He's the Devil _really_" (here Maggie's voice became louder and more emphatic), "and not a right blacksmith; for the Devil takes the shape of wicked men, and walks about and sets people doing wicked things, and he's oftener in the shape of a bad man than any other, because, you know, if people saw he was the Devil, and he roared at 'em, they'd run away, and he couldn't make 'em do what he pleased." Mr.Tulliver had listened to this exposition of Maggie's with petrifying wonder.
"Why, what book is it the wench has got hold on ?" he burst out at last.
"The 'History of the Devil,' by Daniel Defoe,--not quite the right book for a little girl," said Mr.Riley.

"How came it among your books, Mr.Tulliver ?" Maggie looked hurt and discouraged, while her father said,-- "Why, it's one o' the books I bought at Partridge's sale.

They was all bound alike,--it's a good binding, you see,--and I thought they'd be all good books.

There's Jeremy Taylor's 'Holy Living and Dying' among 'em.

I read in it often of a Sunday" (Mr.Tulliver felt somehow a familiarity with that great writer, because his name was Jeremy); "and there's a lot more of 'em,--sermons mostly, I think,--but they've all got the same covers, and I thought they were all o' one sample, as you may say.