SCENE V.--_Drawing room. Six or eight children, of

various sizes, in groups, playing with toys. A Christmas tree, trimmed and lighted. Mr. and Mrs. Kemper seated at table; their daughter Belle seated at fire, dressing a doll for one of the girls._

_Mr. K._ Belle, I saw an old friend of yours this afternoon.

_Mrs. K._ Who was it?

_Mr. K._ Guess?

_Mrs. K._ How can I? Tut, don't I know (_laughingly_), Mr. Scrooge?

_Mr. K._ Mr. Scrooge it was--your old sweetheart (_laughing_). I passed his office window, and as it was not shut up, and he had a candle inside, I could scarcely help seeing him. His partner, old Jacob Marley, lies upon the point of death, I hear. And there he sat, alone. Quite alone in the world, I do believe.

_Mrs. K._ Poor old man.

[_Scene Closes._]

_Scro._ Spirit (_in a broken voice_), remove me from this place.

_Spir._ I told you these were shadows of the things that have been. That they are what they are, do not blame me.

_Scro._ I am to blame for what they are, and now that I see what they might have been, I am more wretched than ever. Remove me! I can not bear it. (_Turns upon the spirit, and struggles with it._) Leave me! Take me back! Haunt me no longer! (_Seizes the extinguisher-cap, presses it down, while spirit sinks through trap, and disappears. When trap is replaced, Scrooge reels to the bedstead, apparently exhausted, and with the cap grasped in his hand, falls asleep._)

CURTAIN.

STAVE THREE.