the roof, about six feet in diameter, had been burned out, and the
water poured upon the fire had found its way into the rooms below.

The neighbors had worked with energy in extinguishing the fire, and
some of them had gone into the house, and were removing the bedding and
other furniture, so that the water should not drip down upon it from
above. When Levi came back, he found Dock Vincent and Mat Mogmore
removing the bed from his uncle's chamber. Others were carrying out the
bureau and chairs. The work was about finished, and he joined Bessie in
the road, where she had been observing the exciting scene.

"How did it take fire, Levi?" she asked.

"I don't know. Aunt had a tremendous fire in the oven."

"There comes your uncle," added Bessie, pointing to the poor old man,
as he reeled up the road in his weakness, like a drunken man. "How
awful he looks!"

"He feels badly about it, I suppose," replied Levi.

Uncle Nathan's face did indeed present an aspect which was almost
hideous. It was still as pale and ghastly as death itself; and upon it
there was an expression of the most intense agony. His wife was
following him, hardly able to keep pace with the long strides he made.

"It's all right, uncle Nathan; we saved the house, and not much damage
has been done to it," said Levi, as the old man passed him.

Uncle Nathan took no notice of him; perhaps he did not even hear him,
so deeply was he absorbed in thinking about the gold. Levi and Bessie
followed him into the house. The wretched miser rushed into his
chamber. Mat Mogmore was there, and seemed to be busy in wiping the
water from the floor. Dock Vincent was in the next room, apparently as
busy as the carpenter's son.

The miser, with all the powers of his being concentrated in his eyes,
gazed tremblingly at the board which covered the hiding-place of his
money. That dark hole was the temple of his god, and all his hopes
seemed to be shrouded in its gloom. But the board was where he left it,
and as he left it, and the miser breathed a little easier.

"It was rather hard on you, Mr. Fairfield; but it's lucky it ain't no
worse," said Dock Vincent.

"It's bad enough," groaned the miser.

"That's so; but 'tain't so bad as it might be. I was just coming down
from the ledges when I saw the smoke; and I've been to work like a good
one ever since," added Dock.

"If I can do anything more for you, I'm willing to help as much as I
can," said Mat Mogmore.

"Ther