1 Expect the second on the next night at the same hour.
2 At length the hour of shutting up the counting-house arrived.
3 This might have lasted half a minute, or a minute, but it seemed an hour.
4 Five minutes, ten minutes, a quarter of an hour went by, yet nothing came.
A Christmas Carol By Charles DickensContextHighlight In 3 THE SECOND OF THE THREE SPIRITS 5 Old Fezziwig laid down his pen, and looked up at the clock, which pointed to the hour of seven.
A Christmas Carol By Charles DickensContextHighlight In 2 THE FIRST OF THE THREE SPIRITS 6 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.
A Christmas Carol By Charles DickensContextHighlight In 2 THE FIRST OF THE THREE SPIRITS 7 Martha, who was a poor apprentice at a milliner's, then told them what kind of work she had to do, and how many hours she worked at a stretch, and how she meant to lie abed to-morrow morning for a good long rest; to-morrow being a holiday she passed at home.
A Christmas Carol By Charles DickensContextHighlight In 3 THE SECOND OF THE THREE SPIRITS 8 And being, from the emotion he had undergone, or the fatigues of the day, or his glimpse of the Invisible World, or the dull conversation of the Ghost, or the lateness of the hour, much in need of repose, went straight to bed without undressing, and fell asleep upon the instant.
9 The ancient tower of a church, whose gruff old bell was always peeping slily down at Scrooge out of a Gothic window in the wall, became invisible, and struck the hours and quarters in the clouds, with tremulous vibrations afterwards, as if its teeth were chattering in its frozen head up there.
10 It would have been in vain for Scrooge to plead that the weather and the hour were not adapted to pedestrian purposes; that bed was warm, and the thermometer a long way below freezing; that he was clad but lightly in his slippers, dressing-gown, and nightcap; and that he had a cold upon him at that time.
A Christmas Carol By Charles DickensContextHighlight In 2 THE FIRST OF THE THREE SPIRITS