the fellowship of the ring-第93部分

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‘As　was　agreed；　I　shall　here　blindfold　the　eyes　of　Gimli　the　Dwarf。　Theother　may　walk　free　for　a　while；　until　we　e　nearer　to　our　dwellings；　downin　Egladil；　in　the　Angle　between　the　waters。'　
This　was　not　at　all　to　the　liking　of　Gimli。　‘The　agreement　was　madewithout　my　consent；'　he　said。　‘I　will　not　walk　blindfold；　like　a　beggar　or　aprisoner。　And　I　am　no　spy。　My　folk　have　never　had　dealings　with　any　of　theservants　of　the　Enemy。　Neither　have　we　done　harm　to　the　Elves。　I　am　no　morelikely　to　betray　you　than　Legolas；　or　any　other　of　my　panions。'　
'I　do　not　doubt　you；'　said　Haldir。　'Yet　this　is　our　law。　I　am　not　the　　
　
master　of　the　law；　and　cannot　set　it　aside。　I　have　done　much　in　letting　youset　foot　over　Celebrant。'　　
Gimli　was　obstinate。　He　planted　his　feet　firmly　apart；　and　laid　his　handupon　the　haft　of　his　axe。　'I　will　go　forward　free；'　he　said；　'or　I　will　goback　and　seek　my　own　land；　where　I　am　known　to　be　true　of　word；　though　Iperish　alone　in　the　wilderness。'　
‘You　cannot　go　back；'　said　Haldir　sternly。　'Now　you　have　e　thus　far；　
you　must　be　brought　before　the　Lord　and　the　Lady。　They　shall　judge　you；　tohold　you　or　to　give　you　leave；　as　they　will。　You　cannot　cross　the　riversagain；　and　behind　you　there　are　now　secret　sentinels　that　you　cannot　pass。　Youwould　be　slain　before　you　saw　them。'　
Gimli　drew　his　axe　from　his　belt。　Haldir　and　his　panion　bent　theirbows。　'A　plague　on　Dwarves　and　their　stiff　necks！　'　said　Legolas。　
'e！'　said　Aragorn。　‘If　I　am　still　to　lead　this　pany；　you　must　do　asI　bid。　It　is　hard　upon　the　Dwarf　to　be　thus　singled　out。　We　will　all　beblindfold；　even　Legolas。　That　will　be　best；　though　it　will　make　the　journeyslow　and　dull。'　　
Gimli　laughed　suddenly。　‘A　merry　troop　of　fools　we　shall　look！　WillHaldir　lead　us　all　on　a　string；　like　many　blind　beggars　with　one　dog？　But　Iwill　be　content；　if　only　Legolas　here　shares　my　blindness。'　
turn。　
‘I　am　an　Elf　and　a　kinsman　here；'　said　Legolas；　being　angry　in　his　　
‘Now　let　us　cry：　〃a　plague　on　the　stiff　necks　of　Elves！〃'　said　Aragorn。　
‘But　the　pany　shall　all　fare　alike。　e；　bind　our　eyes　Haldir！　'　
‘I　shall　claim　full　amends　for　every　fall　and　stubbed　toe；　if　you　do　notlead　us　well；'　said　Gimli　as　they　bound　a　cloth　about　his　eyes。　
'You　will　have　no　claim；'　said　Haldir。　‘I　shall　lead　you　well；　and　thepaths　are　smooth　and　straight。'　
‘Alas　for　the　folly　of　these　days！　'　said　Legolas。　'Here　all　are　enemiesof　the　one　Enemy；　and　yet　I　must　walk　blind；　while　the　sun　is　merry　in　thewoodland　under　leaves　of　gold！　'　
‘Folly　it　may　seem；'　said　Haldir。　'Indeed　in　nothing　is　the　power　of　theDark　Lord　more　clearly　shown　than　in　the　estrangement　that　divides　all　thosewho　still　oppose　him。　Yet　so　little　faith　and　trust　do　we　find　now　in　theworld　beyond　Lothlórien；　unless　maybe　in　Rivendell；　that　we　dare　not　by　ourown　trust　endanger　our　land。　We　live　now　upon　an　island　amid　many　perils；　andour　hands　are　more　often　upon　the　bowstring　than　upon　the　harp。　
