jrt.fellowshipofring-第76部分

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　against　him；　and　for　long　we　watched　him　only。　Yet　at　last；　as　his　shadow　grew；　Saruman　yielded；　and　the　Council　put　forth　its　strength　and　drove　the　evil　out　of　Mirkwood　and　that　was　in　the　very　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；　and　had　long　prepared　against　our　stroke；　governing　Mordor　from　afar　through　Minas　Morgul；　where　his　Nine　servants　dwelt；　until　all　was　ready。　Then　he　gave　way　before　us；　but　only　feigned　to　flee；　and　soon　after　came　to　the　Dark　Tower　and　openly　declared　himself。　Then　for　the　last　time　the　Council　met；　for　now　we　learned　that　he　was　seeking　ever　more　eagerly　for　the　One。　We　feared　then　that　he　had　some　news　of　it　that　we　knew　nothing　of。　But　Saruman　said　nay；　and　repeated　what　he　had　said　to　us　before：　that　the　One　would　never　again　be　found　in　Middle…earth。
　　　‘　〃At　the　worst；〃　said　he；　〃our　Enemy　knows　that　we　have　it　not　and　that　it　still　is　lost。　But　what　was　lost　may　yet　be　found；　he　thinks。　Fear　not！　His　hope　will　cheat　him。　Have　I　not　earnestly　studied　this　matter？　Into　Anduin　the　Great　it　fell；　and　long　ago；　while　Sauron　slept；　it　was　rolled　down　the　River　to　the　Sea。　There　let　it　lie　until　the　End。〃'
　　　Gandalf　fell　silent；　gazing　eastward　from　the　porch　to　the　far　peaks　of　the　Misty　Mountains；　at　whose　great　roots　the　peril　of　the　world　had　so　long　lain　hidden。　He　sighed。
　　　‘There　I　was　at　fault；'　he　said。　‘I　was　lulled　by　the　words　of　Saruman　the　Wise；　but　I　should　have　sought　for　the　truth　sooner；　and　our　peril　would　now　be　less。'
　　　‘We　were　all　at　fault；'　said　Elrond；　‘and　but　for　your　vigilance　the　Darkness；　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　thing　came　to　Gollum；　and　how　long　he　had　possessed　it。　So　I　set　a　watch　for　him；　guessing　that　he　would　ere　long　e　forth　from　his　darkness　to　seek　for　his　treasure。　He　came；　but　he　escaped　and　was　not　found。　And　then　alas！　I　let　the　matter　rest；　watching　and　waiting　only；　as　we　have　too　often　done。
　　　‘Time　passed　with　many　cares；　until　my　doubts　were　awakened　again　to　sudden　fear。　Whence　came　the　hobbit's　ring？　What；　if　my　fear　was　true；　should　be　done　with　it？　Those　things　I　must　decide。　But　I　spoke　yet　of　my　dread　to　none；　knowing　the　peril　of　an　untimely　whisper；　if　it　went　astray。　In　all　the　long　wars　with　the　Dark　Tower　treason　has　ever　been　our　greatest　foe。
　　　'That　was　seventeen　years　ago。　Soon　I　became　aware　that　spies　of　many　sorts；　even　beasts　and　birds；　were　gathered　round　the　Shire；　and　my　fear　grew。　I　called　for　the　help　of　the　Dúnedain；　and　their　watch　was　doubled；　and　I　opened　my　heart　to　Aragorn；　the　heir　of　Isildur。'
　　　‘And　I；'　said　Aragorn；　‘counselled　that　we　should　hunt　for　Gollum。　too　late　though　it　may　seem。　And　since　it　seemed　fit　that　Isildur's　heir　should　labour　to　repair　Isildur's　fault；　I　went　with　Gandalf　on　the　long　and　hopeless　search。'
　　　Then　Gandalf　told　how　they　had　explored　the　whole　length　of　Wilderland；　down　even　to　the　Mountains　of　Shadow　and　the　fences　of　Mordor。　‘There　we　had　rumour　of　him；　and　we　guess　that　he　dwelt　there　long　in　the　dark　hills；　but　we　never　found　him；　and　at　last　I　despaired。　And　then　in　my　despair　I　thought　again　of　a　test　that　might　make　the　finding　of　Gollum　unneeded。　The　ring　itself　might　tell　if　it　were　the　One。　The　memory　of　words　at　the　Council　came　back　to　me：　words　of　Saruman；　half…heeded　at　the　time。　I　heard　them　now　clearly　in　my　heart。
　　　‘　〃The　Nine；　the　Seven；　and　the　Three；〃　he　said；　〃had　each　their　proper　gem。　Not　so　the　One。　It　was　round　and　unadorned；　as　it　were　one　of　the　lesser　rings；　but　its　maker　set　marks　upon　it　that　the　skilled；　maybe；　could　still　see　and　read。〃
　　　‘What　those　marks　were　he　had　not　said。　Who　now　would　know？　The　maker。　And　Saruman？　But　great　though　his　lore　may　be；　it　must　have　a　source。　What　hand　save　Sauron's　ever　held　this　thing；　ere　it　was　lost？　The　hand　of　Isildur　alone。
