Rumpole unenthusiastically accompanies Hilda and her cousin to a very fashionable restaurant. Rumpole hates the ostentatious ambiance, pretentious food with its scant portions. He requests steak and kidney pudding. Jean Pierre O'Higgins, the owner, is insulted that Rumpole would expect him to prepare such low-class dishes. Suddenly, pandemonium strikes when a live mouse jumps out from the serving dish at another table. Unfortunately, the diners are Erskine-Brown with an attractive colleague that he's romancing. When an obstinate O'Higgins comes to Rumpole to plead his help in saving his license and reputation, Rumpole agrees to defend him but he must also somehow do this without embarrassing Erskine-Brown.