ouldn't spoil it
for anything."

"Jade," said her husband. "And now, stand back, please, everybody. I
want to do a little stock-taking." With that, from every pocket he
produced French notes of all denominations, in all stages of decay, and
heaped them upon the table. "Now, this one," he added, gingerly
extracting a filthy and dilapidated rag, "is a particularly interesting
specimen. Apparently, upon close inspection, merely a valuable
security, worth, to be exact, a shade under twopence-half-penny, it is
in reality a talisman. Whosoever touches it, cannot fail to contract
at least two contagious diseases within the week. In view of the
temperature of my coffee this morning, I'm saving it for the
head-waiter."

"When," said I, "do you expect to go down?"

"The pure in heart," said Berry, "are proof against its malignity.
Don't you come too near. And look at this sere and yellow leaf. Now,
that represents one franc. When I think that, upon offering that to a
bar-tender, I shall not only not be assaulted, but shall actually
receive a large bottle of beer and be lent a two-and-sixpenny glass
from which to imbibe the same, I feel the deepest reverence for the
French Government. No other authority in the world could possibly put
up such a bluff and get away with it."

"They are awful," said Jill, peering.

"They're perfectly beastly," said Berry, "and wholly ridiculous.
However, since they're also legal tender, I suppose I may as well try
and sort them out. What I really need is some rubber gloves and a
box-respirator. Hullo! Just catch that one, will you? He's seen that
dog over there.... You know, I'm not at all sure that they get enough
air in my pocket. I suppose we couldn't get a hutch for the more
advanced ones. I mean, I don't want to be cruel."

Again Jonah looked at his watch.

"We have now," he said, "wasted fifty-six minutes in----"

"Excuse me," said Berry, "but isn't this touching? Here's affectionate
Albert." With the words, he laid a two-franc note tenderly upon my
sleeve. "Now, I bet you don't get him off without tearing him."

Disgustedly I managed to detach Albert, who instantly adhered to my
fingers.

There was a shriek of laughter.

"Stick to him," said Berry. "I've lost the bet."

The injunction was unnecessary.

After Albert had clung once to Adele's--happily, gloved--fingers and
twice to each of my hands, I trod upon him. Some of Albert was still
upon my boot th