What ! ''
exclaimed the Ghost , `` would you so soon put out , XXXXX worldly hands , the light I give ?
For about as at if in of so to with