Part 1 (2/2)

'Is he very fierce?'

'Not if he takes a fancy to you; and who can help taking a fancy to Proserpine?'

'Ah! my Pluto, you are in love.'

'Is this Hades?' inquired Proserpine.

An avenue of colossal bulls, sculptured in basalt and breathing living flame, led to gates of bra.s.s, adorned with friezes of rubies, representing the wars and discomfiture of the t.i.tans. A crimson cloud concealed the height of the immense portals, and on either side hovered o'er the extending walls of the city; a watch-tower or a battlement occasionally flas.h.i.+ng forth, and forcing their forms through the lurid obscurity.

'Queen of Hades! welcome to your capital!' exclaimed Pluto.

The monarch rose in his car and whirled a javelin at the gates. There was an awful clang, and then 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 h.e.l.l. It completely filled their wide expanse. Who but Pluto could have viewed without horror that enormous body covered with s.h.a.ggy 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 G.o.ddess, with a voice trembling with pa.s.sion.

'I said no such thing,' replied Pluto, somewhat sternly.

'I see how it is,' replied Proserpine, with a sob; 'you are tired of me.'

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