In a word, the higher the
fewer."

Jill passed a hand across her sweet pretty brow.

"But what's the salt-cellar got to do with it?"

"Nothing whatever," said Berry. "That was to distract your attention."

Jill choked with indignation.

"I'll never ask you anything again," she said severely. "After all, if
you can't help yourself, it isn't likely you can help me. And, any
way, I wouldn't have been so silly as to go and cash a cheque when the
franc had gone down."

"Up," said I relentlessly.

"But how can it----"

"Look here," said I. "Imagine that all the francs in the world have
turned into herrings."

"What a joy shopping would be!" said Berry.

"Yes," said Jill faithfully.

"Well, on Monday you go and buy a pound's worth of herrings. Fish is
plentiful, so you get fifty-six."

"Yes."

"During the night herrings rise."

"Get quite high," said Berry. "You have to get out of bed and put your
purse on the landing."

Adele began to shake with laughter.

"Yes," said Jill earnestly.

"So that the next morning," I continued desperately, "when you come to
buy another pound's worth of herrings, you only get fifty-three."

"That's right," said Berry. "And while you're trying to decide whether
to have one or two pounds, they turn into bananas. Then you _are_
done."

Jonah took up the cudgels.

"It's perfectly simple," he said. "Think of a thermometer."

Jill took a deep breath.

Then--

"Yes," she said.

"Well, on Monday you find it's fifty-six. On Tuesday you look at it
again, and find it's fifty-three. That means it's gone down, doesn't
it?"

"Yes," said his sister hopefully.

"Well, with the franc it's just the opposite. It means it's gone up."

"Yes."

"That's all," said Jonah brutally.

Jill looked from him to Daphne and from Daphne to Adele--dazedly. The
former put a hand to her head.

"My dear," she said, "I can't help you. Before they started
explaining, I had a rough idea of how the thing worked. Now I'm
confused for ever. If they are to be believed, in future we've got to
say 'up' when we feel inclined to say 'down.' But don't ask me why."

She stopped to speak with a member who was leaving the room and had
come to pay his respects. After a word or two--

"Visitors' weather," he said. "Perfect, isn't it? But, I say, what a
fall in the franc! Three points in a day.... Never mind. It'll go up
again."

He made his adieus and passed on.

It was no good