Usually, however, she either felt or affected a measure of annoyance at the importunity with which he prosecuted his suit, and when she saw him coming towards her on this occasion her first feeling was a little touched with irritation.
"Here's this great tiresome fellow again," she thought; "he can never let a girl go by without speaking to her.

I've a great mind to leap the fence and cross the fields to the mill." Liza did not carry into effect the scarcely feminine athletic exercise she had proposed to herself; and this change of intention on her part opens up a more curious problem in psychology than the little creature herself had any notion of.

The fact is that just as Liza had resolved that she would let nothing in the world interfere with her fixed determination not to let the young blacksmith speak to her, she observed, to her amazement, that the gentleman in question had clearly no desire to do so, but was walking past her hurriedly, and with so preoccupied an air as actually seemed to suggest that he was not so much as conscious of her presence.
It was true that Liza did not want to speak to Mr.Joseph.It was also true that she had intended to ignore him.

But that _he_ should not want to speak to _her_, and that _he_ should seem to ignore _her_, was much more than could be borne by her stubborn little bit of coquettish pride, distended at that moment, too, by the splendors of her best attire.

In short, Liza was piqued into a desire to investigate the portentous business which had obviously shut her out of the consciousness of the blacksmith.
"Mr.Garth," she said, stopping as he drew up to her.
"Liza, is that you ?" he replied; "I'm in a hurry, lass--good morning." "Mr.Garth," repeated Liza, "and maybe you'll tell me what's all your hurry about.