atural source, the affrighted beast rolled
over and over in his pain, crushing the Cat to death in his struggles;
then feeling, even amidst his suffering, the necessity of safety, he
rose to his feet, and ran on, on, on, he knew not whither, till he felt
himself in the midst of water and heard the rushing which it made. So
instantaneous had been the whole transaction that the truth was never
rightly known. The family--nay, the neighbourhood--aroused by the horrid
noise, rushed to the spot, to find the faithful porter dead, with every
bone shattered; the door was open, but no creature was there to tell the
tale. One alone suspected it--one to whom that cry of agony was the
death-blow; for, two days after the event, the Hon. Miss Greyhound
slept with her fathers, the victim of a misplaced and unworthy
attachment.

And Bruin, where was he? Alas! poor beast! Three days after this event
he was discovered by the authorities, half dead with pain, and led back
to prison, which he had left with so little ceremony. His senses,
however, were so bewildered by his situation, that he could neither
explain how he had escaped from his dungeon, nor the cause of his
present deplorable condition; perhaps, too, he deemed it more prudent
to be silent on both these matters. His judges, nevertheless, taking
into consideration his now helpless state, and rightly thinking his
powers of mischief were much abated by the loss of his eyes, pardoned
his previous offence, and thrust him alone and helpless on the world.

For many a long year did the ill-fated animal drag on his wearisome
existence, living on the charity--the scanty charity--of Caneville.
Deprived of sight, no longer able to acquire a livelihood by his labour,
weary, and full of remorse, he daily took his round through the public
streets, soliciting a penny for the "poor blind." A dog, induced for a
weekly trifle and the prospect of an extra bone or two thrown to him,
sometimes by the compassionate as they went their melancholy way, led
him in his wanderings. At first, however, either from ignorance or
carelessness, or a currish malice, he would often guide his helpless
master into positions of difficulty and danger, from which he could
scarce have extricated himself but for the assistance of some benevolent
passers-by; though his situation in such cases--be it said to the shame
of the inferior population of Caneville--too often excited derision and
laughter, instead of aid and consol