the fellowship of the ring-第60部分

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　away。　The　Ring　gleamed　andflickered　as　he　held　it　up　before　them　in　his　trembling　hand。　
'Behold　Isildur's　Bane！'　said　Elrond。　　
Boromir's　eyes　glinted　as　he　gazed　at　the　golden　thing。　‘The　Halfling！'　
he　muttered。　‘Is　then　the　doom　of　Minas　Tirith　e　at　last？　But　why　thenshould　we　seek　a　broken　sword？'　　
'The　words　were　not　_the　doom　of　Minas　Tirith_；'　said　Aragorn。　‘But　doomand　great　deeds　are　indeed　at　hand。　For　the　Sword　that　was　Broken　is　the　Swordof　Elendil　that　broke　beneath　him　when　he　fell。　It　has　been　treasured　by　hisheirs　when　all　other　heirlooms　were　lost；　for　it　was　spoken　of　old　among　usthat　it　should　be　made　again　when　the　Ring；　Isildur's　Bane；　was　found。　Now　youhave　seen　the　sword　that　you　have　sought；　what　would　you　ask？　Do　you　wish　forthe　House　of　Elendil　to　return　to　the　Land　of　Gondor？'　　
‘I　was　not　sent　to　beg　any　boon；　but　to　seek　only　the　meaning　of　ariddle；'　answered　Boromir　proudly。　‘Yet　we　are　hard　pressed；　and　the　Sword　ofElendil　would　be　a　help　beyond　our　hope…if　such　a　thing　could　indeed　returnout　of　the　shadows　of　the　past。'　He　looked　again　at　Aragorn；　and　doubt　was　inhis　eyes。　
Frodo　felt　Bilbo　stir　impatiently　at　his　side。　Evidently　he　was　annoyedon　his　friend's　behalf。　Standing　suddenly　up　he　burst　out：　　
All　that　is　gold　does　not　glitter；　
Not　all　those　who　wander　are　lost；　
The　old　that　is　strong　does　not　wither；　
Deep　roots　are　not　reached　by　the　frost。　　
From　the　ashes　a　fire　shall　be　woken；　
A　light　from　the　shadows　shall　spring；　
Renewed　shall　be　blade　that　was　broken：　　
The　crownless　again　shall　be　king。_　　
‘Not　very　good　perhaps；　but　to　the　point　–　if　you　need　more　beyond　theword　of　Elrond。　If　that　was　worth　a　journey　of　a　hundred　and　ten　days　to　hear；　
you　had　best　listen　to　it。'　He　sat　down　with　a　snort。　
‘I　made　that　up　myself；'　he　whispered　to　Frodo；　‘for　the　Dúnadan；　a　longtime　ago　when　he　first　told　me　about　himself。　I　almost　wish　that　my　adventureswere　not　over；　and　that　I　could　go　with　him　when　his　day　es。'　
Aragorn　smiled　at　him；　then　he　turned　to　Boromir　again。　‘For　my　part　Iforgive　your　doubt；'　he　said。　'Little　do　I　resemble　the　figures　of　Elendil　andIsildur　as　they　stand　carven　in　their　majesty　in　the　halls　of　Denethor。　I　ambut　the　heir　of　Isildur；　not　Isildur　himself。　I　have　had　a　hard　life　and　along；　and　the　leagues　that　lie　between　here　and　Gondor　are　a　small　part　in　thecount　of　my　journeys。　I　have　crossed　many　mountains　and　many　rivers；　andtrodden　many　plains；　even　into　the　far　countries　of　Rh。n　and　Harad　where　thestars　are　strange。　
'But　my　home；　such　as　I　have；　is　in　the　North。　For　here　the　heirs　ofValandil　have　ever　dwelt　in　long　line　unbroken　from　father　unto　son　for　manygenerations。　Our　days　have　darkened；　and　we　have　dwindled；　but　ever　the　Swordhas　passed　to　a　new　keeper。　And　this　I　will　say　to　you；　Boromir；　ere　I　end。　
Lonely　men　are　we；　Rangers　of　the　wild；　hunters　–　but　hunters　ever　of　theservants　of　the　Enemy；　for　they　are　found　in　many　places；　not　in　Mordor　only。　
‘If　Gondor；　Boromir；　has　been　a　stalwart　tower；　we　have　played　anotherpart。　Many　evil　things　there　are　that　your　strong　walls　and　bright　swords　donot　stay。　You　know　little　of　the　lands　beyond　your　bounds。　Peace　and　freedom；　
do　you　say？　The　North　would　have　known　them　little　but　for　us。　Fear　would　havedestroyed　them。　But　when　dark　things　e　from　the　houseless　hills；　or　creep　　
　
