There was plenty of everything left for Frodo. And, of
course, all the chief treasures, as well as the books, pictures,
and more than enough furniture, were left in his possession.
There was, however, no sign nor mention of money or jewel-
lery: not a penny-piece or a glass bead was given away.
Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon. A false rumour
that the whole household was being distributed free spread
like wildfire; and before long the place was packed with
people who had no business there, but could not be kept out.
Labels got torn off and mixed, and quarrels broke out. Some
people tried to do swaps and deals in the hall; and others
tried to make off with minor items not addressed to them, or
with anything that seemed unwanted or unwatched. The road
to the gate was blocked with barrows and handcarts.
In the middle of the commotion the Sackville-Bagginses
arrived. Frodo had retired for a while and left his friend
Merry Brandybuck to keep an eye on things. When Otho
loudly demanded to see Frodo, Merry bowed politely.
‘He is indisposed,’ he said. ‘He is resting.’
‘Hiding, you mean,’ said Lobelia. ‘Anyway we want to see
him and we mean to see him. Just go and tell him so!’
Merry left them a long while in the hall, and they had time
to discover their parting gift of spoons. It did not improve
their tempers. Eventually they were shown into the study.
Frodo was sitting at a table with a lot of papers in front of
him. He looked indisposed – to see Sackville-Bagginses at
any rate; and he stood up, fidgeting with something in his
pocket. But he spoke quite politely.
The Sackville-Bagginses were rather offensive. They began
by offering him bad bargain-prices (as between friends) for
various valuable and unlabelled things. When Frodo replied
that only the things specially directed by Bilbo were being
given away, they said the whole affair was very fishy.
‘Only one thing is clear to me,’ said Otho, ‘and that is that
you are doing exceedingly well out of it. I insist on seeing
the will.’