They were thin and poorly dressed, with cold, mean
eyes and dry, yellow skin, and their faces showed only a
frightening and murderous hate. Scrooge had never seen
anything so terrible or so sad.
'These miserable children are Man's,' said the spirit.
'The boy is Crime. The girl is Need. They will destroy
Man if nothing is done about them.‘
'Can't anyone help them?' cried Scrooge.
'Are there no prisons?' said the spirit, turning on Scrooge
for the last time with his own words. 'Are there no
workhouses?'
The clock struck twelve. Scrooge looked, but could no
longer see the ghost or the children. He was alone again.