orty thousand dollars, in the hands of his guardian;
and his intimate relations with the family of Mr. Watson rendered it
exceedingly probable that he would eventually roll in wealth, to be
counted by hundreds of thousands. Most of the people were generous
enough to congratulate the young man, in their hearts, on his brilliant
prospects, especially as he did not put on any airs, or cut any of his
old friends.

But there were weak and evil-minded men and women who envied his good
fortune, and were ready to seize upon any rumor which tended to bring
discredit upon him. Among these was Constable Cooke, whom Dock Vincent
had employed to search for Mr. Fairfield's money. He could not help
thinking that, if he had been intrusted with the warrant for the arrest
of Levi, on the charge, three years before, of purloining Ruel
Belcher's money, instead of Mr. Gayles, he would have done precisely as
that worthy man had, and in the end would have been appointed the young
man's guardian, making a few hundred dollars every year in commissions
on the care of the property. He could not exactly forgive Mr. Gayles
for being so fortunate; nor was he so exclusive as to confine his
dislike to the guardian, but extended it to the ward.

Constable Cooke, therefore, was a fit person to do the dirty work of
Nathan Fairfield and his coadjutor. He adopted the miser's theory in
full, that Levi had set the house on fire with the candle, in order to
cover up the loss of the money, which he had conveyed from the house in
the little saw-mill. Since the arrival of the yacht, it had even been
conjectured that she was the property of Levi, who had paid for her
with the ill-gotten gold. This theory, explained and bolstered up with
specious argument and sophistical evidence by the constable, rather
staggered many people who believed in Levi. If the young man's
character had been doubtful, the theory would have been plausible; for,
after all, a person's good character is the best testimony in his
favor.

Mr. Watson and Levi discussed the situation coolly, though the ladies,
with their warmer sympathies, were indignant, and disposed to be
violent in their measures. Nothing could be done but to wait the issue
of events; and Levi walked as proudly as ever through the streets of
the town. The next day he took the ladies out to sail in the yacht; but
before he went he called at his uncle's house, carrying a nice
tenderloin steak and a jar of jelly for the suffe