The spirit pointed from the grave to him, and back again.
"No, finger was still there.
Scrooge fell to the ground in front of the ghost, holding its long dark robe. "Spirit! Listen! I am a changed man! I have learnt my lesson from you spirits! why show me this terrible end, if there is no hope for me!"
For the first time the hand appeared to shake.
"Good spirit, tell me that my future will change, if I change my life now!"
The kind hand shook again.
"I will remember the past, and think of the future. I will ge good to other people. I will keep Christmas in my heart, and will try to be kind, and cheerful, and merry, every day. Oh, tell me I can clean away the writing on this stone!"
Wildly, he caught the ghostly hand and held it for a moment. But the spirit was stronger than him, and pulled its hand away. Just then Scrooge noticed that something strange was happening to the spirit. It was getting smaller and smaller, and suddenly it became -- a bedpost.