And this sudden and morbid sense of his guilt as it appeared to Hannah paralyzed him.
But when Hannah lifted her bucket with her hand, and the world with her heavy heart, and essayed to pass him, Ralph rallied and said: "_You_ don't believe all these lies that are told about me." "I don't believe anything, Mr.Hartsook; that is, I don't want to believe anything against you.

And I wouldn't mind anything they say if it wasn't for two things"-- here she stammered and looked down.
"If it wasn't for what ?" said Ralph with a spice of indignant denial in his voice.
Hannah hesitated, but Ralph pressed the question with eagerness.
"I saw you cross that blue-grass pasture the night--the night that you walked home with me." She would have said the night of the robbery, but her heart smote her, and she adopted the more kindly form of the sentence.
Ralph would have explained, but how?
"I did cross the pasture," he began, "but--" Just here it occurred to Ralph that there was no reason for his night excursion across the pasture.

Hannah again took up her bucket, but he said: "Tell me what else you have against me." "I haven't anything against you.

Only I am poor and friendless, and you oughtn't to make my life any heavier.

They say that you have paid attention to a great many girls.