"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."