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Then　they　went　round　the　hole；　and　evicted　three　young　hobbits　（two　Boffins　and　a　Bolger）　who　were　knocking　holes　in　the　walls　of　one　of　the　cellars。　Frodo　also　had　a　tussle　with　young　Sancho　Proudfoot　（old　Odo　Proudfoot's　grandson）；　who　had　begun　an　excavation　in　the　larger　pantry；　where　he　thought　there　was　an　echo。　The　legend　of　Bilbo's　gold　excited　both　curiosity　and　hope；　for　legendary　gold　（mysteriously　obtained；　if　not　positively　illgotten）；　is；　as　every　one　knows；　any　one's　for　the　finding　。　unless　the　search　is　interrupted。

When　he　had　overe　Sancho　and　pushed　him　out；　Frodo　collapsed　on　a　chair　in　the　hall。　It's　time　to　close　the　shop；　Merry；'　he　said。　'Lock　the　door；　and　don't　open　it　to　anyone　today；　not　even　if　they　bring　a　battering　ram。'　Then　he　went　to　revive　himself　with　a　belated　cup　of　tea。

He　had　hardly　sat　down；　when　there　came　a　soft　knock　at　the　frontdoor。　'Lobelia　again　most　likely；'　he　thought。　'She　must　have　thought　of　something　really　nasty；　and　have　e　back　again　to　say　it。　It　can　wait。'

He　went　on　with　his　tea。　The　knock　was　repeated；　much　louder；　but　he　took　no　notice。　Suddenly　the　wizard's　head　appeared　at　the　window。

'If　you　don't　let　me　in；　Frodo；　I　shall　blow　your　door　right　down　your　hole　and　out　through　the　hill；'　he　said。

'My　dear　Gandalf！　Half　a　minute！'　cried　Frodo；　running　out　of　the　room　to　the　door。　'e　in！　e　in！　I　thought　it　was　Lobelia。'

'Then　I　five　you。　But　I　saw　her　some　time　ago；　driving　a　ponytrap　towards　Bywater　with　a　face　that　would　have　curdled　new　milk。'

'She　had　already　nearly　curdled　me。　Honestly；　I　nearly　tried　on　Bilbo's　ring。　I　longed　to　disappear。'

'Don't　do　that！'　said　Gandalf；　sitting　down。　'Do　be　careful　of　that　ring；　Frodo！　In　fact；　it　is　partly　about　that　that　I　have　e　to　say　a　last　word。'

'Well；　what　about　it？'

'What　do　you　know　already？'

'Only　what　Bilbo　told　me。　I　have　heard　his　story：　how　he　found　it；　and　how　he　used　it：　on　his　journey；　I　mean。'

'Which　story；　I　wonder；'　said　Gandalf。

'Oh；　not　what　he　told　the　dwarves　and　put　in　his　book；'　said　Frodo。　'He　told　me　the　true　story　soon　after　I　came　to　live　here。　He　said　you　had　pestered　him　till　he　told　you；　so　I　had　better　know　too。　〃No　secrets　between　us；　Frodo；〃　he　said；　〃but　they　are　not　to　go　any　further。　It's　mine　anyway。〃'

'That's　interesting；'　said　Gandalf。　'Well；　what　did　you　think　of　it　all？'

'If　you　mean；　inventing　all　that　about　a　〃present〃；　well；　I　thought　the　true　story　much　more　likely；　and　I　couldn't　see　the　point　of　altering　it　at　all。　It　was　very　unlike　Bilbo　to　do　so；　anyway；　and　I　thought　it　rather　odd。'

'So　did　I。　But　odd　things　may　happen　to　people　that　have　such　treasures　。　if　they　use　them。　Let　it　be　a　warning　to　you　to　be　very　careful　with　it。　It　may　have　other　powers　than　just　making　you　vanish　when　you　wish　to。'

'I　don't　understand；'　said　Frodo。

'Neither　do　I；'　answered　the　wizard。　'I　have　merely　begun　to　wonder　about　the　ring；　especially　since　last　night。　No　need　to　worry。　But　if　you　take　my　advice　you　will　use　it　very　seldom；　or　not　at　all。　At　least　I　beg　you　not　to　use　it　in　any　way　that　will　cause　talk　or　rouse　suspicion。　I　say　again：　keep　it　safe；　and　keep　it　secret！'

'You　are　very　mysterious！　What　are　you　afraid　of？'

'I　am　not　certain；　so　I　will　say　no　more。　I　may　be　able　to　tell　you　something　when　I　e　back。　I　am　going　off　at　once：　so　this　is　goodbye　for　the　present。'　He　got　up。

'At　once！'　cried　Frodo。　'Why；　I　thought　you　were　staying　on　for　at　least　a　week。　I　was　looking　forward　to　your　help。'

'I　did　mean　to　。　but　I　have　had　to　change　my　mind。　I　may　be　away　for　a　good　while；　but　I'll　e　and　see　you　again；　as　soon　as　I　can。　Expect　me　when　you　see　me！　I　shall　slip　in　quietly。　I　shan't　often　be　visiting　the　Shire　openly　again。　I　find　that　I　have　bee　rather　unpopular。　They　say　I　am　a　nuisance　and　a　disturber　of　the　peace。　Some　people　are　actually　accusing　me　of　spiriting　Bilbo　away；　or　worse。　If　you　want　to　know；　there　is　supposed　to　be　a　plot　between　you　and　me　to　get　hold　of　his　wealth。'

