Frodo jumped up and stood on a table, and began to talk. The attention of Pippin's audience was disturbed. Some of the hobbits looked at Frodo and laughed and clapped, thinking that Mr. Underhill had taken as much ale as was good for him.
Frodo suddenly felt very foolish, and found himself (as was his habit when making
a speech) fingering the things in his pocket. He felt the Ring on its chain,
and quite unaccountably the desire came over him to slip it on and vanish out
of the silly situation. It seemed to him, somehow, as if the suggestion came
to him from outside, from someone or something in the room. He resisted the
temptation firmly, and clasped the Ring in his hand, as if to keep a hold on
it and prevent it from escaping or doing any mischief. At any rate it gave him
no inspiration. He spoke 'a few suitable words', as they would have said in
the Shire: We are all very much gratified by
the kindness of your reception, and I venture to hope that my brief visit will
help to renew the old ties of friendship between the Shire and Bree;
and then he hestiated and coughed.