The Infernal Marriage | Page 5

moment. Be not alarmed,
my best love; I pray you be not alarmed. Well, imps, why am I
disturbed?'
'Oh!' said Terror. Rage could not speak, but gnashed his teeth and
stamped his feet.
'O-o-o-h!' repeated Terror.
'Speak, cursed imps!' cried the enraged Pluto; and he raised his arm.
'A man! a man!' cried Terror. 'Treason, treason! a man! a man!'
'What man?' said Pluto, in a rage.
'A man, a live man, has entered Hell!'
'You don't say so?' said Proserpine; 'a man, a live man. Let me see him
immediately.'

'Where is he?' said Pluto; 'what is he doing?'
'He is here, there, and everywhere! asking for your wife, and singing
like anything.'
'Proserpine!' said Pluto, reproachfully; but, to do the god justice, he was
more astounded than jealous.
'I am sure I shall be delighted to see him; it is so long since I have seen
a live man,' said Proserpine. 'Who can he be? A man, and a live man!
How delightful! It must be a messenger from my mother.'
'But how came he here?'
'Ah! how came he here?' echoed Terror.
'No time must be lost!' exclaimed Pluto, scrambling on his robe. 'Seize
him, and bring him into the council chamber. My charming Proserpine,
excuse me for a moment.'
'Not at all; I will accompany you.'
'But, my love, my sweetest, my own, this is business; these are affairs
of state. The council chamber is not a place for you.'
'And why not?' said Proserpine. 'I have no idea of ever leaving you for
a moment. Why not for me as well as for the Fates and the Furies? Am
I not Queen? I have no idea of such nonsense!'
'My love!' said the deprecating husband.
'You don't go without me,' said the imperious wife, seizing his robe.
'I must,' said Pluto.
'Then you shall never return,' said Proserpine.
'Enchantress! be reasonable.'

'I never was, and I never will be,' replied the Goddess.
'Treason! treason!' screamed Terror.
'My love, I must go!'
'Pluto,' said Proserpine, 'understand me once for all, I will not be
contradicted.'
Rage stamped his foot.
'Proserpine, understand me once for all, it is impossible,' said the God,
frowning.
'My Pluto!' said the Queen. 'Is it my Pluto who speaks thus sternly to
me? Is it he who, but an hour ago, a short hour ago, died upon my
bosom in transports and stifled me with kisses! Unhappy woman!
wretched, miserable Proserpine! Oh! my mother! my kind, my
affectionate mother! Have I disobeyed you for this! For this have I
deserted you! For this have I broken your beloved heart!' She buried
her face in the crimson counterpane, and bedewed its gorgeous
embroidery with her fast-flowing tears.
'Treason!' shouted Terror.
'Ha! ha! ha!' exclaimed the hysterical Proserpine.
'What am I to do?' cried Pluto. 'Proserpine, my adored, my beloved, my
enchanting Proserpine, compose yourself; for my sake, compose
yourself. I love you! I adore you! You know it! oh! indeed you know
it!'
The hysterics increased.
'Treason! treason!' shouted Terror.
'Hold your infernal tongue,' said Pluto. 'What do I care for treason
when the Queen is in this state?' He knelt by the bedside, and tried to
stop her mouth with kisses, and ever and anon whispered his passion.

'My Proserpine, I beseech you to be calm; I will do anything you like.
Come, come, then, to the council!'
The hysterics ceased; the Queen clasped him in her arms and rewarded
him with a thousand embraces. Then, jumping up, she bathed her
swollen eyes with a beautiful cosmetic that she and her maidens had
distilled from the flowers of Enna; and, wrapping herself up in her
shawl, descended with his Majesty, who was quite as much puzzled
about the cause of this disturbance as when he was first roused.
Crossing an immense covered bridge, the origin of the Bridge of Sighs
at Venice, over the royal gardens, which consisted entirely of cypress,
the royal pair, preceded by the pages-in-waiting, entered the council
chamber. The council was already assembled. On either side of a throne
of sulphur, from which issued the four infernal rivers of Lethe,
Phlegethon, Cocytus, and Acheron, were ranged the Eumenides and
Parcæ. Lachesis and her sisters turned up their noses when they
observed Proserpine; but the Eumenides could not stifle their fury, in
spite of the hints of their more subdued but not less malignant
companions.
'What is all this?' inquired Pluto.
'The constitution is in danger,' said the Parcæ in chorus.
'Both in church and state,' added the Furies. ''Tis a case of treason and
blasphemy;' and they waved their torches and shook their whips with
delighted anticipation of their use.
'Detail the circumstances,' said Pluto, waving his hand majestically to
Lachesis, in whose good sense he had great confidence.
'A