'Some　people！'　exclaimed　Frodo。　'You　mean　Otho　and　Lobelia。　How　abominable！　I　would　give　them　Bag　End　and　everything　else；　if　I　could　get　Bilbo　back　and　go　off　tramping　in　the　country　with　him。　I　love　the　Shire。　But　I　begin　to　wish；　somehow；　that　I　had　gone　too。　I　wonder　if　I　shall　ever　see　him　again。'

'So　do　I；'　said　Gandalf。　'And　I　wonder　many　other　things。　Goodbye　now！　Take　care　of　yourself！　Look　out　for　me；　especially　at　unlikely　times！　Good　bye！'

Frodo　saw　him　to　the　door。　He　gave　a　final　wave　of　his　hand；　and　walked　off　at　a　surprising　pace；　but　Frodo　thought　the　old　wizard　looked　unusually　bent；　almost　as　if　he　was　carrying　a　great　weight。　The　evening　was　closing　in；　and　his　cloaked　figure　quickly　vanished　into　the　twilight。　Frodo　did　not　see　him　again　for　a　long　time。

Chapter　02
The　Shadow　of　the　Past
　

The　talk　did　not　die　down　in　nine　or　even　niynine　days。　The　second　disappearance　of　Mr。　Bilbo　Baggins　was　discussed　in　Hobbiton；　and　indeed　all　over　the　Shire；　for　a　year　and　a　day；　and　was　remembered　much　longer　than　that。　It　became　a　firesidestory　for　young　hobbits；　and　eventually　Mad　Baggins；　who　used　to　vanish　with　a　bang　and　a　flash　and　reappear　with　bags　of　jewels　and　gold；　became　a　favourite　character　of　legend　and　lived　on　long　after　all　the　true　events　were　fotten。

But　in　the　meantime；　the　general　opinion　in　the　neighbourhood　was　that　Bilbo；　who　had　always　been　rather　cracked；　had　at　last　gone　quite　mad；　and　had　run　off　into　the　Blue。　There　he　had　undoubtedly　fallen　into　a　pool　or　a　river　and　e　to　a　tragic；　but　hardly　an　untimely；　end。　The　blame　was　mostly　laid　on　Gandalf。

'If　only　that　dratted　wizard　will　leave　young　Frodo　alone；　perhaps　he'll　settle　down　and　grow　some　hobbitsense；'　they　said。　And　to　all　appearance　the　wizard　did　leave　Frodo　alone；　and　he　did　settle　down；　but　the　growth　of　hobbitsense　was　not　very　noticeable。　Indeed；　he　at　once　began　to　carry　on　Bilbo's　reputation　for　oddity。　He　refused　to　go　into　mourning；　and　the　next　year　he　gave　a　party　in　honour　of　Bilbo's　hundredandtwelfth　birthday；　which　he　called　Hundredweight　Feast。　But　that　was　short　of　the　mark；　for　twenty　guests　were　invited　and　there　were　several　meals　at　which　it　snowed　food　and　rained　drink；　as　hobbits　say。

Some　people　were　rather　shocked；　but　Frodo　kept　up　the　custom　of　giving　Bilbo's　Birthday　Party　year　after　year　until　they　got　used　to　it。　He　said　that　he　did　not　think　Bilbo　was　dead。　When　they　asked：　'Where　is　he　then？'　he　shrugged　his　shoulders。

He　lived　alone；　as　Bilbo　had　done；　but　he　had　a　good　many　friends；　especially　among　the　younger　hobbits　（mostly　descendants　of　the　Old　Took）　who　had　as　children　been　fond　of　Bilbo　and　often　in　and　out　of　Bag　End。　Folco　Boffin　and　Fredegar　Bolger　were　two　of　these；　but　his　closest　friends　were　Peregrin　Took　（usually　called　Pippin）；　and　Merry　Brandybuck　（his　real　name　was　Meriadoc；　but　that　was　seldom　remembered）。　Frodo　went　tramping　all　over　the　Shire　with　them；　but　more　often　he　wandered　by　himself；　and　to　the　amazement　of　sensible　folk　he　was　sometimes　seen　far　from　home　walking　in　the　hills　and　woods　under　the　starlight。　Merry　and　Pippin　suspected　that　he　visited　the　Elves　at　times；　as　Bilbo　had　done。

As　time　went　on；　people　began　to　notice　that　Frodo　also　showed　signs　of　good　'preservation'：　outwardly　he　retained　the　appearance　of　a　robust　and　energetic　hobbit　just　out　of　his　tweens。　'Some　folk　have　all　the　luck；'　they　said；　but　it　was　not　until　Frodo　approached　the　usually　more　sober　age　of　fifty　that　they　began　to　think　it　queer。

Frodo　himself；　after　the　first　shock；　found　that　being　his　own　master　and　the　Mr。　Baggins　of　Bag　End　was　rather　pleasant。　For　some　years　he　was　quite　happy　and　did　not　worry　much　about　the　future。　But　half　unknown　to　himself　the　regret　that　he　had　not　gone　with　Bilbo　was　steadily　growing。　He　found　himself　wondering　at　times；　especially　in　the　autumn；　about　the　wild　lands；　and　strange　visions　of　mountains　that　he　had　never　seen　came　into　his　dreams。　He　began　to　say　to　himself：　'Perhaps　I　shall　cross　the　River　myself　one　day。'　To　which　the　other　half　of　his　mind　always　replied：　'Not　yet。'

So　it　went　on；　until　his　forties　were　runnin