jrt.fellowshipofring-第18部分

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。'　Gandalf　sighed。　'Alas！　there　is　little　hope　of　that　for　him。　Yet　not　no　hope。　No；　not　though　he　possessed　the　Ring　so　long；　almost　as　far　back　as　he　can　remember。　For　it　was　long　since　he　had　worn　it　much：　in　the　black　darkness　it　was　seldom　needed。　Certainly　he　had　never　〃faded〃。　He　is　thin　and　tough　still。　But　the　thing　was　eating　up　his　mind；　of　course；　and　the　torment　had　bee　almost　unbearable。
　　　'All　the　〃great　secrets〃　under　the　mountains　had　turned　out　to　be　just　empty　night：　there　was　nothing　more　to　find　out；　nothing　worth　doing；　only　nasty　furtive　eating　and　resentful　remembering。　He　was　altogether　wretched。　He　hated　the　dark；　and　he　hated　light　more：　he　hated　everything；　and　the　Ring　most　of　all。'
　　　'What　do　you　mean？'　said　Frodo。　'Surely　the　Ring　was　his　precious　and　the　only　thing　he　cared　for？　But　if　he　hated　it；　why　didn't　he　get　rid　of　it；　or　go　away　and　leave　it？'
　　　'You　ought　to　begin　to　understand；　Frodo；　after　all　you　have　heard；'　said　Gandalf。　'He　hated　it　and　loved　it；　as　he　hated　and　loved　himself。　He　could　not　get　rid　of　it。　He　had　no　will　left　in　the　matter。
　　　'A　Ring　of　Power　looks　after　itself；　Frodo。　It　may　slip　off　treacherously；　but　its　keeper　never　abandons　it。　At　most　he　plays　with　the　idea　of　handing　it　on　to　someone　else's　care　…　and　that　only　at　an　early　stage；　when　it　first　begins　to　grip。　But　as　far　as　I　know　Bilbo　alone　in　history　has　ever　gone　beyond　playing；　and　really　done　it。　He　needed　all　my　help；　too。　And　even　so　he　would　never　have　just　forsaken　it；　or　cast　it　aside。　It　was　not　Gollum；　Frodo；　but　the　Ring　itself　that　decided　things。　The　Ring　left　him。'
　　　'What；　just　in　time　to　meet　Bilbo？'　said　Frodo。　'Wouldn't　an　Orc　have　suited　it　better？'
　　　'It　is　no　laughing　matter；'　said　Gandalf。　'Not　for　you。　It　was　the　strangest　event　in　the　whole　history　of　the　Ring　so　far：　Bilbo's　arrival　just　at　that　time；　and　putting　his　hand　on　it；　blindly；　in　the　dark。
　　　'There　was　more　than　one　power　at　work；　Frodo。　The　Ring　was　trying　to　get　back　to　its　master。　It　had　slipped　from　Isildur's　hand　and　betrayed　him；　then　when　a　chance　came　it　caught　poor　Déagol；　and　he　was　murdered；　and　after　that　Gollum；　and　it　had　devoured　him。　It　could　make　no　further　use　of　him：　he　was　too　small　and　mean；　and　as　long　as　it　stayed　with　him　he　would　never　leave　his　deep　pool　again。　So　now；　when　its　master　was　awake　once　more　and　sending　out　his　dark　thought　from　Mirkwood；　it　abandoned　Gollum。　Only　to　be　picked　up　by　the　most　unlikely　person　imaginable：　Bilbo　from　the　Shire！
　　　'Behind　that　there　was　something　else　at　work；　beyond　any　design　of　the　Ring…maker。　I　can　put　it　no　plainer　than　by　saying　that　Bilbo　was　meant　to　find　the　Ring；　and　not　by　its　maker。　In　which　case　you　also　were　meant　to　have　it。　And　that　maybe　an　encouraging　thought。'
　　　'It　is　not；'　said　Frodo。　〃Though　I　am　not　sure　that　I　understand　you。　But　how　have　you　learned　all　this　about　the　Ring；　and　about　Gollum？　Do　you　really　know　it　all；　or　are　you　just　guessing　still？'
　　　Gandalf　looked　at　Frodo；　and　his　eyes　glinted。　I　knew　much　and　I　have　learned　much；'　he　answered。　'But　I　am　not　going　to　give　an　account　of　all　my　doings　to　you。　The　history　of　Elendil　and　Isildur　and　the　One　Ring　is　known　to　all　the　Wise。　Your　ring　is　shown　to　be　that　One　Ring　by　the　fire…writing　alone；　apart　from　any　other　evidence。'　'And　when　did　you　discover　that？'　asked　Frodo；　interrupting。　'Just　now　in　this　room；　of　course；'　answered　the　wizard　sharply。　'But　I　expected　to　find　it。　I　have　e　back　from　dark　journeys　and　long　search　to　make　that　final　test。　It　is　the　last　proof；　and　all　is　now　only　too　clear。　Making　out　Gollum's　part；　and　fitting　it　into　the　gap　in　the　history；　required　some　thought。　I　may　have　started　with　guesses　about　Gollum；　but　I　am　not　guessing　now。　I　know。　I　have　seen　him。'
　　　'You　have　seen　Gollum？'　exclaimed　Frodo　in　amazement。
　　　'Yes。　The　obvious　thing　to　do；　of　course；　if　one　could。　I　tried　long　ago；　but　I　have　managed　it　at　last。'
　　　'Then　what　happened　after　Bilbo　escaped　from　him？　Do　you　know　that？'
