THE TOMB OF PEARL 



cavity surrounded by the mantle. The oysters live 

 well, and the pearl-fish, settling down with them, finds 

 shelter, if not a livelihood. Situated beside the oyster's 

 gills, taking advantage of the entering current which 

 flows towards them, protected by the thick envelope 

 of the shell which covers the mantle, it can enjoy, in 

 peace, and remote from every risk, the charms of a 

 life of complete repose. It takes cover in this shelter 

 which it has chosen. It enters through the space 

 left between the open valves, and goes out the same 

 way when the need of food compels it to do so; it 

 returns again when it has fed. The fish asks the 

 oyster to allow it to share the shelter of its shell and 

 the oyster agrees; both live together in complete 

 harmony. 



But things sometimes go wrong, and the agreement 

 is occasionally broken. It may happen that the visitor, 

 when young and not very big, mistakes the door. 

 Instead of passing through the opening in the edges 

 of the mantle and so into the cavity to which it is 

 allowed access, it tries to find its way between the 

 mantle and the shell, to enter thereby into the private 

 quarters of its host. Then the oyster defends itself 

 and punishes the intruder. When the fish has forced 

 its way into this private ground, the mantle contracts, 

 tightens round it, and imprisons it against the shell. 

 The intruder is unable to move, cannot free itself, 

 breathes with difficulty and finally dies, where it is in 

 the narrow gaol in which it has imprisoned itself. 

 Caught in a trap, it suffers there the punishment 

 of death. Then the oyster, not being able to get rid 

 of the corpse, sets to work to embalm it, to mummify 

 and to immure it. Its secretion of calcareous matter 

 begins by infiltrating the tissues of the fish, and then 

 incrusts them. The secretion continues and the new 

 deposits spread in little blades of pearl which surround 

 the mummy and gradually totally enclose it. Thus 

 the tomb of pearl is built. Its presence, its position, 

 284 



