Decidedly, the Ethiopic black, the harsh Sienna tone of this shell dulled the rug’s reflections without adding to it.  The dominant silver gleams in it barely sparkled, crawling with lack-lustre tones of dead zinc against the edges of the hard, tarnished shell.

He bit his nails while he studied a method of removing these discords and reconciling the determined opposition of the tones.  He finally discovered that his first inspiration, which was to animate the fire of the weave by setting it off against some dark object, was erroneous.  In fact, this rug was too new, too petulant and gaudy.  The colors were not sufficiently subdued.  He must reverse the process, dull the tones, and extinguish them by the contrast of a striking object, which would eclipse all else and cast a golden light on the pale silver.  Thus stated, the problem was easier to solve.  He therefore decided to glaze the shell of the tortoise with gold.

The tortoise, just returned by the lapidary, shone brilliantly, softening the tones of the rug and casting on it a gorgeous reflection which resembled the irradiations from the scales of a barbaric Visigoth shield.

At first Des Esseintes was enchanted with this effect.  Then he reflected that this gigantic jewel was only in outline, that it would not really be complete until it had been incrusted with rare stones.

From a Japanese collection he chose a design representing a cluster of flowers emanating spindle-like, from a slender stalk.  Taking it to a jeweler, he sketched a border to enclose this bouquet in an oval frame, and informed the amazed lapidary that every petal and every leaf was to be designed with jewels and mounted on the scales of the tortoise.

The choice of stones made him pause.  The diamond has become notoriously common since every tradesman has taken to wearing it on his little finger.  The oriental emeralds and rubies are less vulgarized and cast brilliant, rutilant flames, but they remind one of the green and red antennae of certain omnibuses which carry signal lights of these colors.  As for topazes, whether sparkling or dim, they are cheap stones, precious only to women of the middle class who like to have jewel cases on their dressing-tables.  And then, although the Church has preserved for the amethyst a sacerdotal character which is at once unctuous and solemn, this stone, too, is abused on the blood-red ears and veined hands of butchers’ wives who love to adorn themselves inexpensively with real and heavy jewels.  Only the sapphire, among all these stones, has kept its fires undefiled by any taint of commercialism.  Its sparks, crackling in its limpid, cold depths have in some way protected its shy and proud nobility from pollution.  Unfortunately, its fresh fire does not sparkle in artificial light:  the blue retreats and seems to fall asleep, only awakening to shine at daybreak.

None of these satisfied Des Esseintes at all.  They were too civilized and familiar.  He let trickle through his fingers still more astonishing and bizarre stones, and finally selected a number of real and artificial ones which, used together, should produce a fascinating and disconcerting harmony.