But little Jim did not reply and his downcast look was in such contrast to his erect hair, which no failure of puddings could down, that Pat and Mike burst out laughing. The remembrance of the raisins little Jim had so pompously asked for was upon them, too. And even Mrs. O'Callaghan smiled. "Was it steak and potatoes I told you to be cookin'?" she persisted. Little Jim nodded miserably. "I'll not be hard on you, Jim," said his mother, "for I see you're ashamed of yourself, and you ought to be, too. But I'll say this to you; them that cooks puddin's when they're set to cook steak and potatoes is loike to make a smoke in the world, and do themsilves small credit. Let's have no more puddin's, Jim, till I give you the word." That was all there was of it. But Jim had lost his appetite for pudding, and it was long before it returned to him. CHAPTER XIX There were three to sit by the kitchen stove now and talk of an evening from half-past nine till ten, and they were the widow and Pat and Mike. "It's Andy that makes me astonished quite," observed Mrs. O'Callaghan. "Here it is the first of December and him three months at Gineral Brady's and gettin' fat on it. He niver got fat to home, and that's what bates me." "Well, mother, he's got a nice big room by himself to sleep in. The Physiology's down on crowding, and five boys in one bedroom ain't good for a nervous boy like Andy." "Nor it ain't good for the rest of you, nayther," responded Mrs. O'Callaghan, with conviction. "What do you say, b'ys? Shall we ask the landlord to put us on another room in the spring? He'll raise the rint on us if he does." The widow regarded her sons attentively, and they, feeling the proud responsibility of being consulted by their mother, answered as she would have them. "Then that's settled," said she. "The more room, the more rint. Any landlord can see that--a lawyer, anyway. Do you think, b'ys, Andy'll be a lawyer when he comes from college?" "Why, mother?" asked Pat. "'Cause I don't want him to be. He ain't got it in him to be comin' down hard and sharp on folks, and so he won't be a good wan. He'll be at the law loike little Jim at puddin's. You niver was to coort, was you, b'ys?" Pat and Mike confessed that they had never been at court. "I knowed you hadn't. I jist asked you. Well, you see, b'ys, them lawyers gets the witnesses up and asks 'em all sorts of impudent questions, and jist as good as tells 'em they lies quite often. Andy couldn't niver do the loikes of that. 'Tain't in him. Do you know, b'ys, folks can't do what ain't in 'em, no matter if they do go to college. Now little Jim's the wan for a lawyer. He'd be the wan to make a man forget his own name, and all on account of impudent questions." Pat and Mike looked surprised. They were both fond of little Jim, Mike particularly so.