the fellowship of the ring-第11部分

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s　and　ers　and　tapping　the　floors。　He　escorted　herfirmly　off　the　premises；　after　he　had　relieved　her　of　several　small　（butrather　valuable）　articles　that　had　somehow　fallen　inside　her　umbrella。　Herface　looked　as　if　she　was　in　the　throes　of　thinking　out　a　really　crushingparting　remark；　but　all　she　found　to　say；　turning　round　on　the　step；　was：　
'You'll　live　to　regret　it；　young　fellow！　Why　didn't　you　go　too？　You　don'tbelong　here；　you're　no　Baggins　–　you　–　you're　a　Brandybuck！'　
'Did　you　hear　that；　Merry？　That　was　an　insult；　if　you　like；'　said　Frodoas　he　shut　the　door　on　her。　　
'It　was　a　pliment；'　said　Merry　Brandybuck；　'and　so；　of　course；　nottrue。'　　
Then　they　went　round　the　hole；　and　evicted　three　young　hobbits　（twoBoffins　and　a　Bolger）　who　were　knocking　holes　in　the　walls　of　one　of　thecellars。　Frodo　also　had　a　tussle　with　young　Sancho　Proudfoot　（old　OdoProudfoot's　grandson）；　who　had　begun　an　excavation　in　the　larger　pantry；　wherehe　thought　there　was　an　echo。　The　legend　of　Bilbo's　gold　excited　bothcuriosity　and　hope；　for　legendary　gold　（mysteriously　obtained；　if　notpositively　ill…gotten）；　is；　as　every　one　knows；　any　one's　for　the　finding　–　
unless　the　search　is　interrupted。　
When　he　had　overe　Sancho　and　pushed　him　out；　Frodo　collapsed　on　achair　in　the　hall。　It's　time　to　close　the　shop；　Merry；'　he　said。　'Lock　thedoor；　and　don't　open　it　to　anyone　today；　not　even　if　they　bring　a　batteringram。'　Then　he　went　to　revive　himself　with　a　belated　cup　of　tea。　
He　had　hardly　sat　down；　when　there　came　a　soft　knock　at　the　front…door。　
'Lobelia　again　most　likely；'　he　thought。　'She　must　have　thought　of　somethingreally　nasty；　and　have　e　back　again　to　say　it。　It　can　wait。'　
He　went　on　with　his　tea。　The　knock　was　repeated；　much　louder；　but　he　tookno　notice。　Suddenly　the　wizard's　head　appeared　at　the　window。　
'If　you　don't　let　me　in；　Frodo；　I　shall　blow　your　door　right　down　yourhole　and　out　through　the　hill；'　he　said。　
'My　dear　Gandalf！　Half　a　minute！'　cried　Frodo；　running　out　of　the　room　tothe　door。　'e　in！　e　in！　I　thought　it　was　Lobelia。'　
'Then　I　forgive　you。　But　I　saw　her　some　time　ago；　driving　a　pony…traptowards　Bywater　with　a　face　that　would　have　curdled　new　milk。'　　
　
'She　had　already　nearly　curdled　me。　Honestly；　I　nearly　tried　on　Bilbo'sring。　I　longed　to　disappear。'　
'Don't　do　that！'　said　Gandalf；　sitting　down。　'Do　be　careful　of　that　ring；　
Frodo！　In　fact；　it　is　partly　about　that　that　I　have　e　to　say　a　last　word。'　
'Well；　what　about　it？'　
'What　do　you　know　already？'　
'Only　what　Bilbo　told　me。　I　have　heard　his　story：　how　he　found　it；　andhow　he　used　it：　on　his　journey；　I　mean。'　
'Which　story；　I　wonder；'　said　Gandalf。　
'Oh；　not　what　he　told　the　dwarves　and　put　in　his　book；'　said　Frodo。　'Hetold　me　the　true　story　soon　after　I　came　to　live　here。　He　said　you　hadpestered　him　till　he　told　you；　so　I　had　better　know　too。　〃No　secrets　betweenus；　Frodo；〃　he　said；　〃but　they　are　not　to　go　any　further。　It's　mine　anyway。〃'　
'That's　interesting；'　said　Gandalf。　'Well；　what　did　you　think　of　it　all？'　
'If　you　mean；　inventing　all　that　about　a　〃present〃；　well；　I　thought　thetrue　story　much　more　likely；　and　I　couldn't　see　the　point　of　altering　it　atall。　It　was　very　unlike　Bilbo　to　do　so；　anyway；　and　I　thought　it　rather　odd。'　
'So　did　I。　But　odd　things　may　happen　to　people　that　have　such　treasures　–　
