He choked, swallowed, and then, with a look at the closed door, seemed to reach a desperate resolve.
"Keziah," he whispered hurriedly, "you've known me quite a spell, ain't you ?" "Known you?
Known you ever since you were born, pretty nigh.

What of it ?" "Yes, yes.

And I've known you, you know.

Fact is, we've known each other." "Hear the man! Land sakes! don't everybody in Trumet know everybody else?
What ARE you drivin' at ?" "Keziah, you're a single woman." His companion let go of the chair, which she had been holding in place, and stepped back.
"I'm a single woman ?" she repeated sharply.

"What do you mean by that?
Did--did anybody say I wasn't ?" "No, no! 'Course not.