　　　‘With　that　thought；　I　forsook　the　chase；　and　passed　swiftly　to　Gondor。　In　former　days　the　members　of　my　order　had　been　well　received　there；　but　Saruman　most　of　all。　Often　he　had　been　for　long　the　guest　of　the　Lords　of　the　City。　Less　wele　did　the　Lord　Denethor　show　me　then　than　of　old；　and　grudgingly　he　permitted　me　to　search　among　his　hoarded　scrolls　and　books。
　　　'　〃If　indeed　you　look　only；　as　you　say；　for　records　of　ancient　days；　and　the　beginnings　of　the　City；　read　on！　〃　he　said。　〃For　to　me　what　was　is　less　dark　than　what　is　to　e；　and　that　is　my　care。　But　unless　you　have　more　skill　even　than　Saruman；　who　has　studied　here　long；　you　will　find　naught　that　is　not　well　known　to　me；　who　am　master　of　the　lore　of　this　City。〃
　　　‘So　said　Denethor。　And　yet　there　lie　in　his　hoards　many　records　that　few　now　can　read；　even　of　the　lore…masters；　for　their　scripts　and　tongues　have　bee　dark　to　later　men。　And　Boromir；　there　lies　in　Minas　Tirith　still；　unread；　I　guess；　by　any　save　Saruman　and　myself　since　the　kings　failed；　a　scroll　that　Isildur　made　himself。　For　Isildur　did　not　march　away　straight　from　the　war　in　Mordor；　as　some　have　told　the　tale。'
　　　'Some　in　the　North；　maybe；'　Boromir　broke　in。　'All　know　in　Gondor　that　he　went　first　to　Minas　Anor　and　dwelt　a　while　with　his　nephew　Meneldil；　instructing　him；　before　he　mitted　to　him　the　rule　of　the　South　Kingdom。　In　that　time　he　planted　there　the　last　sapling　of　the　White　Tree　in　memory　of　his　brother。'
　　　‘But　in　that　time　also　he　made　this　scroll；'　said　Gandalf；　‘and　that　is　not　remembered　in　Gondor；　it　would　seem。　For　this　scroll　concerns　the　Ring；　and　thus　wrote　Isildur　therein：
　　　The　Great　Ring　shall　go　now　to　be　an　heirloom　of　the　North　Kingdom；　but　records　of　it　shall　be　left　in　Gondor；　where　also　dwell　the　heirs　of　Elendil；　lest　a　time　e　when　the　memory　of　these　great　matters　shall　grow　dim。
　　　‘And　after　these　words　Isildur　described　the　Ring；　such　as　he　found　it。
　　　It　was　hot　when　I　first　took　it；　hot　as　a　glede；　and　my　hand　was　scorched；　so　that　I　doubt　if　ever　again　I　shall　be　free　of　the　pain　of　it。　Yet　even　as　I　write　it　is　cooled；　and　it　seemeth　to　shrink；　though　it　loseth　neither　its　beauty　nor　its　shape。　Already　the　writing　upon　it；　which　at　first　was　as　clear　as　red　flame；　fadeth　and　is　now　only　barely　to　be　read。　It　is　fashioned　in　an　elven…script　of　Eregion；　for　they　have　no　letters　in　Mordor　for　such　subtle　work；　but　the　language　is　unknown　to　me。　I　deem　it　to　be　a　tongue　of　the　Black　Land；　since　it　is　foul　and　uncouth。　What　evil　it　saith　I　do　not　know；　but　I　trace　here　a　copy　of　it；　lest　it　fade　beyond　recall。　The　Ring　misseth；　maybe；　the　heat　of　Sauron's　hand；　which　was　black　and　yet　burned　like　fire；　and　so　Gil…galad　was　destroyed；　and　maybe　were　the　gold　made　hot　again；　the　writing　would　be　refreshed。　But　for　my　part　I　will　risk　no　hurt　to　this　thing：　of　all　the　works　of　Sauron　the　only　fair。　It　is　precious　to　me；　though　I　buy　it　with　great　pain。
　　　'When　I　read　these　words；　my　quest　was　ended。　For　the　traced　writing　was　indeed　as　Isildur　guessed；　in　the　tongue　of　Mordor　and　the　servants　of　the　Tower。　And　what　was　said　therein　was　already　known。　For　in　the　day　that　Sauron　first　put　on　the　One；　Celebrimbor；　maker　of　the　Three；　was　aware　of　him；　and　from　afar　he　heard　him　speak　these　words；　and　so　his　evil　purposes　were　revealed。
　　　‘At　once　I　took　my　leave　of　Denethor；　but　even　as　I　went　northwards；　messages　came　to　me　out　of　Lórien　that　Aragorn　had　passed　that　way；　and　that　he　had　found　the　creature　called　Gollum。　Therefore　I　went　first　to　meet　him　and　hear　his　tale。　Into　what　deadly　perils　he　had　gone　alone　I　dared　not　guess。'
　　　‘There　is　little　need　to　tell　of　them；'　said　Aragorn。　‘If　a　man　must　needs　walk　in　sight　of　the　Black　Gate；　or　tread　the　deadly　flowers　of　Morgul　Vale；　then　perils　he　will　have。　I；　too；　despaired　at　last；　and　I　began　my　homeward　journey。　And　then；　by　fortune；　I　came　suddenly　on　what　I　sought：　the　marks　of　soft　feet　beside　a　muddy　pool。　But　now　the　trail　was　fresh　and　swift；　and　it　led　not　to　Mordor　but　away。　Along　the　skirts　of　the　Dead　Marshes　I　followed　it；　and　then　I　had　him。　Lurking　by　a　stagnant　mere；　peering　in　the　water　as　t