It was not long before the elder Balcom also arrived.
"Good afternoon, my children," he greeted, jovially. "I'm just a bit ahead of time, I imagine. But why you children don't leave dry matters of business to us older heads I'm blessed if I know."
"Mr. Balcom," retorted Eva, keenly, "the older head that would protect my interests and the interests of those poor inventors lies stricken, as you know, in the room above. In his absence the children, as you are pleased to call us, will do their best."
Balcom glared, while Zita with a strange glance toward Eva left Locke and joined Balcom in a far corner of the room.
"Zita," Balcom whispered, "the time has arrived to take you out of this false position."
Zita trembled with suppressed excitement as she heard this, and followed Balcom back toward the table, where the others were already seating themselves.
It was approaching the hour, when Eva rose and was about to speak. Balcom motioned and stopped her with a gesture.
"One moment, please, Miss Brent," he interrupted. "Before the others arrive I am going to establish Zita's real position in this house."
All at the table looked at one another in openly expressed astonishment. Zita, with eyes cast down, hands clasped in her lap, seemed almost demure, though about her mouth played a faint smile.
Even Paul did not understand this phase of the conspiracy and looked at his father as much as to say, "I wonder what the old man is up to now?"
Locke was the first to recover his coolness. "Just what, Mr. Balcom, do you mean?" he asked.
"I mean--" began Balcom, then stopped. "But first I will produce a witness who can vouch for all the facts which I am about to relate."
Balcom went to the door and opened it. There, bobbing her head and smirking mechanically, stood that loathsome creature, Old Meg. In these rich surroundings her frightful squalor was all the more accentuated. Those at the table drew back in utter disgust as she tottered into the room. As she passed Zita she paused.
"I held you in these arms when you were but a wee baby," she muttered, hideously.
Zita drew away from her and looked at Balcom questioningly. Balcom now leaned far over the table and spoke impressively.
"Twenty years ago Brent was secretly married to his secretary. There was a child. But Brent craved money, and power that the money would bring. Saddled with a wife and child, he was barred from his ambition, which was to marry some rich woman. So he made a hell on earth for his wife until, in desperation, she consented to an annulment of their marriage."