"How long has he been away from New York?"
"About ten years," Lerton said. "He returned day before yesterday, I believe. I saw his name in the passenger list."
"Mr. Prale says that he met you last night on Fifth Avenue, and that you told him he had some powerful enemies seeking to cause him trouble, and advised him to leave New York and remain away."
"Why—why this is not so!" Lerton cried. "I haven't seen him until this moment. I would have looked him up, but did not know at what hotel he was stopping, and thought that he'd try to find me."
Prale was out of his chair again, his face flaming. "You mean to sit there and tell me that you didn't talk to me on Fifth Avenue last night?" he cried.
"Why, of course I never talked to you, Sid. I never saw you. What are you trying to do, Sid? Why have you done this thing? We never were close to each other, and yet we are cousins, and I hate to see you in trouble."
"Stop your hypocritical sniveling!" Prale cried. "You are lying and you know it! You saw me last night——"
"But I didn't!"
"You did—and tried to get me to run away, and wouldn't tell me your reason for it."
George Lerton licked at his lips and looked appealingly at the captain of detectives.