The Lord of the Rings-指环王(英文版)-第5章

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to　go。　He　always　used　to　joke　about　serious　things。　I　wish　I　had　e　back　sooner；　just　to　see　him　off。'

I　think　really　he　preferred　slipping　off　quietly　in　the　end；'　said　Gandalf。　'Don't　be　too　troubled。　He'll　be　all　right　。　now。　He　left　a　packet　for　you。　There　it　is！'

Frodo　took　the　envelope　from　the　mantelpiece；　and　glanced　at　it；　but　did　not　open　it。

'You'll　find　his　will　and　all　the　other　documents　in　there；　I　think；'　said　the　wizard。　'You　are　the　master　of　Bag　End　now。　And　also；　I　fancy；　you'll　find　a　golden　ring。'

'The　ring！'　exclaimed　Frodo。　'Has　he　left　me　that？　I　wonder　why。　Still；　it　may　be　useful。'

'It　may；　and　it　may　not；'　said　Gandalf。　'I　should　not　make　use　of　it；　if　I　were　you。　But　keep　it　secret；　and　keep　it　safe！　Now　I　am　going　to　bed。'

As　master　of　Bag　End　Frodo　felt　it　his　painful　duty　to　say　goodbye　to　the　guests。　Rumours　of　strange　events　had　by　now　spread　all　over　the　field；　but　Frodo　would　only　say　no　doubt　everything　will　be　cleared　up　in　the　morning。　About　midnight　carriages　came　for　the　important　folk。　One　by　one　they　rolled　away；　filled　with　full　but　very　unsatisfied　hobbits。　Gardeners　came　by　arrangement；　and　removed　in　wheelbarrows　those　that　had　inadvertently　remained　behind。

Night　slowly　passed。　The　sun　rose。　The　hobbits　rose　rather　later。　Morning　went　on。　People　came　and　began　（by　orders）　to　clear　away　the　pavilions　and　the　tables　and　the　chairs；　and　the　spoons　and　knives　and　bottles　and　plates；　and　the　lanterns；　and　the　flowering　shrubs　in　boxes；　and　the　crumbs　and　cracker　paper；　the　fotten　bags　and　gloves　and　handkerchiefs；　and　the　uneaten　food　（a　very　small　item）。　Then　a　number　of　other　people　came　（without　orders）：　Bagginses；　and　Boffins；　and　Bolgers；　and　Tooks；　and　other　guests　that　lived　or　were　staying　near。　By　midday；　when　even　the　bestfed　were　out　and　about　again；　there　was　a　large　crowd　at　Bag　End；　uninvited　but　not　unexpected。

Frodo　was　waiting　on　the　step；　smiling；　but　looking　rather　tired　and　worried。　He　weled　all　the　callers；　but　he　had　not　much　more　to　say　than　before。　His　reply　to　all　inquiries　was　simply　this：　'Mr。　Bilbo　Baggins　has　gone　away；　as　far　as　I　know；　for　good。'　Some　of　the　visitors　he　invited　to　e　inside；　as　Bilbo　had　left　'messages'　for　them。

Inside　in　the　hall　there　was　piled　a　large　assortment　of　packages　and　parcels　and　small　articles　of　furniture。　On　every　item　there　was　a　label　tied。　There　were　several　labels　of　this　sort：

For　ADELARD　TOOK；　for　his　VERY　OWN；　from　Bilbo；　on　an　umbrella。　Adelard　had　carried　off　many　unlabelled　ones。

For　DORA　BAGGINS　in　memory　of　a　LONG　correspondence；　with　love　from　Bilbo；　on　a　large　wastepaper　basket。　Dora　was　Drogo's　sister　and　the　eldest　surviving　female　relative　of　Bilbo　and　Frodo；　she　was　niynine；　and　had　written　reams　of　good　advice　for　more　than　half　a　century。

For　MILO　BURROWS；　hoping　it　will　be　useful；　from　B。B。；　on　a　gold　pen　and　inkbottle。　Milo　never　answered　letters。

