"If I get out, Keith McBain 'll pay. He knows that, if you don't."
"You can't frighten me—and you can't frighten him. Get out, I tell you!"
"If you mean that—" he straightened up as he spoke, as if he were about to leave.
"Get out, I tell you!"
Suddenly his manner changed. A smile of contempt curled one corner of his mouth.
"You damn little fool!" he sneered.
Seizing the lamp quickly he placed it on the chair behind him, and with one movement of his powerful arms he swept the table to one side and lurched clumsily towards her. Realizing that she could not escape, Cherry set herself to meet his rush. As he put out his arms to seize her she closed her hand and swung with all the weight of her body at his face. The blow went straight and quick, so quick that McCartney recoiled a little in surprise, and paused a moment to look at her. One moment was enough for Cherry. Before he could clearly understand what had happened she had darted for the door. Her hand was on the latch before he came to himself, and in another second she would have been out and away. But McCartney's heavy hands clutched her shoulders as she was on the point of opening the door, and she felt herself lifted bodily from the floor.
Setting her upon her feet at a safe distance from the door he turned her round, and raising her face, looked at her with a smile.
"Ain't you the little fool! I thought you had sense."
He stopped suddenly and his hold upon Cherry relaxed.