latter much as usual, though sulky, returned home, where the Herr
awaited them with impatience. It did not require a very great amount of
sagacity to learn that they had been unsuccessful, for disappointment
was plainly visible on the features of both. From Bruin nothing could be
obtained in the way of information, for he had thrown himself on the
ground, and stuffed his wide jaws with some delicacies Piggy had
reserved for his own supper, so it was to Tom his master's eyes were
directed for an explanation. Now that valuable servant's _fort_, never
lay in making an eloquent discourse, or even in describing the most
ordinary facts in a plain and intelligible manner; and in this instance,
as his feelings interfered with the relation of facts, a tolerably large
stock of patience, and some cleverness to boot, were needed to
understand the account.
This was, after cross-examination, what Herr Schwein managed to
comprehend. They had gone to the marketplace as usual, and, to their
delight, found it crowded, immediately jumping to the conclusion that
the public mind of Caneville was not so utterly degraded as they had
begun to fancy it. The innocent conjecture was soon, however, disabused;
for on their drawing nearer they observed that faithless population
gathered about "ANOTHER DISTINGUISHED FOREIGNER," with a remarkably long
beard and a fierce pair of horns, who proclaimed himself a magician from
beyond the land where the sun rose, and rejoiced in the name of Doctor
Capricornus, A.V.G.T., and M.U.H.S., which the great learning of Herr
Schwein interpreted by A Very Great Traveller, or Thief, and Member of
the Universal Herbage or Humbug Society. Now, the feats displayed by
this new candidate for public favour were of the stupidest order
(remember, this is not the statement of a disinterested party),
consisting merely in pointing out any pebble on the ground that any one
of the crowd should have previously fixed on, and mounting to the top of
a little ladder and balancing himself on the tips of his horns at the
upper round; yet it was enough to excite the enthusiasm of the
lookers-on: nor could all the cries of Bruin, bidding them come and see
what true genius really was; nor all the dulcet notes of Tom, though he
blew at his pipes till he was black in the face, and thrashed his drum
till he beat in its crown, procure them a single spectator. Thoroughly
disgusted, they quitted the spot and returned home, Bruin getting into a
dispute with one of the City police by the way for comporting himself
bearishly towards a richly-dressed and genteel-looking cat, who was
quietly serenading his mistress, seated at a balcony.
As Tom finished his relation, a slight squeak issued from the pig's
throat, but from its profoundest depths, as if it came from the bottom
of his heart. Once or twice, indeed, he turned his snout to the place
where the bear, who had finished his employer's supper, lay at his full
length asleep, as though he intended to arouse him; but his philosophy
or his physical weakness made him change his resolution, and, making a
motion to Tom to lend him some assistance, he tottered off with
difficulty to bed, where he cast himself down as if he were tired of the
world and its struggles. At least his manner so far affected Tom that he
could not prevail on himself to quit his master's side; but after
watching him with interest for a full hour, and observing him in a deep
sleep, he stretched his body upon some clean straw, instead of seeking
his own crib, and was soon likewise in a state of forgetfulness.
It must have been about midnight that Tom was aroused by a suppressed
grunting; he started up, and, by the aid of the moon, beheld Herr
Schwein lying on his back, and convulsively kicking his legs in the air.