For　ANGELICA'S　use；　from　Uncle　Bilbo；　on　a　round　convex　mirror。　She　was　a　young　Baggins；　and　too　obviously　considered　her　face　shapely。

For　the　collection　of　HUGO　BRACEGIRDLE；　from　a　contributor；　on　an　（empty）　bookcase。　Hugo　was　a　great　borrower　of　books；　and　worse　than　usual　at　returning　them。

For　LOBELIA　SACKVILLEBAGGINS；　as　a　PRESENT；　on　a　case　of　silver　spoons。　Bilbo　believed　that　she　had　acquired　a　good　many　of　his　spoons；　while　he　was　away　on　his　former　journey。　Lobelia　knew　that　quite　well。　When　she　arrived　later　in　the　day；　she　took　the　point　at　once；　but　she　also　took　the　spoons。

This　is　only　a　small　selection　of　the　assembled　presents。　Bilbo's　residence　had　got　rather　cluttered　up　with　things　in　the　course　of　his　long　life。　It　was　a　tendency　of　hobbitholes　to　get　cluttered　up：　for　which　the　custom　of　giving　so　many　birthdaypresents　was　largely　responsible。　Not；　of　course；　that　the　birthdaypresents　were　always　new；　there　were　one　or　two　old　mathoms　of　fotten　uses　that　had　circulated　all　around　the　district；　but　Bilbo　had　usually　given　new　presents；　and　kept　those　that　he　received。　The　old　hole　was　now　being　cleared　a　little。

Every　one　of　the　various　parting　gifts　had　labels；　written　out　personally　by　Bilbo；　and　several　had　some　point；　or　some　joke。　But；　of　course；　most　of　the　things　were　given　where　they　would　be　wanted　and　wele。　The　poorer　hobbits；　and　especially　those　of　Bagshot　Row；　did　very　well。　Old　Gaffer　Gamgee　got　two　sacks　of　potatoes；　a　new　spade；　a　woollen　waistcoat；　and　a　bottle　of　ointment　for　creaking　joints。　Old　Rory　Brandybuck；　in　return　for　much　hospitality；　got　a　dozen　bottles　of　Old　Winyards：　a　strong　red　wine　from　the　Southfarthing；　and　noature；　as　it　had　been　laid　down　by　Bilbo's　father。　Rory　quite　fave　Bilbo；　and　voted　him　a　capital　fellow　after　the　first　bottle。

There　was　plenty　of　everything　left　for　Frodo。　And；　of　course；　all　the　chief　treasures；　as　well　as　the　books；　pictures；　and　more　than　enough　furniture；　were　left　in　his　possession。　There　was；　however；　no　sign　nor　mention　of　money　or　jewellery：　not　a　pennypiece　or　a　glass　bead　was　given　away。

Frodo　had　a　very　trying　time　that　afternoon。　A　false　rumour　that　the　whole　household　was　being　distributed　free　spread　like　wildfire；　and　before　long　the　place　was　packed　with　people　who　had　no　business　there；　but　could　not　be　kept　out。　Labels　got　torn　off　and　mixed；　and　quarrels　broke　out。　Some　people　tried　to　do　swaps　and　deals　in　the　hall；　and　others　tried　to　make　off　with　minor　items　not　addressed　to　them；　or　with　anything　that　seemed　unwanted　or　unwatched。　The　road　to　the　gate　was　blocked　with　barrows　and　handcarts。

In　the　middle　of　the　motion　the　SackvilleBagginses　arrived。　Frodo　had　retired　for　a　while　and　left　his　friend　Merry　Brandybuck　to　keep　an　eye　on　things。　When　Otho　loudly　demanded　to　see　Frodo；　Merry　bowed　politely。

'He　is　indisposed；'　he　said。　'He　is　resting。'

'Hiding；　you　mean；'　said　Lobelia。　'Anyway　we　want　to　see　him　and　we　mean　to　see　him。　Just　go　and　tell　him　so！'

