“Don’t you see how we stand? Angela, I’m asking you to do this. I’ve only that passage money left. This ain’t the place for you——”
“Why didn’t you discover that before?”
He bit his lips at the retort.
“I guess I was looking at things squint-eyed. I bin used to rough women who were born to hardship——”
She flared up indignantly.
“And that’s just it. You want to make me less than these—wild women. Women are women all the world over. If they can suffer uncomplainingly, 243 so can I. If they can dig gold and mush dogs, so can I. I dug out there along the creeks when you were ill and unconscious——”
“You dug——” Words failed him.
“Yes. I won’t appear contemptible in your eyes. And I won’t accept gifts—not even of freedom. You bought me and paid for me, and the debt remains.”
“But I didn’t buy your—soul.”
“And I’m not giving it you,” she retorted.