It was an office still , but not his . The furniture was not the same , and the figure in the chair was not himself . The Phantom pointed as before . He joined it once again , and , wondering why and whither he had gone , accompanied it until they reached an iron gate . He paused to look round before entering . A churchyard . Here , then , the wretched man , whose name he had now to learn , lay underneath the ground . It was a worthy place . Walled in by houses ; overrun by grass and weeds , the growth of vegetation 's death , not life ; choked up with too much burying ; fat with repleted appetite . A worthy place ! The Spirit stood among the graves , and pointed down to One . He advanced towards it trembling . The Phantom was exactly as it had been , but he dreaded that he saw new meaning in its solemn shape . `` Before I draw nearer to that stone to which you point , '' said Scrooge , `` answer me one question . Are these the shadows of the things that Will be , or are they shadows of the things that May be only ? '' Still the Ghost pointed downward to the grave by which it stood . `` Men 's courses will foreshadow certain ends , to which , if persevered in , they must lead , '' said Scrooge . `` But if the courses be departed from , the ends will change . Say it is thus with what you show me ! '' The Spirit was immovable as ever .
Scrooge crept towards it , trembling XXXXX he went ; and , following the finger , read upon the stone of the neglected grave his own name , EBENEZER SCROOGE .
Before among as if in of that towards underneath until