Merry　left　them　a　long　while　in　the　hall；　and　they　had　time　to　discover　their　parting　gift　of　spoons。　It　did　not　improve　their　tempers。　Eventually　they　were　shown　into　the　study。　Frodo　was　sitting　at　a　table　with　a　lot　of　papers　in　front　of　him。　He　looked　indisposed　。　to　see　SackvilleBagginses　at　any　rate；　and　he　stood　up；　fidgeting　with　something　in　his　pocket。　But　he　spoke　quite　politely。

The　SackvilleBagginses　were　rather　offensive。　They　began　by　offering　him　bad　bargainprices　（as　between　friends）　for　various　valuable　and　unlabelled　things。　When　Frodo　replied　that　only　the　things　specially　directed　by　Bilbo　were　being　given　away；　they　said　the　whole　affair　was　very　fishy。

'Only　one　thing　is　clear　to　me；'　said　Otho；　'and　that　is　that　you　are　doing　exceedingly　well　out　of　it。　I　insist　on　seeing　the　will。'

Otho　would　have　been　Bilbo's　heir；　but　for　the　adoption　of　Frodo。　He　read　the　will　carefully　and　snorted。　It　was；　unfortunately；　very　clear　and　correct　（according　to　the　legal　customs　of　hobbits；　which　demand　among　other　things　seven　signatures　of　witnesses　in　red　ink）。

'Foiled　again！'　he　said　to　his　wife。　'And　after　waiting　sixty　years；　Spoons？　Fiddlesticks！'　He　snapped　his　fingers　under　Frodo's　nose　and　slumped　off。　But　Lobelia　was　not　so　easily　got　rid　of。　A　little　later　Frodo　came　out　of　the　study　to　see　how　things　were　going　on　and　found　her　still　about　the　place；　investigating　nooks　and　ers　and　tapping　the　floors。　He　escorted　her　firmly　off　the　premises；　after　he　had　relieved　her　of　several　small　（but　rather　valuable）　articles　that　had　somehow　fallen　inside　her　umbrella。　Her　face　looked　as　if　she　was　in　the　throes　of　thinking　out　a　really　crushing　parting　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't　belong　here；　you're　no　Baggins　。　you　。　you're　a　Brandybuck！'

'Did　you　hear　that；　Merry？　That　was　an　insult；　if　you　like；'　said　Frodo　as　he　shut　the　door　on　her。

'It　was　a　pliment；'　said　Merry　Brandybuck；　'and　so；　of　course；　not　true。'

Then　they　went　round　the　hole；　and　evicted　three　young　hobbits　（two　Boffins　and　a　Bolger）　who　were　knocking　holes　in　the　walls　of　one　of　the　cellars。　Frodo　also　had　a　tussle　with　young　Sancho　Proudfoot　（old　Odo　Proudfoot's　grandson）；　who　had　begun　an　excavation　in　the　larger　pantry；　where　he　thought　there　was　an　echo。　The　legend　of　Bilbo's　gold　excited　both　curiosity　and　hope；　for　legendary　gold　（mysteriously　obtained；　if　not　positively　illgotten）；　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　a　chair　in　the　hall。　It's　time　to　close　the　shop；　Merry；'　he　said。　'Lock　the　door；　and　don't　open　it　to　anyone　today；　not　even　if　they　bring　a　battering　ram。'　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　frontdoor。　'Lobelia　again　most　likely；'　he　thought。　'She　must　have　thought　of　something　really　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　took　no　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　your　hole　and　out　through　the　hill；'　he　said。

'My　dear　Gandalf！　Half　a　minute！'　cried　Frodo；　running　out　of　the　room　to　the　door。　'e　in！　e　in！　I　thought　it　was　Lobelia。'

'Then　I　five　you。　But　I　saw　her　some　time　ago；　driving　a　ponytrap　towards　Bywater　with　a　face　that　would　have　curdled　new　milk。'

'She　had　already　nearly　curdled　me。　Honestly；　I　nearly　tried　on　Bilbo's　ring。　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；　and　how　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。　'He　told　me　the　true　story　soon　after　I　came　to　live　here。　He　said　you　had　pestered　him　till　he　told　you；　so　I　had　better　know　too。　〃No　secrets　bet