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'It's coming out in a minute,'
whispered Pippin to Merry. Merry nodded.
'Well!' said Frodo at last, sitting up and straightening his back, as if he had made a
decision. 'I can't keep it dark any longer. I have got something to tell you all. But I
don't know quite how to begin.'
'I think I could help you,' said Merry quietly, 'by telling you some of it myself.'
'What do you mean?' said Frodo, looking at him anxiously.
'Just this, my dear old Frodo: you are miserable, because you don't know how to say
good-bye. You meant to leave the Shire, of course. But danger has come on you sooner than
you expected, and now you are making up your mind to go at once. And you don't want to. We
are very sorry for you.'
Frodo opened his mouth and shut it again. His look of surprise was so comical that they
laughed. 'Dear old Frodo!' said Pippin. 'Did you really think you had thrown dust in all
our eyes? You have not been nearly careful or clever enough for that! You have obviously
been planning to go and saying farewell to all your haunts all this year since April. We
have constantly heard you muttering: "Shall I ever look down into that valley again,
I wonder", and things like that. And pretending that you had come to the end of your
money, and actually selling your beloved Bag End to those Sackville-Bagginses! And all
those close talks with Gandalf!'
'Good heavens!' said Frodo. 'I thought I had been both careful and clever. I don't know
what Gandalf would say. Is all the Shire discussing my departure, then?'
