"I will speak about it afterwards"; and for the moment the matter dropped.
But Ralston returned to the subject before dinner was finished.
"I don't think you need be uneasy, Mrs.Oliver," he said.

"The house is guarded by sentinels, as no doubt you know.

They are native levies, of course, but they are quite reliable"; and in this he was quite sincere.
So long as they wore the uniform they would be loyal.

The time might come when they would ask to be allowed to go home.

That permission would be granted, and it was possible that they would be found in arms against the loyal troops immediately afterwards.