"It is an awful accident, but I am almost as culpable as you, for I
left the cartridges in the gun. Anyhow, God's will be done."
"God's will!" she said, looking up, and then once more relapsed into
silence.
He turned to go, when suddenly she rose and caught him by the arm.
"Will he die?" she said almost fiercely. "Tell me what you think--not
what the doctors say; you have seen many wounded men and know better
than they do. Tell me the truth."
"I cannot say," he answered, shaking his head.
Apparently she interpreted his answer in the affirmative. At any rate
she covered her face with her hands.
"What would you do, Colonel Quaritch, if you had killed the only thing
you loved in the whole world?" she asked dreamily. "Oh, what am I
saying?--I am off my head. Leave me--go and tell Ida; it will be good
news for Ida."
Accordingly he started for the Castle, having first picked up his gun
on the spot where it had fallen from the hands of Mrs. Quest.
And then it was that for the first time the extraordinary importance
of this dreadful accident in its bearing upon his own affairs flashed
upon his mind. If Cossey died he could not marry Ida, that was clear.
This was what Mrs. Quest must have meant when she said that it would
be good news for Ida.
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