What is the conflict in the short story "An Encounter?"

In this story, there is an evident clash between innocence and
experience. The very title refers to a seemingly ordinary encounter between a boy and an old man,
but we can also view this story in two more ways. Firstly, it is a story in which the main
protagonist has an encounter with the unknown world he wishes to be a part of, of all its
challenges and perils it brings and its overwhelming impact on the innocent world of a child.
Secondly, the story implies that a boy eventually has an encounter with his true self, realizing
that this experience has taught him a lot about himself and the world around
him.

The central episode of the story takes place in a field where
the narrator and his friend, Mahony, rest after crossing the river Liffey. The episode is focused
on the encounter between the narrator and a predatory old man who approaches the boys and reveals
some rather alarming thoughts about touching girls, whipping boys, etc. This encounter represents
the boys’ first encounter with the adult world and all its
mysteries:

At times he
spoke as if he were simply alluding to some fact that everybody knew, and at times he lowered his
voice and spoke mysteriously as if he were telling us something secret which he did not wish
others to overhear.

The protagonist
eventually sees the new world as a perilous, threatening and incomprehensible one, which has the
power to crush the comfort and safety of the world he is accustomed to. Therefore, his only
choice is to return to “a well-established boring old order” which he gladly
embraces.