[LadyBrooke]

Is it possible that 'the' in the second sentence is 'its' in some editions? When I figured out the sentence I thought it was "Ours is but a small matter in the great deeds of this time. A vain pursuit from the beginning, maybe, which no choice of mine can mar or mend." But when I checked it against my copy all I could find was a quote with the word 'its' from Aragorn to Legolas and Gimli.