Three is Company

           "Yououghttogoquietly,andyououghttogosoon,"saidGandalf.Twoorthreeweekshadpassed,andstillFrodomadenosignofgettingreadytogo.

           "Iknow.Butitisdifficulttodoboth,"heobjected.IfIjustvanishlikeBilbo,thetalewillbeallovertheShireinnotime."

           "Ofcourseyoumustn’tvanish!"saidGandalf."Thatwouldn’tdoatal!Isaidsoon,notinstantly.IfyoucanthinkofanywayofslippingoutoftheShirewithoutitsbeinggeneralyknown,itwillbeworthalittledelay.Butyoumustnotdelaytoolong."

           "Whatabouttheautumn,onorafterOurBirthday?"askedFrodo."IthinkIcouldprobablymakesomearrangementsbythen."

           Totellthetruth,hewasveryreluctanttostart,nowthatithadcometothepoint.BagEndseemedamoredesirableresidencethanithadforyears,andhewantedtosavourasmuchashecouldofhislastsummerintheShire.Whenautumncame,heknewthatpartatleastofhisheartwouldthinkmorekindlyofjourneying,asitalwaysdidatthatseason.Hehadindeedprivatelymadeuphismindtoleaveonhisfiftiethbirthday:Bilbo’sonehundredandtwenty-eighth.Itseemedsomehowtheproperdayonwhichtosetoutandfolowhim.FolowingBilbowasuppermostinhismind,andtheonethingthatmadethethoughtofleavingbearable.

           HethoughtaslittleaspossibleabouttheRing,andwhereitmightleadhimintheend.ButhedidnottellallhisthoughtstoGandalf.Whatthewizardguessedwasalwaysdifficulttotel.

           HelookedatFrodoandsmiled."Verywel,"hesaid."Ithinkthatwilldo-butitmustnotbeanylater.