if　they　use　them。　Let　it　be　a　warning　to　you　to　be　very　careful　with　it。　Itmay　have　other　powers　than　just　making　you　vanish　when　you　wish　to。'　
'I　don't　understand；'　said　Frodo。　
'Neither　do　I；'　answered　the　wizard。　'I　have　merely　begun　to　wonder　aboutthe　ring；　especially　since　last　night。　No　need　to　worry。　But　if　you　take　myadvice　you　will　use　it　very　seldom；　or　not　at　all。　At　least　I　beg　you　not　touse　it　in　any　way　that　will　cause　talk　or　rouse　suspicion。　I　say　again：　keepit　safe；　and　keep　it　secret！'　
'You　are　very　mysterious！　What　are　you　afraid　of？'　
'I　am　not　certain；　so　I　will　say　no　more。　I　may　be　able　to　tell　yousomething　when　I　e　back。　I　am　going　off　at　once：　so　this　is　good…bye　forthe　present。'　He　got　up。　
'At　once！'　cried　Frodo。　'Why；　I　thought　you　were　staying　on　for　at　leasta　week。　I　was　looking　forward　to　your　help。'　
'I　did　mean　to　–　but　I　have　had　to　change　my　mind。　I　may　be　away　for　agood　while；　but　I'll　e　and　see　you　again；　as　soon　as　I　can。　Expect　me　whenyou　see　me！　I　shall　slip　in　quietly。　I　shan't　often　be　visiting　the　Shireopenly　again。　I　find　that　I　have　bee　rather　unpopular。　They　say　I　am　anuisance　and　a　disturber　of　the　peace。　Some　people　are　actually　accusing　me　ofspiriting　Bilbo　away；　or　worse。　If　you　want　to　know；　there　is　supposed　to　be　aplot　between　you　and　me　to　get　hold　of　his　wealth。'　
'Some　people！'　exclaimed　Frodo。　'You　mean　Otho　and　Lobelia。　Howabominable！　I　would　give　them　Bag　End　and　everything　else；　if　I　could　getBilbo　back　and　go　off　tramping　in　the　country　with　him。　I　love　the　Shire。　ButI　begin　to　wish；　somehow；　that　I　had　gone　too。　I　wonder　if　I　shall　ever　seehim　again。'　
'So　do　I；'　said　Gandalf。　'And　I　wonder　many　other　things。　Good…bye　now！　
Take　care　of　yourself！　Look　out　for　me；　especially　at　unlikely　times！　Goodbye！'　
Frodo　saw　him　to　the　door。　He　gave　a　final　wave　of　his　hand；　and　walkedoff　at　a　surprising　pace；　but　Frodo　thought　the　old　wizard　looked　unusuallybent；　almost　as　if　he　was　carrying　a　great　weight。　The　evening　was　closing　in；　
and　his　cloaked　figure　quickly　vanished　into　the　twilight。　Frodo　did　not　seehim　again　for　a　long　time。　　
_Chapter　2_　
The　Shadow　of　the　Past　　
The　talk　did　not　die　down　in　nine　or　even　ninety…nine　days。　The　seconddisappearance　of　Mr。　Bilbo　Baggins　was　discussed　in　Hobbiton；　and　indeed　allover　the　Shire；　for　a　year　and　a　day；　and　was　remembered　much　longer　than　　
　
that。　It　became　a　fireside…story　for　young　hobbits；　and　eventually　MadBaggins；　who　used　to　vanish　with　a　bang　and　a　flash　and　reappear　with　bags　ofjewels　and　gold；　became　a　favourite　character　of　legend　and　lived　on　longafter　all　the　true　events　were　forgotten。　
But　in　the　meantime；　the　general　opinion　in　the　neighbourhood　was　thatBilbo；　who　had　always　been　rather　cracked；　had　at　last　gone　quite　mad；　and　hadrun　off　into　the　Blue。　There　he　had　undoubtedly　fallen　into　a　pool　or　a　riverand　e　to　a　tragic；　but　hardly　an　untimely；　end。　The　blame　was　mostly　laidon　Gandalf。　　
'If　only　that　dratted　wizard　will　leave　young　Frodo　alone；　perhaps　he'llsettle　down　and　grow　some　hobbit…sense；'　they　said。　And　to　all　appearance　thewizard　did　leave　Frodo　alone；　and　he　did　settle　down；　but　the　growth　ofhobbit…sense　was　not　very　noticeable。　Indeed；　he　at　once　began　to　carry　onBilbo's　reputation　for　oddity。　He　refused　to　go　into　mourning；　and　the　nextyear　he　gave　a　party　in　honour　of　Bilbo's　hundred…and…twelfth　birthday；　whichhe　called　Hundred…weight　Feast。　But　that　was　short　of　the　mark；　for　twentyguests　were　invited　and　there　were　several　meals　at　which　it　snowed　food　andrained　drink；　as　hobbits　say。　
