It was his critics who had reason to fear, not he.
Miss Maddison was at home, the staff of footmen assured him, and, holding his head as high as a chieftain should, he strode into her sanctuary.
"Do I disturb you ?" He asked this with a quicker beating heart.

Not Eleanor alone, but her father and Ri confronted him, and it was very plain to see that a tempest was in the brewing.

Her eyes were bright with tears and indignation; their brows heavy with formidable frowns.

At the first moment of his entering, extreme astonishment at seeing him was clearly their dominant emotion, and as evidently it rapidly developed into a sentiment even less hospitable.
"Why, this beats the devil!" ejaculated Mr.Maddison; and for a moment this was the sole response to his inquiry.
The next to speak was Ri-- "Show it him, Poppa! Confront him with the evidence!" With ominous deliberation the millionaire picked up a newspaper from the floor, where apparently it had been crumpled and flung, smoothed out the creases, and approached the Baron till their noses were in danger of collision.

While executing this manoeuvre the silence was only broken by the suppressed sobbing of his daughter.