Хоббит

           LuckyNumber?Iampleasedtohearthatyouhadotherbusinessinthesepartsbesidesmygold.Inthatcaseyoumay,perhaps,notaltogetherwasteyourtime.

           "Idon’tknowifithasoccurredtoyouthat,evenifyoucouldstealthegoldbitbybit-amatterofahundredyearsorso-youcouldnotgetitveryfar?Notmuchuseonthemountain-side?Notmuchuseintheforest?Blessme!Hadyouneverthoughtofthecatch?Afourteenthshare,Isuppose,Orsomethinglikeit,thoseweretheterms,eh?Butwhataboutdelivery?Whataboutcartage?Whataboutarmedguardsandtolls?"AndSmauglaughedaloud.Hehadawickedandawilyheart,andheknewhisguesseswerenotfarout,thoughhesuspectedthattheLake-menwereatthebackoftheplans,andthatmostoftheplunderwasmeanttostopthereinthetownbytheshorethatinhisyoungdayshadbeencalledEsgaroth.

           Youwillhardlybelieveit,butpoorBilbowasreallyverytakenaback.Sofarallhis.thoughtsandenergieshadbeenconcentratedongettingtotheMountainandfindingtheentrance.Hehadneverbotheredtowonderhowthetreasurewastoberemoved,certainlyneverhowanypartofitthatmightfalltohissharewastobebroughtbackallthewaytoBag-EndUnder-Hill.Nowanastysuspicionbegantogrowinhismind-hadthedwarvesforgottenthisimportantpointtoo,orweretheylaughingintheirsleevesathimallthetime?Thatistheeffectthatdragon-talkhasontheinexperienced.Bilboofcourseoughttohavebeenonhisguard;butSmaughadratheranoverwhelmingpersonality.