The Corpse in the Dark Room

The scene changes, and Scrooge finds himself in a dark, bare room where a corpse lies on a bed, plundered and bereft, unwatched, unwept, uncared for. The Phantom's hand points to the head. Scrooge longs to withdraw the veil to see the face but has no power to do so. He hears a voice in his thoughts, reflecting on the cold, rigid, dreadful Death, and contrasting it with the loved, revered, and honoured head. He thinks that if this man could be raised up now, his foremost thoughts would be avarice and hard dealing, which have brought him to a rich end. The room is empty, with a cat tearing at the door and rats gnawing beneath the hearth-stone.