The sallow stone floors and rough arched ceilings gave off a catacombic air which was comically incongruous with the brilliantly lit and decorated furnishings of the billeterie, where the floors were suddenly covered in mosaics and the pillars in finely sculpted sconces. He continued after checking his coat and hat and picking up a pair of keys, a few steps further and the rough rectangular pillars gave way to polished marble corinthians and the ceiling an ornate rotunda. Yet, this was only an amuse bouche compared to the outlandish opulence of le Bassin de la Pythie, where Anselme paused to…