"My dear Miss Marriott," he said, "all alone?"
Looking round upon the group of people who were indicated by the sweep of the little man's hand, Mary realised that she would be by no means alone.
Then she noticed, as she had not done before, that in the back recesses of the drawing-room were three or four other men, who, somehow or other, did not seem to belong to the world of her companions.
Rose caught the glance.
"Oh," he said, "I must introduce you to the bodyguard!"
He took her by the arm, and led her to the other end of the drawing-room.
There were four people standing there. One was clean-shaven, and wore a uniform of dark blue, braided with black braid, and held a peaked hat in his hand. Two of the others were bearded, very tall, strong and alert. They were dressed in ordinary dark clothes, and Mary felt—your experienced actress has always an eye for costume, and the necessity of it—that these two also suggested uniform.
The fourth person, who stood a little in the background of the other three, was a man with a heavy black moustache, hair cut short, except for a curious, shining wave over the forehead, and was obviously a strong and lusty constable in plain clothes.
"This is Miss Marriott, gentlemen," Rose said.
The three men in the foreground bowed. The man at the back automatically raised his right arm in military salute.