from　sunless　woods；　they　fly　from　us。　What　roads　would　any　dare　to　tread；　whatsafety　would　there　be　in　quiet　lands；　or　in　the　homes　of　simple　men　at　night；　
if　the　Dúnedain　were　asleep；　or　were　all　gone　into　the　grave？　
‘And　yet　less　thanks　have　we　than　you。　Travellers　scowl　at　us；　andcountrymen　give　us　scornful　names。　〃Strider〃　I　am　to　one　fat　man　who　liveswithin　a　day's　march　of　foes　that　would　freeze　his　heart　or　lay　his　littletown　in　ruin；　if　he　were　not　guarded　ceaselessly。　Yet　we　would　not　have　itotherwise。　If　simple　folk　are　free　from　care　and　fear；　simple　they　will　be；　
and　we　must　be　secret　to　keep　them　so。　That　has　been　the　task　of　my　kindred；　
while　the　years　have　lengthened　and　the　grass　has　grown。　
‘But　now　the　world　is　changing　once　again。　A　new　hour　es。　Isildur'sBane　is　found。　Battle　is　at　hand。　The　Sword　shall　be　reforged。　I　will　e　toMinas　Tirith。'　　
‘Isildur's　Bane　is　found；　you　say；'　said　Boromir。　‘I　have　seen　a　brightring　in　the　Halfling's　hand；　but　Isildur　perished　ere　this　age　of　the　worldbegan；　they　say。　How　do　the　Wise　know　that　this　ring　is　his？　And　how　has　itpassed　down　the　years；　until　it　is　brought　hither　by　so　strange　a　messenger？'　
‘That　shall　be　told；'　said　Elrond。　
‘But　not　yet；　I　beg；　Master！'　said　Bilbo。　‘Already　the　Sun　is　climbing　tonoon；　and　I　feel　the　need　of　something　to　strengthen　me。'　
‘I　had　not　named　you；'　said　Elrond　smiling。　‘But　I　do　so　now。　e！　Tellus　your　tale。　And　if　you　have　not　yet　cast　your　story　into　verse；　you　may　tellit　in　plain　words。　The　briefer；　the　sooner　shall　you　be　refreshed。'　
‘Very　well；'　said　Bilbo。　‘I　will　do　as　you　bid。　But　I　will　now　tell　thetrue　story；　and　if　some　here　have　heard　me　tell　it　otherwise'　–　he　lookedsidelong　at　Glóin　–　‘I　ask　them　to　forget　it　and　forgive　me。　I　only　wished　toclaim　the　treasure　as　my　very　own　in　those　days；　and　to　be　rid　of　the　name　ofthief　that　was　put　on　me。　But　perhaps　I　understand　things　a　little　better　now。　
Anyway；　this　is　what　happened。'　
To　some　there　Bilbo's　tale　was　wholly　new；　and　they　listened　withamazement　while　the　old　hobbit；　actually　not　at　all　displeased；　recounted　hisadventure　with　Gollum；　at　full　length。　He　did　not　omit　a　single　riddle。　Hewould　have　given　also　an　account　of　his　party　and　disappearance　from　theShire；　if　he　had　been　allowed；　but　Elrond　raised　his　hand。　
'Well　told；　my　friend；'　he　said；　‘but　that　is　enough　at　this　time。　Forthe　moment　it　suffices　to　know　that　the　Ring　passed　to　Frodo；　your　heir。　Lethim　now　speak！'　
Then；　less　willingly　than　Bilbo；　Frodo　told　of　all　his　dealings　with　theRing　from　the　day　that　it　passed　into　his　keeping。　Every　step　of　his　journeyfrom　Hobbiton　to　the　Ford　of　Bruinen　was　questioned　and　considered；　andeverything　that　he　could　recall　concerning　the　Black　Riders　was　examined。　Atlast　he　sat　down　again。　
‘Not　bad；'　Bilbo　said　to　him。　‘You　would　have　made　a　good　story　of　it；　ifthey　hadn't　kept　on　interrupting。　I　tried　to　make　a　few　notes；　but　we　shallhave　to　go　over　it　all　again　together　some　time；　if　I　am　to　write　it　up。　Thereare　whole　chapters　of　stuff　before　you　ever　got　here！'　
‘Yes；　it　made　quite　a　long　tale；'　answered　Frodo。　'But　the　story　stilldoes　not　seem　plete　to　me。　I　still　want　to　know　a　good　deal；　especiallyabout　Gandalf。'　　
Galdor　of　the　Havens；　who　sat　near　by；　overheard　him。　‘You　speak　for　mealso；'　he　cried；　and　turning　to　Elrond　he　said：　‘The　Wise　may　have　good　reasonto　believe　that　the　halfling's　trove　is　indeed　the　Great　Ring　of　long　debate；　