　　　'Not　so　clearly。　What　I　have　told　you　is　what　Gollum　was　willing　to　tell　…　though　not；　of　course；　in　the　way　I　have　reported　it。　Gollum　is　a　liar；　and　you　have　to　sift　his　words。　For　instance；　he　called　the　Ring　his　〃birthday　present〃；　and　he　stuck　to　that。　He　said　it　came　from　his　grandmother；　who　had　lots　of　beautiful　things　of　that　kind。　A　ridiculous　story。　I　have　no　doubt　that　Sméagol's　grandmother　was　a　matriarch；　a　great　person　in　her　way；　but　to　talk　of　her　possessing　many　Elven…rings　was　absurd；　and　as　for　giving　them　away；　it　was　a　lie。　But　a　lie　with　a　grain　of　truth。
　　　'The　murder　of　Déagol　haunted　Gollum；　and　he　had　made　up　a　defence；　repeating　it　to　his　〃precious〃　over　and　over　again；　as　he　gnawed　bones　in　the　dark；　until　he　almost　believed　it。　It　was　his　birthday。　Déagol　ought　to　have　given　the　ring　to　him。　It　had　previously　turned　up　just　so　as　to　be　a　present。　It　was　his　birthday　present；　and　so　on；　and　on。
　　　'I　endured　him　as　long　as　I　could；　but　the　truth　was　desperately　important；　and　in　the　end　I　had　to　be　harsh。　I　put　the　fear　of　fire　on　him；　and　wrung　the　true　story　out　of　him；　bit　by　bit；　together　with　much　snivelling　and　snarling。　He　thought　he　was　misunderstood　and　ill…used。　But　when　he　had　at　last　told　me　his　history；　as　far　as　the　end　of　the　Riddle…game　and　Bilbo's　escape；　he　would　not　say　any　more；　except　in　dark　hints。　Some　other　fear　was　on　him　greater　than　mine。　He　muttered　that　he　was　going　to　gel　his　own　back。　People　would　see　if　he　would　stand　being　kicked；　and　driven　into　a　hole　and　then　robbed。　Gollum　had　good　friends　now；　good　friends　and　very　strong。　They　would　help　him。　Baggins　would　pay　for　it。　That　was　his　chief　thought。　He　hated　Bilbo　and　cursed　his　name。　What　is　more；　he　knew　where　he　came　from。'
　　　'But　how　did　he　find　that　out？'　asked　Frodo。
　　　'Well；　as　for　the　name；　Bilbo　very　foolishly　told　Gollum　himself；　and　after　that　it　would　not　be　difficult　to　discover　his　country；　once　Gollum　came　out。　Oh　yes；　he　came　out。　His　longing　for　the　Ring　proved　stronger　than　his　fear　of　the　Orcs；　or　even　of　the　light。　After　a　year　or　two　he　left　the　mountains。　You　see；　though　still　bound　by　desire　of　it；　the　Ring　was　no　longer　devouring　him；　he　began　to　revive　a　little。　He　felt　old；　terribly　old；　yet　less　timid；　and　he　was　mortally　hungry。
　　　'Light；　light　of　Sun　and　Moon；　he　still　feared　and　hated；　and　he　always　will；　I　think；　but　he　was　cunning。　He　found　he　could　hide　from　daylight　and　moonshine；　and　make　his　way　swiftly　and　softly　by　dead　of　night　with　his　pale　cold　eyes；　and　catch　small　frightened　or　unwary　things。　He　grew　stronger　and　bolder　with　new　food　and　new　air。　He　found　his　way　into　Mirkwood；　as　one　would　expect。'
　　　'Is　that　where　you　found　him？'　asked　Frodo。
　　　'I　saw　him　there；'　answered　Gandalf；　'but　before　that　he　had　wandered　far；　following　Bilbo's　trail。　It　was　difficult　to　learn　anything　from　him　for　certain；　for　his　talk　was　constantly　interrupted　by　curses　and　threats。　〃What　had　it　got　in　its　pocketses？〃　he　said。　〃It　wouldn't　say；　no　precious。　Little　cheat。　Not　a　fair　question。　It　cheated　first；　it　did。　It　broke　the　rules。　We　ought　to　have　squeezed　it；　yes　precious。　And　we　will；　precious！〃
　　　'That　is　a　sample　of　his　talk。　I　don't　suppose　you　want　any　more。　I　had　weary　days　of　it。　But　from　hints　dropped　among　the　snarls　I　even　gathered　that　his　padding　feet　had　taken　him　at　last　to　Esgaroth；　and　even　to　the　streets　of　Dale；　listening　secretly　and　peering。　Well；　the　news　of　the　great　events　went　far　and　wide　in　Wilderland；　and　many　had　heard　Bilbo's　name　and　knew　where　he　came　from。　We　had　made　no　secret　of　our　return　journey　to　his　home　in　the　West。　Gollum's　sharp　ears　would　soon　learn　what　he　wanted。'
　　　'Then　why　didn't　he　track　Bilbo　further？'　asked　Frodo。　'Why　didn't　he　e　to　the　Shire？'
　　　'Ah；'　said　Gandalf；　'now　we　e　to　it。　I　think　Gollum　tried　to。　He　set　out　and　came　back　westward；　as　far　as　the　Great　River。　But　then　he　turned　aside。　He　was　not　daunted　by　the　distance；　I　am　sure。　No；　something　else　drew　him　away。　So　my　friends　think；　those　that　hunted　him　for　me。
　　　'The　Wood…elves　tracked　him　first；　an　easy　task　for　them；　for　his　trail　was　still　fresh　then。