Harold:
Harold felt enormously relieved that the whole babysitting mess was over. Back in Bree, he'd always complied with Kalimac’s requests and thought that he was a fair Hobbit. But he remained convinced that the Whitfoots ought to pay his children something in return for their work. Harold had expected Kalimac to put up more of a fight, but instead the Fallohide had readily accepted with only a minimum of fuss.
Even more surprising to Harold, Kalimac had given the children a few coins of their salary in advance. This was an even more pleasant surprise, although Harold found it a bit strange. Why would anyone pay their employees before they even did any work? Harold was not used to such strange business practices, but he was happy to be on good terms with Kalimac. He was not a rebel by nature and preferred things to go quietly and smoothly.
After eating breakfast, Harold decided to go over and thank the Whitfoot’s for their generosity. He walked up to Kalimac’s wagon where he found his wife Elsa in the middle of washing up the breakfast dishes. He approached her politely, but in a much more relaxed and confident manner than he would normally have done so in Bree. “Why hello Ma’am,” said Harold tipping his hat, “How good it is to talk to you . I would just like to thank you for your generosity. You didn’t have to pay them in advance. That was very kind of you!” Elsa said nothing but gave Harold a quizzical stare that suggested she had no idea what he was talking about.
Harold looked up embarassed. Surely Kalimac had discussed these arrangements with his wife! Attempting to fill in the awkward silence, the Harfoot blundered on with a more lengthy explanation, “Your husband offered to pay Harold and May for their services. He even gave them a few coins in advance. I would just like to assure you that the children have promised me they will take the job seriously and earn every penny of their pay. Your children will never be in any danger. Your husband’s money will be well spent.”
When Elsa started back even more vacantly than before. Harold shrugged his shoulders, still puzzled by Elsa’s behavior, and returned to his wagon to prepare his family for departure.
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