"Mrs.Burke, I hear that your son behaved very badly to my Godfrey yesterday." "It isn't like Andy, ma'am," said the mother, quietly.

"He's a good, well-behaved lad." "Godfrey tells me that he made a brutal assault upon him, quite forgetting his superior position." "Are you sure Master Godfrey didn't strike him first ?" asked the mother.
"Even if he had, your son shouldn't have struck back." "Why not ?" asked Mrs.Burke, her eyes flashing with spirit, meek as she generally was.
"Because it was improper," said Mrs.Preston, decisively.
"I don't see that, ma'am.

Andy isn't the boy to stand still and be struck." "Do I understand," said Mrs.Preston, in a freezing tone, "that you uphold your son in his atrocious conduct ?" "Yes, ma'am.

I stand up for Andy, for he's a good boy, and if he struck Master Godfrey it was because he was struck first." "That is enough," said Mrs.Preston, angrily.

"I shall not require your services after to-day, Mrs.Burke." "Just as you like, ma'am," said Mrs.Burke, with quiet pride, but she thought, with a sinking heart, of the gap which this would make in her scanty income..