Властелин колец: Братство кольца
A Long-expected Party
WhentheyopenedtheireyesBilbowasnowheretobeseen.Onehundredandforty-fourflabbergastedhobbitssatbackspeechless.OldOdoProudfootremovedhisfeetfromthetableandstamped.Thentherewasadeadsilence,untilsuddenly,afterseveraldeepbreaths,everyBaggins,Boffin,Took,Brandybuck,Grubb,Chubb,Burrows,Bolger,Bracegirdle,Brockhouse,Goodbody,Hornblower,andProudfootbegantotalkatonce.
Itwasgenerallyagreedthatthejokewasinverybadtaste,andmorefoodanddrinkwereneededtocuretheguestsofshockandannoyance.’He’smad.Ialwayssaidso,’wasprobablythemostpopularcomment.EventheTooks(withafewexceptions)thoughtBilbo’sbehaviourwasabsurd.Forthemomentmostofthemtookitforgrantedthathisdisappearancewasnothingmorethanaridiculousprank.
ButoldRoryBrandybuckwasnotsosure.Neitheragenoranenormousdinnerhadcloudedhiswits,andhesaidtohisdaughter-in-law,Esmeralda:’There’ssomethingfishyinthis,mydear!IbelievethatmadBagginsisoffagain.Sillyoldfool.Butwhyworry?Hehasn’ttakenthevittleswithhim.’HecalledloudlytoFrodotosendthewineroundagain.
Frodowastheonlyonepresentwhohadsaidnothing.ForsometimehehadsatsilentbesideBilbo’semptychair,andignoredallremarksandquestions.Hehadenjoyedthejoke,ofcourse,eventhoughhehadbeenintheknow.Hehaddifficultyinkeepingfromlaughterattheindignantsurpriseoftheguests.Butatthesametimehefeltdeeplytroubled:herealizedsuddenlythathelovedtheoldhobbitdearly.MostoftheguestswentoneatinganddrinkinganddiscussingBilboBaggins’oddities,pastandpresent;buttheSackville-Bagginseshadalreadydepartedinwrath.Frododidnotwanttohaveanymoretodowiththeparty.
