The Treason of Isengard Read Online Free PDF Page A

as in FR (p. 40), he put the envelope on the mantlepiece (but suddenly took it down and stuck it in his pocket), and Gandalf entered at that moment (changing the previous story, in which Gandalf met Bilbo at the bottom of the hill, VI.315). Their conversation (for the form of it before this revision see VI.238-40) becomes exactly as in FR, as far as 'It's time he was his own master now' (p. 41), and this clearly derives from the 'August 1939' note given in VI.374: 'Neither Bilbo nor Gandalf must know much about the Ring, when Bilbo departs. Bilbo's motive is simply tiredness, an unexplained restlessness...' Bilbo's words about his book, which Gandalf says nobody will read, are taken up from the note given in VI.371. But here this
    'fourth phase' version shows a significant difference from FR: for there is no quarrel between them as yet,' though it hovers on the verge of being devised (on the first germ of the quarrel see VI.378 - 9). I give the passage in the form of the fair copy B (which the draft A approaches very closely):

    'Everything?' said Gandalf. 'The ring as well?'
    'Well, or yes I suppose so,' stammered Bilbo.
    'Where is it?'
    'I put it in an envelope for him, and put it on the mantle - well no! Isn't that odd now! Here it is in my pocket!'
    Gandalf looked again very hard at Bilbo, and his eyes glinted.
    'I think, Bilbo,' he said quietly, 'I should leave it with him. Don't you want to?
    'Well yes - and yet it seems very difficult to part with it somehow. Why do you want me to leave it behind?' he asked, and a curious note of suspicion came into his voice. 'You are always worrying about it lately, but you have never bothered me about the other things I got on my journey.'
    'Magic rings are - well, magic,' answered Gandalf; 'and they are not, nowadays, very common. Let's say that I am profes-sionally interested in your ring, and would like to know where it is. Also I think you have had it long enough. You won't want it any more, Bilbo, unless I am quite mistaken.'
    'Oh, very well,' said Bilbo. 'It would be a relief, in a way, not to be bothered with it. It has been rather growing on my mind lately. Sometimes I have felt that it was like an eye looking at me;(3) and I am always wanting to put it on and disappear, don't you know, or wondering if it is safe and pulling it out to make sure. I tried leaving it locked up, but I found I couldn't rest without it in my pocket. I don't know why. Well! Now I must be starting, or somebody else will catch me. I have said good-bye, and I couldn't bear to do it all over again.' He picked up his bag and moved towards the door.
    'You have still got the ring in your pocket,' said the wizard.
    'So I have, and my will and all the other documents too!' cried Bilbo. 'I had better give them to you to deliver to Frodo. That will be safest.' He held out the envelope, but just as Gandalf was about to take it, Bilbo's hand jerked and the envelope fell on the floor. Quick as lightning the wizard stooped and seized it, before Bilbo could pick it up. An odd look passed over the hobbit's face, almost like anger. Suddenly it gave way to a look of relief and a smile.
    'Well, that's that!' he said. 'Now I'm off!'

    From this point the revision brings the narrative almost to the final form. The dwarves, now three and no longer named, play only the same role as in FR; and when Frodo returns to Bag End he finds Gandalf sitting in the dark, whereupon the conversation between them in FR (pp. 44-5) follows. A minute but characteristically subtle difference remaining is that it is not said, in the passage just cited, that when the envelope fell to the floor Gandalf 'set it in its place' on the mantlepiece; and now Gandalf says to Frodo: 'He left a packet with me to give to you. Here it is!' Then Frodo took the envelope from the wizard. In FR Gandalf pointed to it on the mantelpiece; he would not sit waiting for Frodo with the envelope containing the Ring in his hand.
    Once again the list of Bilbo's labelled