He ran to his head and tried to raise him up, but his weight was more
than he could manage, so he called out in his loudest voice for the
assistance of Bruin. That ungracious beast, however, though waked by the
noise, felt no inclination to have his repose disturbed; so bid him hold
his peace, and let honest folks go to sleep. Tom was a thoroughly
faithful creature at heart, though a rough and untutored one. The want
of feeling displayed by the bear, and his ingratitude in thus allowing
his master to struggle without even lending him a paw, aroused all the
indignation of his honest nature; so, flying at Master Bruin, he caught
hold of the tip of his ear and bit it till the great beast roared with
pain, and, effectually roused, followed his adversary about the place
in order to punish him for his insolence. In his awkward evolutions he
caught one of his legs in a heap of straw, and fell full sprawl over
poor Herr Schwein. A small grunt, like a sigh with a bad cold, escaped
the learned Pig: it was his last! for, when Bruin raised himself up, he
found his late employer perfectly motionless; nor did all his efforts,
such as pulling his snout, and shaking his trotters, and twisting his
tail, succeed in producing the slightest impression. The bear was
puzzled. He squatted down beside his old master, and, sucking his right
paw, whilst he scratched his pate with his left, gazed long at the
prostrate body. Meanwhile Tom drew nigh, and guessing at the truth from
his companion's attitude and the pig's breathless quiet, raised his nose
to the roof of the dwelling and uttered a long and dismal howl of
sorrow. Again and again, at brief intervals, did the faithful servant
thus deplore his master's fate, till Bruin, angered by the noise, threw
the broken drum at the unconscious mourner, with such effect, indeed,
that the shattered extremity alighted on his crown, and for the time
completely buried him, his voice sounding singularly sepulchral from the
depths of the hollow instrument. It effectually stopped the current of
his grief by creating a flood of irritation, which only respect for the
dead prevented his giving vent to, for he would otherwise have little
heeded either the strength or ferocity of his antagonist.
Bruin, who had betrayed no feeling of any kind at the sight of his late
benefactor thus converted into pork, now returned to his own bed, and
was soon again in a comfortable snore; but the faithful Tom still sat
beside the body of his master, and patiently watched there till
daylight.
The sun rose, and many neighbours, apprised of the event, made their
appearance; some urged by curiosity to see how a dead pig looked, some
stimulated by avarice, hoping there might be a trifle or two to pick up,
and a few from a higher motive--the wish, namely, to show respect for
the memory of the deceased, by assisting, if necessary, his survivors.
Herr Schwein, however, had come amongst them alone, nor was it thought
that he had kith or kin; for no mention of any amiable _frau_, or sow,
no syllable of any interesting piglet, had ever issued from his learned
jaws. He died as he had lived, among strangers; and, alas! all the
learning he had acquired was destined to perish with him: for, with one
exception, Herr Schwein had never committed any of his thoughts or
experiences to writing. I have said, with _one_ exception; for the
occasion is worth noting, as it was on a matter interesting, indeed, to
every epicure in the universe. The subject which then engaged his pen
bore the following title:--"_Signs by which the most unobservant may
detect in the soils of the world the existence of Truffles; together
with an Essay on the most effectual mode of cultivating them._" And it
may well be conjectured, from the great learning and fitness of the
writer to deal with such a subject, how much new light must have been
thrown upon it. Unfortunately for the tribes of gourmands, and poor
Piggy's fame, this valuable paper was never destined to electrify the
world; for, cast into the street by Bruin among other articles,
considered, alas! of no value, it was picked up by some ignorant puppy
passing by, who, seeing it written in German character, and not
understanding a word of it, tore up the priceless document to make
lights for his cigars.
Two mastiffs, who had been informed of the death, kept watch meanwhile
without the house; and when night again came on they were joined by a
couple of ugly curs, whose business it was to convey the body to its
last resting-place without the city; for the dogs, with great good
sense, had an intense dislike to bury the dead among the living. The
mortal remains of Herr Schwein being placed upon a kind of sledge, were
drawn slowly down to the little lake, followed by Tom, as chief and only
mourner, for Bruin was so devoid of feeling as to refuse even this last
tribute to the memory of one who had been his best friend; and when the
funeral procession reached the water, the body was gently let down into
the current, which bore it gradually away. Poor Tom sent after it a
prolonged and melancholy howl, the last sad adieu of a simple but
faithful heart; and then turning his steps, which were mechanically
leading him towards his late home, in quite an opposite direction, he
set off upon a lonely pilgrimage, resolving in his own mind that many a
scene should be traversed ere he again gazed on his native city of
Caneville.
