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.

If disorder were running such a race in company with the chief of the
establishment, it may be conjectured that but little prudence or economy
was displayed by the domestics. Extravagance of every kind ran riot
amongst them as wildly as with their master, and they scrupled not at
all sorts of petty pilfering, where there were none to censure or
restrain. Fox, it is true, had the right, and possessed the influence
requisite to do so; but, for some evil design of his own, possibly that
his private peccadilloes might escape unnoticed, he seemed tacitly to
submit to such a state of things, and in some instances actually
encouraged it. And what could be the only result of such a life of
dissipation, unchecked by a single effort of discretion? Why, nothing
but the most irretrievable ruin; and ruined the bear was after three
months' trial. And when, following a banquet of several days' duration,
the clouded intellects of the beast were made sensible