She thought Mr.Riley would have a respect for her now; it had been evident that he thought nothing of her before.
Mr.Riley was turning over the leaves of the book, and she could make nothing of his face, with its high-arched eyebrows; but he presently looked at her, and said,-- "Come, come and tell me something about this book; here are some pictures,--I want to know what they mean." Maggie, with deepening color, went without hesitation to Mr.Riley's elbow and looked over the book, eagerly seizing one corner, and tossing back her mane, while she said,-- "Oh, I'll tell you what that means.

It's a dreadful picture, isn't it?
But I can't help looking at it.

That old woman in the water's a witch,--they've put her in to find out whether she's a witch or no; and if she swims she's a witch, and if she's drowned--and killed, you know--she's innocent, and not a witch, but only a poor silly old woman.

But what good would it do her then, you know, when she was drowned?
Only, I suppose, she'd go to heaven, and God would make it up to her.

And this dreadful blacksmith with his arms akimbo, laughing,--oh, isn't he ugly ?--I'll tell you what he is.