You can call _me_ what you please, but you shall not insult my mother while I'm round." "Your mother is a miserable woman, and----" "Say that again, and though you are an old man, I'll hit you for it.

I'm big enough to protect my mother, and I'll do it." Bobby doubled up his fists and edged up to Mr.Hardhand, fully determined to execute his threat if he repeated the offensive expression, or any other of a similar import.

He was roused to the highest pitch of anger, and felt as though he had just as lief die as live in defence of his mother's good name.
I am not sure that I could excuse Bobby's violence under any other circumstances.

He loved his mother--as the novelists would say, he idolized her; and Mr.Hardhand had certainly applied some very offensive epithets to her--epithets which no good son could calmly hear applied to a mother.

Besides, Bobby, though his heart was a large one, and was in the right place, had never been educated into those nice distinctions of moral right and wrong which control the judgment of wise and learned men.