Foggier yet , and colder ! Piercing , searching , biting cold . If the good St. Dunstan had but nipped the Evil Spirit 's nose with a touch of such weather as that , instead of using his familiar weapons , then indeed he would have roared to lusty purpose . The owner of one scant young nose , gnawed and mumbled by the hungry cold as bones are gnawed by dogs , stooped down at Scrooge 's keyhole to regale him with a Christmas carol ; but , at the first sound of `` God bless you , merry gentleman , May nothing you dismay ! '' Scrooge seized the ruler with such energy of action , that the singer fled in terror , leaving the keyhole to the fog , and even more congenial frost . At length the hour of shutting up the counting-house arrived . With an ill-will Scrooge dismounted from his stool , and tacitly admitted the fact to the expectant clerk in the tank , who instantly snuffed his candle out , and put on his hat . `` You 'll want all day to-morrow , I suppose ? '' said Scrooge . `` If quite convenient , sir . '' `` It 's not convenient , '' said Scrooge , `` and it 's not fair . If I was to stop half-a-crown for it , you 'd think yourself ill used , I 'll be bound ? '' The clerk smiled faintly . `` And yet , '' said Scrooge , `` you do n't think me ill used when I pay a day 's wages for no work . '' The clerk observed that it was only once a year . `` A poor excuse for picking a man 's pocket every twenty-fifth of December ! '' said Scrooge , buttoning his great-coat to the chin . `` But I suppose you must have the whole day . Be here all the earlier next morning . '' The clerk promised that he would ; and Scrooge walked out with a growl .
The office was closed in a twinkling , and the clerk , with the long ends of his white comforter dangling below his waist -LRB- XXXXX he boasted no great-coat -RRB- , went down a slide on Cornhill , at the end of a lane of boys , twenty times , in honour of its being Christmas-eve , and then ran home to Camden Town as hard as he could pelt , to play at blindman 's buff .
If at by for from in of that to with