little gentleman

The next afternoon Merry and Sam were together in the living room at Bag End, Sam arranging a freshly picked bouquet and Merry holding the vase for him.

"Then Mr. Rosso stepped on me again. I think I'm going to break my toes!" Merry complained. "He doesn't look fat, but he doesn't weigh much less than you, Sam!"

The kind-hearted Sam couldn't help but make fun of it: "Has he never danced? I thought he would have a lot of opportunities to participate in the dance with the great King Thranduil."

"I asked him that, guess what he said?" Meri put down the vase, bent down artificially like Rosso, "'My dear cousin, as King Thranduil's right-hand man, I usually Busy business and little time for entertainment.'”

Sam covered his mouth with a smile: "Fortunately, he only danced with you twice, and he threatened to dance with each of us earlier."

"I've had enough of two dances!" cried Merry. "I'll never go to any more balls as long as M. Rosseau is in the Shire!"

"But you do like your second partner, don't you?" Sam asked with a smile. "The tall one!"

"Oh, you mean the new Mr. Boromir? He is less talkative than Mr. Thorin, but he is not arrogant." Meri thought of the human who appeared at the ball. Boromir was also from Gondor, and he was Aragorn. Important friend.

Frodo and Lothor entered the drawing-room and interrupted their conversation.

"Merry, Merry Rosso wishes to speak to you alone," said Frodo. "Sam, let us go out."

Meili waved her hands anxiously: "No, no! Anyone can listen to what Mr. Rosso wants to talk to me, don't go!"

"I think we'd better go, Merry, stay here!" Frodo smiled and beckoned Sam to go out with him.

Merry watched desperately as the two companions left the living room one after another. point.

Rosso's face was full of smiles, and he thought he spoke affectionately: "Dear cousin Merry, please don't doubt the purpose of this conversation—yes, although you have behaved very reservedly and decently, you must have Got it: I've chosen you to be my life partner from the moment I stepped foot in Bag End."

Meili turned pale with shock: "Mr. Rosso..."

Rosso didn't let Meri speak out: "In order to show my sincerity, I would first clarify my views on marriage. I chose you based on three considerations: First, as King Thranduil's confidant, I should Find a mate to make a good family, because I need to set an example for all men with a decent career; second, you are a bright young hobbit, you can make me happy; third, Thur His Majesty Randyll has personally instructed me to find a companion who is well-bred and good-natured. You don't need to be of noble birth, but you must be pleasing. Of course, there is another important reason: I will inherit your uncle Bilbo's property , so I must choose one of his nephews as my marriage partner."

Meili anxiously wanted to explain: "But..."

"You don't have to be embarrassed," Rosso interrupted Meili again arrogantly, "I know you can only get a little property, and I won't dislike you because of it. Your excellent qualities will well make up for the lack of birth, You will be a satisfying companion."

"You must at least let me finish, Monsieur Rosso!" Merry finally couldn't help crying. "It's a great honor for me, but I'm sorry I can't accept your proposal."

Rosso was stunned for a few seconds, then turned his eyes and thought for a while: "I won't be fooled. When a young hobbit receives a marriage proposal, he always refuses once with a duplicity. This of course shows your purity and reserve, so as to attract more attention." I."

Meili didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "I'm not duplicity, I'm seriously rejecting you: I'm sorry, Mr. Rosso, I can't marry you."

Rosso was triumphant: "Of course you would say that, but it only represents your shyness and ignorance of the world. I cherish your virtues, so I will insist on my request until you agree to my marriage proposal."

Merry groaned inwardly, how could such an unlucky thing happen to him?He emphasized again: "Mr. Rosso, hobbits never like to go around in circles. How could I use hard-to-get methods to torture a gentleman of status like you?"

"You're just doing this to make me more devoted to you, Cousin Merry," Rosso said to himself, still self-righteously, "you won't be blamed, it's just your cute little trick!"

The tug-of-war between Rosso and Merry lasted all afternoon, until the energetic Merry felt exhausted, and Rosso finally believed that Merry was not pretending to be reserved, but was really planning to reject him.

Rosso put on a serious face: "It's unwise to refuse me, and no one else will propose to you in the future! Anyway, your uncle Bilbo has already agreed, and your opinion is not important!"

Merry ran out of the living room as if fleeing for her life.

Pippin hurried into Bilbo's study: "Bilbo! Bilbo! Merry just refused Mr. Rosso's proposal, and now Mr. Rosso is very angry!"