‘The　rivers　long　defended　us；　but　they　are　a　sure　guard　no　more　for　theShadow　has　crept　northward　all　about　us。　Some　speak　of　departing；　yet　for　thatit　already　seems　too　late。　The　mountains　to　the　west　are　growing　evil；　to　theeast　the　lands　are　waste；　and　full　of　Sauron's　creatures；　and　it　is　rumouredthat　we　cannot　now　safely　pass　southward　through　Rohan；　and　the　mouths　of　theGreat　River　are　watched　by　the　Enemy。　Even　if　we　could　e　to　the　shores　ofthe　Sea；　we　should　find　no　longer　any　shelter　there。　It　is　said　that　there　arestill　havens　of。　the　High　Elves；　but　they　are　far　north　and　west；　beyond　theland　of　the　Halflings。　But　where　that　may　be；　though　the　Lord　and　Lady　mayknow；　I　do　not。'　
‘You　ought　at　least　to　guess；　since　you　have　seen　us；'　said　Merry。　‘Thereare　Elf…havens　west　of　my　land；　the　Shire　where　Hobbits　live。'　
‘Happy　folk　are　Hobbits　to　dwell　near　the　shores　of　the　sea！　'　saidHaldir。　'It　is　long　indeed　since　any　of　my　folk　have　looked　on　it；　yet　stillwe　remember　it　in　song。　Tell　me　of　these　havens　as　we　walk。'　
‘I　cannot；'　said　Merry。　‘I　have　never　seen　them。　I　have　never　been　out　ofmy　own　land　before。　And　if　I　had　known　what　the　world　outside　was　like。　Idon't　think　I　should　have　had　the　heart　to　leave　it。'　　
‘Not　even　to　see　fair　Lothlórien？　'　said　Haldir。　'The　world　is　indeed　　
full　of　peril；　and　in　it　there　are　many　dark　places；　but　still　there　is　muchthat　is　fair；　and　though　in　all　lands　love　is　now　mingled　with　grief；　it　growsperhaps　the　greater。　
‘Some　there　are　among　us　who　sing　that　the　Shadow　will　draw　back　and　　
　
peace　shall　e　again。　Yet　I　do　not　believe　that　the　world　about　us　will　everagain　be　as　it　was　of　old；　or　the　light　of　the　Sun　as　it　was　aforetime。　Forthe　Elves；　I　fear；　it　will　prove　at　best　a　truce；　in　which　they　may　pass　tothe　Sea　unhindered　and　leave　the　Middle…earth　for　ever。　Alas　for　Lothlórien　　
that　I　love！　It　would　be　a　poor　life　in　a　land　where　no　mallorn　grew。　But　ifthere　are　mallorn…trees　beyond　the　Great　Sea；　none　have　reported　it。'　
As　they　spoke　thus；　the　pany　filed　slowly　along　the　paths　in　the　wood；　
led　by　Haldir；　while　the　other　Elf　walked　behind。　They　felt　the　ground　beneaththeir　feet　smooth　and　soft；　and　after　a　while　they　walked　more　freely；　withoutfear　of　hurt　or　fall。　Being　deprived　of　sight；　Frodo　found　his　hearing　andother　senses　sharpened。　He　could　smell　the　trees　and　the　trodden　grass。　Hecould　hear　many　different　notes　in　the　rustle　of　the　leaves　overhead；　theriver　murmuring　away　on　his　right；　and　the　thin　clear　voices　of　birds　in　thesky。　He　felt　the　sun　upon　his　face　and　hands　when　they　passed　through　an　open　
glade。　
As　soon　as　he　set　foot　upon　the　far　bank　of　Silverlode　a　strange　feelinghad　e　upon　him；　and　it　deepened　as　he　walked　on　into　the　Naith：　it　seemedto　him　that　he　had　stepped　over　a　bridge　of　time　into　a　corner　of　the　ElderDays；　and　was　…now　walking　in　a　world　that　was　no　more。　In　Rivendell　there　wasmemory　of　ancient　things；　in　Lórien　the　ancient　things　still　lived　on　in　thewaking　world。　Evil　had　been　seen　and　heard　there；　sorrow　had　been　known；　theElves　feared　and　distrusted　the　world　outside：　wolves　were　howling　on　thewood's　borders：　but　on　the　land　of　Lórien　no　shadow　lay。　
