The Infernal Marriage | Page 3

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 Meg?ra. '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 Meg?ra.
'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 Parc? 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 suppressed sound between a murmur and a growl.
'I have ordered the chariot,' said Pluto. 'I propose to take the Queen a ride, and show her some of our lions.'
'She will, I am sure, be delighted,' said Lachesis.
'I long to see Ixion,' said Proserpine.
'The wretch!' shrieked Tisiphone.
'I cannot help thinking that he has been very unfairly treated,' said Proserpine.
'What!' squeaked Meg?ra. 'The ravisher!'
'Ay! it is all very well,' replied Proserpine; 'but, for my part, if we knew the truth of that affair-----'
'Is it possible that your Majesty can speak in such a tone of levity of such an offender?' shrieked Tisiphone.
'Is it possible?' moaned Alecto.
'Ah! you have heard only one side of the question;