His hands clenched at his sides. Their knuckles showed white against the soiled dark skin.
"I've stood for it all because I knowed that any time--Any time, mind you,--I could clear out. Whenever I likes I can get up and,--go!"
"You wouldn't dare;--you ain't got the nerve!"
He watched her for a second between half-closed lids. A cunning smile spread itself over his thick lips. He walked to the door and threw it wide open.
"You can go--if you likes;--you can go--now!"
Her hand went to her heart. The scant color in her face left it. She took one hesitating step forward and then she stood quite still.
"The dog's my dog. I ain't able to see where he comes in on all this."
"You can't see nothing;--you don't want to see! It's knowing too well what that pup's up against that makes me want you to let him go. It's that I don't want to have the heart took out of him;--the way you took the heart out of me,--that makes me want to have him set free."
"So I took the heart out of you,--did I?"
"Aw, James, you can't be so cruel bad--You can't. The other dogs don't mind it--; they makes a noise and they tears around. And then they eats and drinks and late at nights they lies down and sleeps;--if there ain't no moon. But that China-Ching he ain't like them. Maybe--he is savage;--maybe you're right to be afraid of him."
His whole figure was suddenly taut. His head shrank into his shoulders.
"There ain't nothing I'm afraid of;--get that into your head--I ain't afraid of nothing--And if you wants to go,--why, all I got to say is, you can--git!"
A stillness came between them, broken only by the sounds from the kennels. The yelping, the shrill prolonged whines, the quick, incessant barking; and running in growling under-current, the throaty, infuriated snarling.
He went to the table and took the lamp up in one hand. He went over to the door and closed it with a loud bang. Then he started toward the stairs.
"If you ain't able to bring yourself to leave me," the words came to her over his shoulder, "you can come on up to bed."
Mechanically she followed him up the steps. Mechanically she went through the process of undressing and washing. Long after he had fallen asleep she lay there wide awake watching the moonlight trickle in quivering, golden spots across the floor; lay wide awake listening to the eerie baying of the dogs.