Mayella Ewell is, at least to some extent, frightened of Atticus Finch. Although she is probably being rather melodramatic, she bursts into tears at the beginning of her session as witness; despite her dishonesty regarding what truly happened in relation to her interaction with Tom Robinson, she is a teenager who has been placed in a frightening and uncomfortable situation.
It is important to consider her upbringing: Mayella grew up in a home where she was shown no love and seen as "white trash" by those around her. She has obviously been given no reason to respect herself and is extremely defensive when she misunderstands Atticus's questioning and believes that he is mocking her; being made fun of would obviously have been no new experience to her. Mayella is unaccustomed to being the recipient of kindness, respect, or courtesy of any kind, so she believes that Atticus is making fun of her when he addresses her with politeness.
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