Where is Gandalf? He comes in late [or later] and tells of Theoden's fall,(6) and Yoreth's words. They go to Houses of Healing, and Aragorn asks for athelas. He heals the sick. Yoreth says he must be king. After supper he heals many sick. Council next day. Gandalf's advice. Merry wakes up feeling nearly well. While Council is [?on] Gimli, Legolas and Pippin talk. They ..... and hear of the love of Eowyn for Aragorn at Dunharrow. And of the great ride to Pelargir. The lords ride east: 1000 Rohirrim, Dol Amroth and [?so on]. And a first force to hold Morgul. They ride into shadow of ambush. Peril. A complete draft ('A') for the chapter now followed, written rapidly but legibly in ink. In the first part of the chapter there are passages of marked divergence from the story that followed. The manuscript A was followed by a fair copy 'B', for which some pages were taken out of A, including the opening page bearing the chapter number and title: 'Ch.L The Houses of Healing', the number changed subsequently to 'XLIX (b)'.(7) The first divergence in A from RK comes with Gandalf's words when he came on Pippin and Merry on the pavement of the main street up to the Citadel (RK p.