unlikely　though　that　may　seem　to　those　who　know　less。　But　may　we　not　hear　theproofs？　And　I　would　ask　this　also。　What　of　Saruman？　He　is　learned　in　the　loreof　the　Rings；　yet　he　is　not　among　us。　What　is　his　counsel…if　he　knows　thethings　that　we　have　heard？'　
‘The　questions　that　you　ask；　Galdor；　are　bound　together；'　said　Elrond。　‘Ihad　not　overlooked　them；　and　they　shall　be　answered。　But　these　things　it　isthe　part　of　Gandalf　to　make　clear；　and　I　call　upon　him　last；　for　it　is　theplace　of　honour；　and　in　all　this　matter　he　has　been　the　chief。'　　
　
‘Some；　Galdor；'　said　Gandalf；　‘would　think　the　tidings　of　Glóin；　and　thepursuit　of　Frodo；　proof　enough　that　the　halfling's　trove　is　a　thing　of　greatworth　to　the　Enemy。　Yet　it　is　a　ring。　What　then？　The　Nine　the　Nazg。l　keep。　TheSeven　are　taken　or　destroyed。'　At　this　Glóin　stirred；　but　did　not　speak。　‘TheThree　we　know　of。　What　then　is　this　one　that　he　desires　so　much？　　
'There　is　indeed　a　wide　waste　of　time　between　the　River　and　the　Mountain；　
between　the　loss　and　the　finding。　But　the　gap　in　the　knowledge　of　the　Wise　hasbeen　filled　at　last。　Yet　too　slowly。　For　the　Enemy　has　been　close　behind；　
closer　even　than　I　feared。　And　well　is　it　that　not　until　this　year；　this　verysummer；　as　it　seems；　did　he　learn　the　full　truth。　
'Some　here　will　remember　that　many　years　ago　I　myself　dared　to　pass　thedoors　of　the　Necromancer　in　Dol　Guldur；　and　secretly　explored　his　ways；　andfound　thus　that　our　fears　were　true：　he　was　none　other　than　Sauron；　our　Enemyof　old；　at　length　taking　shape　and　power　again。　Some；　too；　will　remember　alsothat　Saruman　dissuaded　us　from　open　deeds　against　him；　and　for　long　we　watchedhim　only。　Yet　at　last；　as　his　shadow　grew；　Saruman　yielded；　and　the　Councilput　forth　its　strength　and　drove　the　evil　out　of　Mirkwood　and　that　was　in　thevery　year　of　the　finding　of　this　Ring：　a　strange　chance；　if　chance　it　was。　
‘But　we　were　too　late；　as　Elrond　foresaw。　Sauron　also　had　watched　us；　andhad　long　prepared　against　our　stroke；　governing　Mordor　from　afar　through　MinasMorgul；　where　his　Nine　servants　dwelt；　until　all　was　ready。　Then　he　gave　waybefore　us；　but　only　feigned　to　flee；　and　soon　after　came　to　the　Dark　Tower　andopenly　declared　himself。　Then　for　the　last　time　the　Council　met；　for　now　welearned　that　he　was　seeking　ever　more　eagerly　for　the　One。　We　feared　then　thathe　had　some　news　of　it　that　we　knew　nothing　of。　But　Saruman　said　nay；　andrepeated　what　he　had　said　to　us　before：　that　the　One　would　never　again　befound　in　Middle…earth。　　
‘　〃At　the　worst；〃　said　he；　〃our　Enemy　knows　that　we　have　it　not　and　thatit　still　is　lost。　But　what　was　lost　may　yet　be　found；　he　thinks。　Fear　not！　Hishope　will　cheat　him。　Have　I　not　earnestly　studied　this　matter？　Into　Anduin　theGreat　it　fell；　and　long　ago；　while　Sauron　slept；　it　was　rolled　down　the　Riverto　the　Sea。　There　let　it　lie　until　the　End。〃'　　
Gandalf　fell　silent；　gazing　eastward　from　the　porch　to　the　far　peaks　ofthe　Misty　Mountains；　at　whose　great　roots　the　peril　of　the　world　had　so　longlain　hidden。　He　sighed。　
‘There　I　was　at　fault；'　he　said。　‘I　was　lulled　by　the　words　of　Sarumanthe　Wise；　but　I　should　have　sought　for　the　truth　sooner；　and　our　peril　wouldnow　be　less。'　　
‘We　were　all　at　fault；'　said　Elrond；　‘and　but　for　your　vigilance　theDarkness；　maybe；　would　already　be　upon　us。　But　say　on！'　
‘From　the　first　my　heart　misgave　me；　against　all　reason　that　I　knew；'　
said　Gandalf；　‘and　I　desired　to　know　how　this