The Infernal Marriage | Page 3

a sigh, he
signed the order for the banishment of Cerberus in the form of his
promotion to the office of Master of the royal and imperial
bloodhounds.
The burning waves of Phlegethon assumed a lighter hue. It was
morning. It was the morning after the arrival of Pluto and his
unexpected bride. In one of the principal rooms of the palace three
beautiful females, clothed in cerulean robes spangled with stars, and
their heads adorned with golden crowns, were at work together. One
held a distaff, from which the second spun; and the third wielded an
enormous pair of adamantine shears, with which she perpetually
severed the labours of her sisters. Tall were they in stature and beautiful
in form. Very fair; an expression of haughty serenity pervaded their
majestic countenances. Their three companions, however, though
apparently of the same sex, were of a different character. If women can
ever be ugly, certainly these three ladies might put in a valid claim to
that epithet. Their complexions were dark and withered, and their eyes,
though bright, were bloodshot. Scantily clothed in black garments, not
unstained with gore, their wan and offensive forms were but slightly
veiled. Their hands were talons; their feet cloven; and serpents were
wreathed round their brows instead of hair. Their restless and agitated
carriage afforded also not less striking contrast to the polished and
aristocratic demeanour of their companions. They paced the chamber
with hurried and unequal steps, and wild and uncouth gestures; waving,
with a reckless ferocity, burning torches and whips of scorpions. It is
hardly necessary to add that these were the Furies, and that the
conversation which I am about to report was carried on with the Fates.
'A thousand serpents!' shrieked Tisiphone. 'I will never believe it.'
'Racks and flames!' squeaked Megæra. 'It is impossible.'

'Eternal torture!' moaned Alecto. ''Tis a lie.'
'Not Jupiter himself should convince us!' the Furies joined in infernal
chorus.
''Tis nevertheless true,'calmly observed the beautiful Clotho.
'You will soon have the honour of being presented to her,' added the
serene Lachesis.
'And whatever we may feel,' observed the considerate Atropos, 'I think,
my dear girls, you had better restrain yourselves.'
'And what sort of thing is she?' inquired Tisiphone, with a shriek.
'I have heard that she is lovely,' answered Clotho. 'Indeed, it is
impossible to account for the affair in any other way.'
''Tis neither possible to account for nor to justify it,' squeaked Megæra.
'Is there, indeed, a Queen in Hell?' moaned Alecto.
'We shall hold no more drawing-rooms,' said Lachesis.
'We will never attend hers,' said the Furies.
'You must,' replied the Fates.
'I have no doubt she will give herself airs,' shrieked Tisiphone.
'We must remember where she has been brought up, and be
considerate,' replied Lachesis.
'I dare say you three will get on very well with her,' squeaked Megasra.
'You always get on well with people.'
'We must remember how very strange things here must appear to her,'
observed Atropos.

'No one can deny that there are some very disagreeable sights,' said
Clotho.
'There is something in that,' replied Tisiphone, looking in the glass, and
arranging her serpents; 'and for my part, poor girl, I almost pity her,
when I think she will have to visit the Harpies.'
At this moment four little pages entered the room, who, without
exception, were the most hideous dwarfs that ever attended upon a
monarch. They were clothed only in parti-coloured tunics, and their
breasts and legs were quite bare. From the countenance of the first you
would have supposed he was in a convulsion; his hands were clenched
and his hair stood on end: this was Terror! The protruded veins of the
second seemed ready to burst, and his rubicund visage decidedly
proved that he had blood in his head; this was Rage! The third was of
an ashen colour throughout: this was Paleness! And the fourth, with a
countenance not without traces of beauty, was even more disgusting
than his companions from the quantity of horrible flies, centipedes,
snails, and other noisome, slimy, and indescribable monstrosities that
were crawling all about his body and feeding on his decaying features.
The name of this fourth page was Death!
'The King and Queen!' announced the pages.
Pluto, during the night, had prepared Proserpine for the worst, and had
endeavoured to persuade her that his love would ever compensate for
all annoyances. She was in excellent spirits and in very good humour;
therefore, though she could with difficulty stifle a scream when she
recognised the Furies, she received the congratulations of the Parcæ
with much cordiality.
'I have the pleasure, Proserpine, of presenting you to my family,' said
Pluto.
'Who, I am sure, hope to make Hades agreeable to your Majesty,'
rejoined Clotho. The Furies uttered a