Putting her head aside demurely, as with eyes cast, down she ran her fingers through one of her loose ribbons, she said softly,-- "And who says I'm so very partial to Robbie?
_I_ never said so, did I?
Not that I say I'm partial to anybody else either--not that I _ay_ so--Joseph!" The sly emphasis which was put upon the word that expressed Liza's unwillingness to commit herself to a declaration of her affection for some mysterious entity unknown seemed to Mr.Garth to be proof beyond contempt of question that the girl before him implied an affection for an entity no more mysterious than himself.

The blacksmith's face brightened, and his manner changed.

What had before been almost a supplicating tone, gave place to a tone of secure triumph.
"Liza," he said, "I'm going to bring that Robbie down a peg or two.
He's been a perching himself up alongside of Ralph Ray this last back end, but I'm going to feckle him this turn." "No, Joseph; are you going to do that, though ?" said Liza, with a brightening face that seemed to Mr.Garth to say, "Do it by all means." "Mayhap I am," said the blacksmith, significantly shaking his head.

He was snared as neatly by this simple face as ever was a swallow by a linnet hidden in a cage among the grass.
"And that Ralph, too, the great lounderan fellow, he treats me like dirt, that he does." "But you'll pay him out now, won't you, Joseph ?" said Liza, as though glorying in the blacksmith's forthcoming glory.
"Liza, my lass, shall I tell you something ?" Under the fire of a pair of coquettish little eyes, his head as well as his heart seemed to melt, and he became eagerly communicative.

Dropping his voice, he said,-- "That Ralph's not gone away at all.