All　that　day　the　pany　marched　on；　until　they　felt　the　cool　eveninge　and　heard　the　early　night…wind　whispering　among　many　leaves。　Then　theyrested　and　slept　without　fear　upon　the　ground；　for　their　guides　would　notpermit　them　to　unbind　their　eyes；　and　they　could　not　climb。　In　the　morningthey　went　on　again；　walking　without　haste。　At　noon　they　halted；　and　Frodo　wasaware　that　they　had　passed　out　under　the　shining　Sun。　Suddenly　he　heard　thesound　of　many　voices　all　around　him。　
A　marching　host　of　Elves　had　e　up　silently：　they　were　hastening　towardthe　northern　borders　to　guard　against　any　attack　from　Moria；　and　they　broughtnews；　some　of　which　Haldir　reported。　The　marauding　orcs　had　been　waylaid　andalmost　all　destroyed；　the　remnant　had　fled　westward　towards　the　mountains；　andwere　being　pursued。　A　strange　creature　also　had　been　seen；　running　with　bentback　and　with　hands　near　the　ground；　like　a　beast　and　yet　not　of　beast…shape。　
It　had　eluded　capture；　and　they　had　not　shot　it；　not　knowing　whether　it　wasgood　or　ill；　and　it　had　vanished　down　the　Silverlode　southward。　
‘Also；'　said　Haldir；　‘they　bring　me　a　message　from　the　Lord　and　Lady　ofthe　Galadhrim。　You　are　all　to　walk　free；　even　the　dwarf　Gimli。　It　seems　thatthe　Lady　knows　who　and　what　is　each　member　of　your　pany。　New　messages　havee　from　Rivendell　perhaps。'　
He　removed　the　bandage　first　from　Gimli's　eyes。　'Your　pardon！　'　he　said；　
bowing　low。　‘Look　on　us　now　with　friendly　eyes！　Look　and　be　glad；　for　you　arethe　first　dwarf　to　behold　the　trees　of　the　Naith　of　Lórien　since　Durin's　Day！　
'　　
When　his　eyes　were　in　turn　uncovered；　Frodo　looked　up　and　caught　hisbreath。　They　were　standing　in　an　open　space。　To　the　left　stood　a　great　mound；　
covered　with　a　sward　of　grass　as　green　as　Spring…time　in　the　Elder　Days。　Uponit；　as　a　double　crown；　grew　two　circles　of　trees：　the　outer　had　bark　of　snowywhite；　and　were　leafless　but　beautiful　in　their　shapely　nakedness；　the　innerwere　mallorn…trees　of　great　height；　still　arrayed　in　pale　gold。　High　amid　thebranches　of　a　towering　tree　that　stood　in　the　centre　of　all　there　gleamed　awhite　flet。　At　the　feet　of　the　trees；　and　all　about　the　green　hillsides　thegrass　was　studded　with　small　golden　flowers　shaped　like　stars。　Among　them；　
nodding　on　slender　stalks；　were　other　flowers；　white　and　palest　green：　theyglimmered　as　a　mist　amid　the　rich　hue　of　the　grass。　Over　all　the　sky　was　blue；　
and　the　sun　of　afternoon　glowed　upon　the　hill　and　cast　long　green　shadowsbeneath　the　trees。　　
'Behold！　You　are　e　to　Cerin　Amroth；'　said　Haldir。　‘For　this　is　the　　
　
heart　of　the　ancient　realm　as　it　was　long　ago；　and　here　is　the　mound　ofAmroth；　where　in　happier　days　his　high　house　was　built。　Here　ever　bloom　thewinter　flowers　in　the　unfading　grass：　the　yellow　_elanor_；　and　the　pale_niphredil_。　Here　we　will　stay　awhile；　and　e　to　the　city　of　the　Galadhrimat　dusk。'　　
The　others　cast　themselves　down　upon　the　fragrant　grass；　but　Frodo　stoodawhile　still　lost　in　wonder。　It　seemed　to　him　that　he　had　stepped　through　ahigh　window　that　looked　on　a　vanished　world。　A　light　was　upon　it　for　which　hislanguage　had　no　name。　All　tha