Some　people　were　rather　shocked；　but　Frodo　kept　up　the　custom　of　givingBilbo's　Birthday　Party　year　after　year　until　they　got　used　to　it。　He　said　thathe　did　not　think　Bilbo　was　dead。　When　they　asked：　'Where　is　he　then？'　heshrugged　his　shoulders。　
He　lived　alone；　as　Bilbo　had　done；　but　he　had　a　good　many　friends；　
especially　among　the　younger　hobbits　（mostly　descendants　of　the　Old　Took）　whohad　as　children　been　fond　of　Bilbo　and　often　in　and　out　of　Bag　End。　FolcoBoffin　and　Fredegar　Bolger　were　two　of　these；　but　his　closest　friends　werePeregrin　Took　（usually　called　Pippin）；　and　Merry　Brandybuck　（his　real　name　wasMeriadoc；　but　that　was　seldom　remembered）。　Frodo　went　tramping　all　over　theShire　with　them；　but　more　often　he　wandered　by　himself；　and　to　the　amazementof　sensible　folk　he　was　sometimes　seen　far　from　home　walking　in　the　hills　andwoods　under　the　starlight。　Merry　and　Pippin　suspected　that　he　visited　theElves　at　times；　as　Bilbo　had　done。　
As　time　went　on；　people　began　to　notice　that　Frodo　also　showed　signs　ofgood　'preservation'：　outwardly　he　retained　the　appearance　of　a　robust　andenergetic　hobbit　just　out　of　his　tweens。　'Some　folk　have　all　the　luck；'　theysaid；　but　it　was　not　until　Frodo　approached　the　usually　more　sober　age　offifty　that　they　began　to　think　it　queer。　
Frodo　himself；　after　the　first　shock；　found　that　being　his　own　master　and_the_　Mr。　Baggins　of　Bag　End　was　rather　pleasant。　For　some　years　he　was　quitehappy　and　did　not　worry　much　about　the　future。　But　half　unknown　to　himself　theregret　that　he　had　not　gone　with　Bilbo　was　steadily　growing。　He　found　himselfwondering　at　times；　especially　in　the　autumn；　about　the　wild　lands；　andstrange　visions　of　mountains　that　he　had　never　seen　came　into　his　dreams。　Hebegan　to　say　to　himself：　'Perhaps　I　shall　cross　the　River　myself　one　day。'　Towhich　the　other　half　of　his　mind　always　replied：　'Not　yet。'　
So　it　went　on；　until　his　forties　were　running　out；　and　his　fiftiethbirthday　was　drawing　near：　fifty　was　a　number　that　he　felt　was　somehowsignificant　（or　ominous）；　it　was　at　any　rate　at　that　age　that　adventure　hadsuddenly　befallen　Bilbo。　Frodo　began　to　feel　restless；　and　the　old　pathsseemed　too　well…trodden。　He　looked　at　maps；　and　wondered　what　lay　beyond　theiredges：　maps　made　in　the　Shire　showed　mostly　white　spaces　beyond　its　borders。　
He　took　to　wandering　further　afield　and　more　often　by　himself；　and　Merry　andhis　other　friends　watched　him　anxiously。　Often　he　was　seen　walking　and　talkingwith　the　strange　wayfarers　that　began　at　this　time　to　appear　in　the　Shire。　　
There　were　rumours　of　strange　things　happening　in　the　world　outside；　andas　Gandalf　had　not　at　that　time　appeared　or　sent　any　message　for　severalyears；　Frodo　gathered　all　the　news　he　could。　Elves；　who　seldom　walked　in　theShire；　could　now　be　seen　passing　westward　through　the　woods　in　the　evening；　
passing　and　not　returning；　but　they　were　leaving　Middle…earth　and　were　no　　
　
longer　concerned　with　its　troubles。　There　were；　however；　dwarves　on　the　roadin　unusual　numbers。　The　ancient　East…West　Road　ran　through　the　Shire　to　itsend　at　the　Grey　Havens；　and　dwarves　had　always　used　it　on　their　way　to　theirmines　in　the　Blue　Mountains。　They　were　the　hobbits'　chief　source　of　news　fromdistant　parts　–　if　they　wanted　any：　as　a　rule　dwarves　said　little　and　hobbitsasked　no　more。　But　now　Frodo　often　met　strange　dwarves　of　far　coun