The Infernal Marriage | Page 2

a still more terrible growl.
'My faithful Cerberus!' exclaimed the King.
The portals flew open, and revealed the gigantic form of the celebrated
watch-dog of Hell. It completely filled their wide expanse. Who but
Pluto could have viewed without horror that enormous body covered
with shaggy spikes, those frightful paws clothed with claws of steel,
that tail like a boa constrictor, those fiery eyes that blazed like the
blood-red lamps in a pharos, and those three forky tongues, round each
of which were entwined a vigorous family of green rattlesnakes!
'Ah! Cerby! Cerby!' exclaimed Pluto; 'my fond and faithful Cerby!'

Proserpine screamed as the animal gambolled up to the side of the
chariot and held out its paw to its master. Then, licking the royal palm
with its three tongues at once, it renewed its station with a wag of its
tail which raised such a cloud of dust that for a few minutes nothing
was perceptible.
'The monster!' exclaimed Proserpine.
'My love!' exclaimed Pluto, with astonishment.
'The hideous brute!'
'My dear!' exclaimed Pluto.
'He shall never touch me.'
'Proserpine!'
'Don't touch me with that hand. You never shall touch me, if you allow
that disgusting animal to lick your hand.'
'I beg to inform you that there are few beings of any kind for whom I
have a greater esteem than that faithful and affectionate beast.'
'Oh! if you like Cerberus better than me, I have no more to say,'
exclaimed the bride, bridling up with indignation.
'My Proserpine is perverse,' replied Pluto; 'her memory has scarcely
done me justice.'
'I am sure you said you liked Cerberus better than anything in the
world,' continued the goddess, with a voice trembling with passion.
'I said no such thing,' replied Pluto, somewhat sternly.
'I see how it is,' replied Proserpine, with a sob; 'you are tired of me.'
'My beloved!'

'I never expected this.'
'My child!'
'Was it for this I left my mother?'
'Powers of Hades! How you can say such things!'
'Broke her heart?'
'Proserpine! Proserpine!'
'Gave up daylight?'
'For the sake of Heaven, then, calm yourself!'
'Sacrificed everything?'
'My love! my life! my angel! what is all this?'
'And then to be abused for the sake of a dog!'
'By all the shades of Hell, but this is enough to provoke even immortals.
What have I done, said, or thought, to justify such treatment?'
'Oh! me!'
'Proserpine!'
'Heigho!'
'Proserpine! Proserpine!'
'So soon is the veil withdrawn!'
'Dearest, you must be unwell. This journey has been too much for you,'
'On our very bridal day to be so treated!'
'Soul of my existence, don't make me mad. I love you, I adore you; I

have no hope, no wish, no thought but you. I swear it; I swear it by my
sceptre and my throne. Speak, speak to your Pluto: tell him all your
wish, all your desire. What would you have me do?'
'Shoot that horrid beast.'
'Ah! me!'
'What, you will not? I thought how it would be. I am Proserpine, your
beloved, adored Proserpine. You have no wish, no hope, no thought but
for me! I have only to speak, and what I desire will be instantly done!
And I do speak, I tell you my wish, I express to you my desire, and I
am instantly refused! And what have I requested? Is it such a mighty
favour? Is it anything unreasonable? Is there, indeed, in my entreaty
anything so vastly out of the way? The death of a dog, a disgusting
animal, which has already shaken my nerves to pieces; and if ever (here
she hid her face in his breast), if ever that event should occur which
both must desire, my Pluto, I am sure the very sight of that horrible
beast will--I dare not say what it will do.'
Pluto looked puzzled.
'Indeed, my Proserpine, it is not in my power to grant your request; for
Cerberus is immortal, like ourselves.'
'Me! miserable!'
'Some arrangement, however, may be made to keep him out of your
sight and hearing. I can banish him.'
'Can you, indeed? Oh! banish him, my Pluto! pray banish him! I never
shall be happy until Cerberus is banished.'
'I will do anything you desire; but I confess to you I have some
misgivings. He is an invaluable watch-dog; and I fear, without his
superintendence, the guardians of the gate will scarcely do their duty.'
'Oh! yes: I am sure they will, my Pluto! I will ask them to, I will ask

them myself, I will request them, as a particular and personal favour to
myself, to be very careful indeed. And if they do their duty, and I am
sure they will, they shall be styled, as a reward, "Proserpine's Own
Guards."'
'A reward, indeed!' said the enamoured monarch, as, with