At the Sign of the Prancing Pony

           Frodo,Pippin,andSammadetheirwaybacktotheparlour.Therewasnolight.Merrywasnotthere,andthefirehadburnedlow.ItwasnotuntiltheyhadpuffeduptheembersintoablazeandthrownonacoupleoffaggotsthattheydiscoveredStriderhadcomewiththem.Therehewascalmlysittinginachairbythedoor!

           ‘Hallo!’saidPippin.‘Whoareyou,andwhatdoyouwant?’

           ‘IamcalledStrider,’heanswered;‘andthoughhemayhaveforgottenit,yourfriendpromisedtohaveaquiettalkwithme.’

           ‘YousaidImighthearsomethingtomyadvantage,Ibelieve,’saidFrodo.‘Whathaveyoutosay?’

           ‘Severalthings,’answeredStrider.‘But,ofcourse,Ihavemyprice.’

           ‘Whatdoyoumean?’askedFrodosharply.

           ‘Don’tbealarmed!Imeanjustthis:IwilltellyouwhatIknow,andgiveyousomegoodadvice–butIshallwantareward.’

           ‘Andwhatwillthatbe,pray?’saidFrodo.Hesuspectednowthathehadfalleninwitharascal,andhethoughtuncomfortablythathehadbroughtonlyalittlemoneywithhim.Allofitwouldhardlysatisfyarogue,andhecouldnotspareanyofit.

           ‘Nomorethanyoucanafford,’answeredStriderwithaslowsmile,asifheguessedFrodo’sthoughts.‘Justthis:youmusttakemealongwithyou,untilIwishtoleaveyou.’

           ‘Oh,indeed!’repliedFrodo,surprised,butnotmuchrelieved.‘EvenifIwantedanothercompanion,Ishouldnotagreetoanysuchthing,untilIknewagooddealmoreaboutyou,andyourbusiness.’