"The Haunted Man" (Excerpt): Read by Tom Andrews

Our final festive extract comes from Dickens’ last Christmas Book The Haunted Man and The Ghost’s Bargain  - read today by the fantastic actor Tom Andrews

Tom’s screen credits include: This England (for Revolution films & Sky Atlantic), Netflix’s The Strays, Feelgood & Afterlife; HBO’S I Hate Susie and the BBC’s Show Trial … His stage work includes the Royal National Theatre production of Major Barbara and The Accidental Death of an Anarchist in London’s West End

In the following scene Dr Redlaw - a celebrated chemist and teacher - is sitting down to dinner one Christmas. He is full of grief and feels that each passing year only seems add to the store of regrets and painful memories …

Meanwhile the Swidger family: William,  Millie, and the elderly Philip, visit Redlaw and gently try to cheer him …

Chapters

• 0:13 Redlaw's Grief and Memories at Christmas
• 8:09 Strange Darkening and Rambling Talk

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:13

Hi everyone, happy New Year and Happy 9th Day of Christmas. Our final festive reading comes from Dickens' last Christmas book, the Haunted man and the Ghost's Bargain, and is read today by the fantastic actor Tom Andrews. Tom's screen credits include this England for Revolution films and Sky Atlantic, netflix's the Strays Feel Good and Afterlife, hbo's I Hate Susie and the BBC's Show Trial. His stage work includes the Royal National Theatre production of Major Barbara and the accidental death of an anarchist in London's West End. In the following scene that Tom's going to read for us, a celebrated chemist and teacher, dr Redlaw, is sitting down to dinner one Christmas. He is alone in his study and there are dark shadows gathering in around him. He is full of grief and feels that each passing year only seems to add to the store of regrets and painful memories. Meanwhile, the Swidge family, redlaw's servant William, william's wife Millie and William's elderly father Philip visit the gloom of Redlaw's room and gently try to cheer him and decorate his surroundings with branches of holly.

Speaker 2: 1:31

What is that the old man has in his arms, ask Mr Redlaw as he sat down to his solitary meal. Holly, sir, replied the quiet voice of Millie that's what I say myself, sir interposed Mr William striking in with the butter boat. Berries is so seasonable to the time of year. Brown gravy, another Christmas come, another year gone, murmured the chemist with a gloomy sigh and more figures in the lengthening sum of recollection that we work and work act to our torment Till death idly jumbles all together and rubs all out. So Philip, breaking off and raising his voice as he addressed the old man, standing apart with his glistening burden in his arms, from which the quiet, mrs William took small branches which he noiselessly trimmed with her scissors and decorated the room with, while her aged father-in-law looked on much interested in the ceremony. My duty to you, sir, returned the old man. Should have spoke before, sir. But know your ways, mr Redlaw, proud to say and wait till spoke to. Merry Christmas, sir, and happy new year. And many of them I've had a pretty many of them myself. It may take the liberty of wishing them. I'm eighty-seven. Have you had so many that were merry and happy, asked the other. Aye, sir, ever so many returned the old man. Is his memory impaired with age? Is it expected now? Said Mr Redlaw, turning to the sun and speaking lower. Not a morsel of it, sir, replied Mr William. That's exactly what I say myself, sir. There was never such a memory as my father. He's the most funful man in the world. He don't know what forgetting means. It's the very observation I'm always making to Mrs William, sir, if you'll believe me, mr Swigger, in his polite desire to seem to acquiesce, at all events, delivered this as if there were no iota of contradiction in it, and it were all said in unbounded and unqualified ascent.

Speaker 2: 3:33

The chemist pushed his plate away and, rising from the table, walked across the room to where the old man stood, looking at a little sprig of holly in his hand. It recalls the time when many of those years were old and new. Then he said, observing him attentively and touching him on the shoulder, does it? Oh, many, many", said Philip, half-awaking from his reverie I'm 87.". Hmph Marian, happy, was it? Asked the chemist in a low voice. Marian happy old man? Maybe as high as that, no higher, said the old man, holding out his hand a little way above the level of his knee and looking retrospectively at his questioner.

