years.

Each had been duped by the same man. Each had suffered great trouble
through this man's machinations and duplicity.

As they talked, the attention of both turned to the younger Quentin
Locke, who seemed overjoyed at the recovery of his former employer.

Brent had a very great feeling of affection and respect for the younger
man, for had he not really brought him up?

As all questioned one another, they asked Brent much about the past, and
he told them all.

He told how he had become finally suspicious of Balcom, of how he
insisted upon instituting a search for the doctor, his wife, and
children. He told how Balcom had opposed him up to the last moment. Then
he described his sailing half the world over in search of them, how at
times he found a trail, only to lose it again.

Finally he told how at last he had found that the mother had been lost,
but the children saved.

"I was in Bombay," he continued, "in despair that I would ever find any
of you. At that time I was an old man before my time, for my conscience
gave me no rest. I went down to the quay to purchase a ticket for my
return to New York, and, true to the habit I had formed, I asked the
ticket-seller if he had ever heard anything of the survivors of the
steamer _Magnifique_.

"'Do I know anything of it?' repeated the ticket-seller. 'No, but
there's a man working on this dock now who never talks of anything else.
He was a sailor on the ship and one of the few who survived.'

"You can believe me when I tell you that I ran down that dock and found
the man. He remembered you all well, remembered you children when you
were taken up with some other survivors, and he said he thought that
some family had taken you to Hong-Kong.

"I canceled my passage to Liverpool and immediately sailed for China.
Still, my troubles were not over, for it was weeks before I finally
located you babies, Quentin and Zita.

"I won't burden you with the difficulties I encountered before the
English family, the Danes, with whom I found you, would consent to give
you up. Nor will I take time to tell of our return to New York through
San Francisco.

"Let it suffice for you to know that we arrived safely after I had
completely circled the world. I sent you to good schools, and when Zita
was old enough I made her my secretary so that I could watch over her.
Quentin, being older, I had not dared to have around at first. I feared
he might question me too closely. And what ans