He had not been seated long when a rapidly driven carriage whirled up before the hotel, and an elderly, portly man leaped out and hurried into the hotel, his face flushed with excitement.
He was well-dressed, wore a little bunch of gray side-whiskers on either cheek, and was evidently all of sixty years of age.
Fritz surveyed him closely with the short glimpse he got of him, and then scratched his head as if in quest of an idea.
"I'll bet a half-dollar I see into der whole pizness now," he muttered, with a chuckle. "Id vas plainer ash mud to me. Dot couple vot got married vas elopers mit each odder, und dis pe der old man on der war-path after 'em, madder ash a hornet. Der next t'ing is, who vas der bully veller, vot ish honest und haff der rocks to support dot virtue?"
After a few minutes the old gentleman came out of the hotel, and stood looking out upon the ocean, with rather a savage expression of countenance—and his was a face that could be very stern, when occasion required it.
"I don'd know vedder I better poke mine nose inder dis pizness, or not," Fritz muttered, taking a second survey of him. "He looks like ash if he might swaller a veller off he got mad, und I don'd vas care apoud imitadin' Jonah."
As if interpreting his thoughts, the old gent turned rather gruffly, and took a searching glance at the young man.
"Well?" he said, "I suppose I look as if I wanted to cut some one's throat, don't I?"
Fritz laughed lightly.
"Vel, I vas t'inking somedings like dot," he admitted.