Speaker 2: 4:12

When I first remember him, cold sunshiny day, it was out of walking when someone—it was my mother, as sure as you stand there, though I don't know what her blessed face was like, for she took ear and died. That Christmas time Told me they were food for birds. The pretty little fellow thought that's me. You understand that birds' eyes were so bright, perhaps because the berries that they lived on in winter were so bright. I recollect that and I'm 87.". Marian happy used the other, bending his dark eyes upon the stooping figure with a smile of compassion, marian happy, and remember well, aye, aye, aye. Return the old man catching the last words.

Speaker 2: 4:57

I remember well in my school time, year after year, and all the merry-making that used to come along with him. I was a strong chap then, Mr Redlaw, and, if you'll believe me, hadn't my match at football within ten mile? Where's my son William? Hadn't my match at football, william, within ten mile? That's what I always say, father, return the son promptly and with great respect. You are a swidger if ever there was one of the family Dear, said the old man, shaking his head as he again looked at the holly. His mother, my son William's, my youngest son and I have sat among them all, boys and girls, little children, babies, many a year when the berries like these were not shining half so bright all around us as their bright faces. Many of them are gone. Many is gone, and my son, george, our eldest, who was her pride more than all the rest, has fallen very low. But I can see them when I look here, alive and healthy as they used to be in those days, and I can see him, thank God in his innocence. It's a blessed thing to me, at eighty-seven, the keen look that had been fixed upon him with so much earnestness had gradually sought the ground when my circumstances got to be not so good as formerly, through not being honestly dealt by. And I first come here to be custodian, said the old man, which was upwards of fifty years ago. Where's my son William? More than half a century ago, william, that's what I say, father, replied the son as promptly and dutifully as before. That's exactly where it is. Two times all to nought, and twice five, ten, and there's a hundred of them.

Speaker 2: 6:37

It was quite a pleasure to know that one of our founders, or more correctly speaking, said the old man, with a great glory in his subject and his knowledge of it. One of the learned gentlemen that helped endow us in Queen Elizabeth's time for we were founded before her day left in his will. Among the other bequests, he made us so much to buy holly for garnishing the walls and windows come Christmas. It was something homely and friendly in it, being but strange here and coming at Christmas time. We took a liking for his very picture that hangs in what used to be anciently before our ten poor gentlemen commuted for an annual stipend in money, a great dinner hall. It's a sedate gentleman and a peaked bird with a rough round his neck and a scroll below him in old English letters.

Speaker 2: 7:20

Lord, keep my memory green. You know all about him, mr Redlaw. I know the portrait hangs there, philip. Yes, sure it's the second on the right above the panelling. I was going to say he's helped to keep my memory green. I thank him for going round the building every year, as I'm doing now, and freshening up the bare rooms with his branches and berries freshens up my bare-oed brain. One year brings back another, and that year another and those other numbers. At last it seems to me as if the birth time of our Lord was the birth time of all that I have ever had affection for or mourned for or delighted in. And there were pretty many, for I'm eighty-seven, me and happy, murmured Redlaw to himself.

Speaker 2: 8:09

The room began to darken strangely. So, you see, sir, pursued old Philip, whose hail-wintry cheek had warmed into a ruddy aglow and whose blue eyes had brightened while he spoke. I have plenty to keep when I keep this present season. Now, where's my quiet mouse? Chatterings the sin of my time of life, and there's half the building to do. Yet if the cold don't freeze at first, or the wind don't blow us away, or the darkness don't swallow us up, the quiet mouse had brought a calm face to his side and silently taken his arm before he finished speaking. Come away, my dear, said the old man. Mr Redlaw won't settle to his dinner, otherwise to it as cold as the winter. I hope you'll excuse me rambling on, sir, and I wish you a good night and once again, a merry stay, said Mr Redlaw, resuming his place at the table.