He was about to renew the assault, however, when there was an interruption.

This interruption came in the form of Colonel Preston himself, who was returning from a business meeting of citizens interested in establishing a savings bank in the village.
"What's all this, Godfrey ?" he called out, in a commanding tone.
Godfrey knew that when his father spoke he must obey, and he therefore desisted from the contemplated attack.

He looked up at his father and said, sulkily: "I was punishing this Irish boy for his impertinence." John grinned a little at this way of putting it, and his father said: "It looked very much as if he were punishing you." "I didn't get fair hold," said Godfrey, sulkily.
"So he was impertinent, was he?
What did he say ?" "He said I was no gentleman." Andy Burke listened attentively to what was said, but didn't attempt to justify himself as yet.
"I have sometimes had suspicions of that myself," said his father, quietly.
Though Godfrey was an only son, his father was sensible enough to be fully aware of his faults.

If he was indulged, it was his mother, not his father, that was in fault.

Colonel Preston was a fair and just man, and had sensible views about home discipline; but he was overruled by his wife, whose character may be judged from the fact that her son closely resembled her.