Bilbo looked up from the old map on the table, and asked slowly, "Is that so?"

"Mr. Bilbo Baggins!" Rosso had come in angrily, "you have to discipline Merry well, he refused me!"

Bilbo calmly put down the magnifying glass in his hand, stood up with style, and clasped his hands behind his back: "Get Merry, I want to talk to him."

Pippin hurried out and called Merry.

Reluctantly, Merry bowed his head and walked into the study: "Bilbo, are you looking for me?"

Bilbo said solemnly: "Merry, you now face a very difficult choice: if you refuse to marry Mr. Rosso, you will never set foot in Bag End after I die."

Rosso nodded heavily and stared at Merry.

"And if you do," continued Bilbo, "you shall never set foot in Bag End as long as I live."

"What?" Rosso's mouth was wide open, and his jaw was about to drop.

Merry threw herself on Bilbo, cheering. "Thank you! Thank you, Bilbo!"

"Go and play, boy!" Bilbo patted Merry on the head lovingly.

Merry and Pippin rushed out of the house.

"You..." Rosso was stunned, "I have never been so humiliated! Mr. Bilbo, what you have done is a disgrace to the name of a gentleman! I have to withdraw my marriage proposal. Once true love is lost, it is gone." Worth pursuing!"

"My dear Rosso, it's a pity that Merry has lost your favor, and I'm sorry for him!" Bilbo laughed, not hiding his satisfaction.

Rosso went out in a huff, claiming he was leaving the Shire tomorrow.

But Rosso didn't leave early as he said. He went to propose to Xiaomei Caton that night, and Xiaomei immediately agreed, and their marriage was quickly arranged.The next day, news of their engagement spread throughout Hobbiton, and naturally to Bag End.

When Pippin conveyed the news to everyone, everyone was stunned.Sam stiffened in disbelief, and asked blankly, "Xiao Mei? Is it really Xiao Mei?"

"Yes, her father is delighted!" continued Pippin, adding to the weight of the bad news.

"But she is..." Merry looked at Sam anxiously, and then fell silent like an electric shock.Xiao Mei has always been the girl Sam admired, and the introverted Sam has never dared to express his feelings to her, but they are very close, and no one doubts that they will not be a happy couple in the future.

Bilbo's face was tense. He didn't expect it to turn out this way. "I'm sorry, Sam."

"No, Master Baggins." Sam couldn't say anything else.

"I have to talk to Xiaomei!" Meili ran out.He and Xiaomei are good friends, and he thinks he should do something.

In the living room of Cotton's house, Rosso was talking about the extremely luxurious throne in Thranduil Palace to Xiaomei's father Tommen Coton with great interest, while Merry and Xiaomei were sitting on the other side drinking tea.

"I can't believe it, Mei, that you agreed to marry Mr. Rosso!" Merry had forgotten etiquette—he could never remember too many of them.

Xiaomei said a little unnaturally: "Merry, I know you will question my decision, but although Mr. Rosso unfortunately failed to win your favor, it doesn't mean that no one else is willing to marry him."

Merry still couldn't believe it: "But do you really want to marry him?"

"Merry, I'm not a romantic person," Xiaomei said, "I just want to live a peaceful and stable life. Our family is considered poor among hobbits, and marrying Mr. Rosso is undoubtedly a good choice. "

"And what about Sam?" Merry asked.

"Sam? Maybe I did wait for him to speak, but he has been slow to speak. I can only think that I misunderstood his kindness." Xiaomei said.

"No, you're not mistaken!" argued Merry. "Sam would love to propose to you!"

Xiao Mei smiled wryly: "Whether Sam is interested in me or not, but he really dragged on for too long, and now I have already agreed to another marriage proposal."

Rosso walked over, took Xiaomei's jade hand, and said proudly to Meili: "Dear cousin Meili, standing in front of you is the happiest man in the world!"

And the unluckiest woman in the world, Merry added in her mind.

Back at Bag End, Merry described what he saw and heard at Little Mei's house, and everyone was not very interested, especially Sam.Pippin went to get the letters today, and he handed one of them to Frodo: "This is for you, and sent from the Landing House."

Frodo opened the letter, and his countenance changed as soon as he glanced at it. He put the letter aside with feigned composure, and continued to listen to Sam and Merry's conversation, but his mind was obviously absent.

Bilbo saw everything, and he had a premonition that something bad was going to happen.