Meanwhile Bruin, who felt not the least alarm at Tom's continued
absence, found himself suddenly in a position of the highest prosperity.
As no one was there to claim the property of the deceased, he took
possession of it as his right. Every corner was ransacked, every
hiding-place examined, and a large store of costumes, and things of
every kind, gathered in the course of the late Herr's wanderings in
different lands, were dragged from their obscurity.
[Illustration: A VERY GREAT BEAR.]
His present habitation did not, however, suit his change of fortune: he
must have a house in the most fashionable quarter of the town. When this
was obtained, not satisfied with the simple name his fathers had
honestly borne for so many generations, he resolved to dub himself a
nobleman, which he could the more easily do in a place where his
connexions were unknown, so styled himself Count von Bruin forthwith.
The wardrobe of his late learned employer furnished him with a suit of
astonishingly fine clothes, which fitted him to a nicety; so on every
fine morning, dressed therein, with hat cocked upon his crown, his paws
grasping a cane, and placed under his coat-tails, so as to show off all
the glory of his waistcoat, frill, and splendid jewellery, he marched
into the streets. He made so imposing a figure in his new dress, and
assumed such an air of pomposity, that it was no wonder the uninitiated
should have been deceived, and have taken him for a lion of the very
first nobility; nor can we be surprised that a poor cur, almost in a
state of nudity, should, in the most abject manner, supplicate a trifle
from "His Lordship;" that an ignorant cat, in passing, should take off
his cap and make a profound bow; or a kitten, just behind, cross its
paws as though it stood in the presence of a superior. There was one,
however, who penetrated through all his disguise; one who had watched
him with interest when he made his _debut_ in the public square and drew
down such abundant admiration, and who, by some feeling for which she
could not account, had followed his varying fortunes till she saw him
thus rich, superbly dressed, and strutting down the street, as though
Caneville were too small to hold him,--and that one was the Hon. Miss
Greyhound.
REVERSES.
Solitary as were Bruin's habits by nature, he had felt, since his
residence in a town, a change stealing gradually over him, and the
necessity of companionship becoming every day more sensibly experienced.
In his late position, he had had the constant companionship of Tom and
the learned society of his master, which, indeed, he was but little
capable of appreciating, besides the acquaintance of some inferior
animals whom he had managed to fall in with during his idle hours;
though that these must have been of the very lowest class, the reader,
who is aware of the character of that great beast, will readily suppose.
Tom was, however, now gone; poor Schwein, too, had departed; and Bruin's
fine clothes and altered condition entirely precluded at present a
return to his former associates. Society, he felt, he must have, and
upon his choice now depended his future fortunes. It was whilst this
necessity was pressing on his brain that one morning, when lolling in
all the indolence of ignorance allied to wealth, he was surprised at
the appearance of a diminutive spaniel, admitted by his porter, who,
dressed in a rich scarlet livery, bore a letter in his belt, which he
presented with a certain fawning grace to our hero, and hastily
departed. This was the first epistle that worthy had ever held in his
own paws, so it may well be judged he was but little prepared to
investigate its contents. He turned it over and over, and then put it to
his nose, for the scent which it emitted was pleasant to his sense of
smell; but still this gave him no hint at its meaning. Never before had
he felt the annoyance which a want of education inevitably causes; but
now that it did strike him, instead of arousing his energies to cure so
serious a defect,--a cure, too, which he could under present
circumstances so easily accomplish,--it only moved his anger to think
that the little scrap of paper which he held in his paw, and which he
could without the slightest effort crush into nothingness, withheld its
secrets from him, whilst every mincing puppy in the streets could
command its every word. Ah, Master Bruin! Master Bruin! you are not the
first to make the discovery that knowledge is superior to brute force.
