Halloa ! Hoop ! Halloo ! '' Then , with a rapidity of transition very foreign to his usual character , he said , in pity for his former self , `` Poor boy ! '' and cried again . `` I wish , '' Scrooge muttered , putting his hand in his pocket , and looking about him , after drying his eyes with his cuff : `` but it 's too late now . '' `` What is the matter ? '' asked the Spirit . `` Nothing , '' said Scrooge . `` Nothing . There was a boy singing a Christmas Carol at my door last night . I should like to have given him something : that 's all . '' The Ghost smiled thoughtfully , and waved its hand : saying , as it did so , `` Let us see another Christmas ! '' Scrooge 's former self grew larger at the words , and the room became a little darker and more dirty . The panels shrunk , the windows cracked ; fragments of plaster fell out of the ceiling , and the naked laths were shown instead ; but how all this was brought about Scrooge knew no more than you do . He only knew that it was quite correct : that everything had happened so ; that there he was , alone again , when all the other boys had gone home for the jolly holidays . He was not reading now , but walking up and down despairingly . Scrooge looked at the Ghost , and , with a mournful shaking of his head , glanced anxiously towards the door . It opened ; and a little girl , much younger than the boy , came darting in , and , putting her arms about his neck , and often kissing him , addressed him as her `` dear , dear brother . '' `` I have come to bring you home , dear brother ! ''
said the child , clapping her tiny hands , and bending down XXXXX laugh .
about after as at in of than to towards with