He was obliged to rub the frost off with the sleeve of his dressing-gown before he could see anything ; and could see very little then . All he could make out was , that it was still very foggy and extremely cold , and that there was no noise of people running to and fro , and making a great stir , as there unquestionably would have been if night had beaten off bright day , and taken possession of the world . This was a great relief , because `` Three days after sight of this First of Exchange pay to Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge or his order , '' and so forth , would have become a mere United States security if there were no days to count by . Scrooge went to bed again , and thought , and thought , and thought it over and over , and could make nothing of it . The more he thought , the more perplexed he was ; and , the more he endeavoured not to think , the more he thought . Marley 's Ghost bothered him exceedingly . Every time he resolved within himself , after mature inquiry , that it was all a dream , his mind flew back again , like a strong spring released , to its first position , and presented the same problem to be worked all through , `` Was it a dream or not ? '' Scrooge lay in this state until the chime had gone three quarters more , when he remembered , on a sudden , that the Ghost had warned him of a visitation when the bell tolled one . He resolved to lie awake until the hour was passed ; and , considering that he could no more go to sleep than go to Heaven , this was , perhaps , the wisest resolution in his power . The quarter was so long , that he was more than once convinced he must have sunk into a doze unconsciously , and missed the clock . At length it broke upon his listening ear . `` Ding , dong ! '' `` A quarter past , '' said Scrooge , counting . `` Ding , dong ! '' `` Half past , '' said Scrooge . `` Ding , dong ! '' `` A quarter to it , '' said Scrooge . `` Ding , dong ! '' `` The hour itself , '' said Scrooge triumphantly , `` and nothing else ! '' He spoke before the hour bell sounded , which it now did with a deep , dull , hollow , melancholy ONE .
Light flashed up in the room upon the instant , and the curtains XXXXX his bed were drawn .
before into of over that through to until with within