Angry or not, he wished to know the meaning of the note; and summoning
to his presence one who had managed to procure the chief place in his
household, cunning Fox as he was, he commanded that worthy to read its
contents aloud. Fox obeyed, not at all displeased that he should be
selected for this duty, as he foresaw, from the so-called Count's
ignorance, that he would be able at a future period to turn his intimate
knowledge of his master's secrets to good account. He, therefore, read
as follows:--
"You may believe I must be actuated by a strong feeling in your
favour, when I thus forget what is due to my sex and rank, and
overcome all the prejudices which canine society builds up as a
barrier to intercourse with foreigners. I confess it; the feeling
_is_ a strong one: but I rely on your honour to save me from the
ill effects my imprudence might otherwise lay me open to. If you
are willing to know farther, and are the animal I take you for, you
will be in waiting tomorrow evening after sunset, at the extremity
of the mews in the cats' quarter of the city."
This missive, written in bold but feminine characters, was without a
signature; and when Fox had retired, with a cunning leer upon his sharp
features, and Bruin was left alone to meditate upon the singularity of
the adventure, that great beast lost himself in conjectures as to the
writer, and figured to his imagination a creature very different, no
doubt, to the being actually in question. His impatience, however, to
get over the interval of time which must elapse ere his curiosity could
be gratified, was sensibly felt by every inmate of the mansion. Nothing
seemed to go right; the soup was tasteless, the viands were overdone,
and the vegetables raw. Never was there so fastidious a bear; the cook
more than once contemplated some rash act; the poor little turnspits
crept into corners with their tails between their legs, fully expecting
to be sacrificed in some moment of wrath; whilst the various
house-servants, pussies of doubtful reputation, seemed to creep about
the place as though they were every moment in dread of being accused of
purloining certain savoury made-dishes, reserved especially for cook's
private friends. Fox, too, the steward and factotum of the
establishment, appeared not to possess his usual sleek and quiet ease,
but, as the evening drew near, got restless and fidgetty, though he
tried to be calm, and even more jocose than usual. He had been absent
half the morning, no one knew for what purpose; not that he ever
condescended to divulge the causes of his movements, but there was a
slyer look in his eyes, and a sharper appearance about his clever,
pointed nose, than ordinarily animated those features.
The hour drew nigh. The sun was going down when the Count von Bruin,
most superbly dressed, sallied forth from his dwelling. His demeanour
was observed and criticised by every domestic in his household, who,
crowding to the windows, watched that great bear go forth,--as he
fancied, to conquer. Fox allowed him to turn the corner; then,
enveloped in a cloak which completely hid his figure, he let himself
out and glided after his master.
Bruin, meanwhile, strutted on till he reached the quarter of the city
inhabited by the descendants of the feline race; and as he had never
before been in that part of the town, he was at first utterly confounded
by the discordant cries. Instead, too, of the order prevailing in the
canine portions, the inhabitants seemed to take delight in the wildest
gymnastic demonstrations, and certainly seemed to prefer the house-tops
to any other lounging-place. Kittens, in horrible abundance, were
frisking about in every direction, and the scene was altogether of a
character which seemed to justify the wisdom of the magnates of
Caneville in obliging this singular people to dwell in a distinct part
of the town; a rule which, with a few exceptions, was strictly carried
out.
On reaching the mews, a place so called at the outskirts of the city in
this direction, and sufficiently removed from the noisy streets as to
make the spot a very solitary one, Bruin perceived he was alone at the
rendezvous; so, to while away the time, he strutted to and fro, and
meditated, in his usual style, on his own self-importance. He was
aroused from his reverie by a slight bark, or cough; and raising his
head, he perceived in the dim light a tall and graceful figure deeply
veiled.
He hastily advanced, his rough nature for the first time touched at this
proof of confidence, and his vanity suddenly rising to a dangerous
height, and taking the delicate white paw, which drooped gracefully from
a mantle, within his own, he unclosed his jaws to make some tender
speech. But before he had time to commit himself by his ignorance, the
young lady uttered an aristocratic squeak, and darted away with the
utmost swiftness, and Bruin at the same instant found himself seized by
a strong grip from behind. He turned round with a violence which threw
his assailant a dozen paces off, into a pool of stagnant water, his own
coat being slit right up the back by the movement; but he was at once
attacked by half-a-dozen others, who seemed bent on his destruction.
