We show that at high densities, as the system size decreases, liquid becomes able to permanently sustain increasing internal shear stress after a constant deformation, although the other characteristic liquid properties, such as the pair distribution function and diffusion coefficient do not change under strain. The system size necessary for observation of this effect increases with the decrease in temperature, and it is stronger in pair potentials with steeper repulsive part. We relate this result to the size of the "cooperatively rearranging regions" of the Adam-Gibbs theory of glass transition. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.