Judge Roscoe maintained an imperturbable aspect, despite a certain mortification and a sense of derogation of dignity. He recognized this as a scheme of old Ephraim's. More than once he had so contrived the disappearance of the last milch cow that his master possessed as to save her from the foraging parties bent on beef. Chickens had experiences of invisibility that were not fatal, and though the carriage pair and the judge's saddle-horse had been the victims of surprise,--impressed long ago,--the old servant had again and again rescued a beautiful animal that Mrs. Gwynn owned and which had been a second gift from Judge Roscoe. Hearing betimes of the press orders from the soldiers, the "double-faced Janus" had besought Judge Roscoe to leave the concealment of Acrobat to him; and, although only a passive factor in the enterprise, Judge Roscoe, as much surprised at the denouement as any one else, was forced to bear the brunt of the lamentable fiasco in which the secret had become public. Baynell, though silent, looked extremely annoyed. "This rainfall will raise the river considerably," Ashley commented. "Shouldn't be surprised if the lower portions of the town are flooded already," said Judge Roscoe, throwing out a pair of matched cards. "Those precincts are very ill situated," said Ashley. The Houyhnhnm in the cellar protested that he was, too. "High water must occasion considerable suffering among the poorer class," rejoined the judge. "But the locality could have been easily avoided in laying out Roanoke City. Draw, Captain--" Ashley broke off suddenly, being forced to remind the preoccupied Baynell of his turn to supply his hand. "The commercial convenience of wharfage at low stages of water was doubtless the inducement," explained Judge Roscoe. "To be sure,--minimizes the distance for loading freights," assented Ashley. "Yes, the drays come to the very decks of the boats." "_That_ was a pretty sharp flash," said Ashley. "Oh, it was--it was!" whooped the Houyhnhnm from out the cellar. He evidently executed a sort of intricate passado, to judge from the sound of his hysteric hoofs on the stone flagging. "I hope your fine grove will sustain no more casualties," said Ashley. "I hope, myself, the house won't be struck," whimpered the speculative Adelaide. "Me, too! Me, too!" cried the horse. "Draw, Captain,"--once more Ashley had occasion to rouse the absorbed Baynell. At every inapposite, disaffected remark that the horse in the cellar saw fit to interject into the conversation, the twins, evidently well aware of the betrayal of the domestic secret by his loud-voiced intrusion into the apartment beneath the library, fully apprehending the disaster, at first looked aghast at each other, then referred it to the adjustment of superior wisdom by a long, earnest gaze at their grandfather.