return

1298 the return of the king
the landlord’s face looked rather wrinkled and careworn.
He led them down the passage to the parlour that they had
used on that strange night more than a year ago; and they
followed him, a little disquieted, for it seemed plain to them
that old Barliman was putting a brave face on some trouble.
Things were not what they had been. But they said nothing,
and waited.
As they expected Mr. Butterbur came to the parlour after
supper to see if all had been to their liking. As indeed it had:
no change for the worse had yet come upon the beer or the
victuals at The Pony, at any rate. ‘Now I won’t make so
bold as to suggest you should come to the Common Room
tonight,’ said Butterbur. ‘You’ll be tired; and there isn’t many
folk there this evening, anyway. But if you could spare me
half an hour before you go to your beds, I would dearly like
to have some talk with you, quiet-like by ourselves.’
‘That is just what we should like, too,’ said Gandalf. ‘We
are not tired. We have been taking things easy. We were wet,
cold and hungry, but all that you have cured. Come, sit down!
And if you have any pipe-weed, we’ll bless you.’
‘Well, if you’d called for anything else, I’d have been happier,’
said Butterbur. ‘That’s just a thing that we’re short of,
seeing how we’ve only got what we grow ourselves, and that’s
not enough. There’s none to be had from the Shire these
days. But I’ll do what I can.’
When he came back he brought them enough to last them
for a day or two, a wad of uncut leaf. ‘Southlinch,’ he said,
‘and the best we have; but not the match of Southfarthing,
as I’ve always said, though I’m all for Bree in most matters,
begging your pardon.’
They put him in a large chair by the wood-fire, and
Gandalf sat on the other side of the hearth, and the hobbits
in low chairs between them; and then they talked for many
times half an hour, and exchanged all such news as Mr.
Butterbur wished to hear or give. Most of the things which
they had to tell were a mere wonder and bewilderment to
their host, and far beyond his vision; and they brought forth