Bruin's great strength, however, served him in good stead; with his back
against an old wall, he received the assaults of his adversaries with
all his wonted ferocity: so that after ten minutes' fighting they drew
off, leaving two of their number motionless on the ground, and a third
struggling in vain to escape from the unsavoury hole where the whisk of
Bruin's coat-tails had cast him. To this spot Bruin now proceeded; and
sitting himself down on the edge, told the struggling dog he would help
him out if he would divulge the meaning of this unexpected attack on
him. The half-drowned cur, having supplicated the bear in vain to let
him out before he commenced his narration, in accents sadly interrupted
by his throat getting at intervals choked with dirty water, explained
that himself and the others of his assailants were the attendants of
one of the most noble families in Caneville; and that their master,
learning from some member of Count von Bruin's household that he (the
Count) intended meeting the eldest daughter at this spot to-night, had
commanded a body of his servitors to be in readiness to fall upon him,
and if possible take him prisoner, for presuming to raise or lower his
eyes to a damsel of such standing.
Scarcely had Bruin heard this communication to an end, than, despite his
promise and the poor dog's cries, he caught up a huge clod of earth and
dropped it upon the devoted head of the struggling animal beneath. There
was a great splash; a bubble or two came to the surface of the horrid
pool, and the brutal deed was consummated. Yet at the same moment Bruin
regretted he had been so precipitate, for he had not learnt _which_
member of his household had played the spy. As he slowly left the place,
he revolved this subject in his mind, but could come to no satisfactory
conclusion; for though Fox appeared the most likely to be guilty, that
worthy animal had made himself so useful to his master, that he could
not well manage without him. He resolved, nevertheless, to watch him
closely, and with this prudent resolve he reached his own door.
Very different was his appearance now to that which it presented on his
issuing from the mansion. His coat torn to ribbons, his hat without a
crown, his majestic frill rumpled and bloody, and his waistcoat without
a single button left wherewith to restrain the exuberance of his linen.
All his domestics were eager in their inquiries and offers of service;
and Fox was so overpowering in his expressions of regret, that all
suspicion vanished from Bruin's brain at once; and he attributed his
informant's tale to some malicious calumny, invented to save his life
and conceal the true cause of the attack upon him.
Our hero, finding that the paths of gallantry were filled with so much
unpleasantness, resolved, like a prudent animal, to avoid them carefully
in future; but as his desire for an introduction to society continued,
he availed himself of the offer of his steward, who promised to procure
him introductions to youth of the best families. The class with which
Fox managed to bring him into connexion was the most worthless in
Caneville, consisting of fast young dogs, who had a singular knack of
reversing the order of nature, and going to bed when other animals were
getting up, and thinking of rising when the discreet part of the world
deemed it time to retire to rest. They had formed themselves into a sort
of club, which they called the "Hard and Fast;" and, indeed, no terms
could better express the habits of the members; for they gamed hard,
drank hard, and talked hard, and lived so uncommonly _fast_, that it was
not surprising that, though quite young, they should have many of the
infirmities of age. To these worthies Bruin was an acquisition; for he
was rich, ignorant, and gullible, whilst they were poor, grasping, and
unscrupulous. At the very first interview, all parties were equally
delighted with each other; the ease of his new companions' manners was
perfectly charming to Bruin, who considered it as a proof of their
breeding, and every following day strengthened the connexion. Riotous
parties of pleasure were constantly projected, for which their friend
Von Bruin paid; banquets of the most expensive kind were always spread
upon his table, at which his "dear fellows of the club"
assisted--themselves; and, indeed, so closely were the bonds of union
drawn, that after some time many of them could not bear to separate from
their esteemed Count; and, therefore, took up their residence with him
altogether.