I had pulled back, with a rattle of chain, that I not be strangled in the wall collar, and the gowned slave’s hands were pulled apart, away from my hair, and she wept with pain, as she was dragged back, away from me, by the hair.
“Release me!” she demanded, but two girls held her arms, one on each side, and another had her hair pulled back so tightly that the gowned slave’s head was facing the ceiling of the kennel. Other slaves were crowded about, angrily, and some others had entered from the clearing outside the kennel.
“I hope you marked her,” said a slave to the gowned slave, “that your nose will be cut off!”
“No, no!” cried the gowned slave. “She is not marked, not marked!”
“Who are you that you would attack a chained slave?” asked a slave.
“She is not marked!” cried the gowned slave.
I was scratched but, as it turned out, superficially. I did not think any damage had been done. I was more angry than anything else. My assailant’s blows, dealt with the sides of her fists, happily, had been administered only with a woman’s strength, and my rescuers had been upon her almost as soon as she had hurled herself upon me. The bites about my shoulder had not drawn blood. I did taste blood, but I had inadvertently bitten my own lip in the tumult.
“Cut off her nose!” said a slave of the gowned slave.
“No!” she wept.
Masters, as is recognized, seldom mix in the altercations of slaves. On the other hand, they are very much concerned with maintaining the value of the goods involved. Nothing is to be done to a girl which might reduce her value on the block. For example, the supple, broad-bladed, five-stranded slave whip designed to punish an errant slave, and well, is also designed in such a way that it will leave no lingering residue of its attentions. Happily for women, and, I suppose, for their owners, if they are owned, it is very rare that their disagreements, unlike those of men, result in any permanent injuries or disablements. Amongst free women who may tear veils or lose slippers, or amongst slaves, who may rend or lose a tunic, not much is likely to take place which could not be reduced to unpleasantries such as insults, scratchings, bitings, and yanked hair.
“Cut off her ears, too!” cried another slave.
“No, no!” wept the gowned slave.
She was then forced down to her knees.
She struggled but was helpless in the hands of her chain sisters, two of whom maintained their grip on her arms, one on each side.
“Would that we had a dagger,” said one of the slaves.
“The guard has one,” said a slave.
“Call him!” said another.
“No, no, no!” begged the gowned slave.
“Leave it to Laura!” said a girl.
“No!” begged the gowned slave. “No! Not to her!”
“Beg her forgiveness!” said one of the girls holding the gowned slave’s arm, the left arm.
“She is a barbarian!” protested the gowned slave.
“Now!” cried a girl, and, taking the gowned slave’s head by the hair, with two hands, forced it down to the planks before me.
The gowned slave howled with misery. “Forgive me, forgive me!” she wept.
“Call her ‘Mistress’,” said another girl.
“Mistress!” wept the gowned slave.
“I am not ‘Mistress’,” I said. “Let her up.”
It was permitted to the gowned slave that she might raise her head, but she was held on her knees, helpless, as before, before me.
“Bespeak your contriteness,” said a girl. “Beg her forgiveness, as what you are, a lowly, miserable slave.”
“That is not necessary,” I said.
“Now,” demanded one of the girls.
“I am not injured,” I said.
“I am contrite, Mistress,” said the gowned slave. “Please forgive me, Mistress.”
“I forgive you,” I said.
“We do not!” said a slave, angrily.
“Please, let her alone,” I said.
“Are you important?” asked a slave of the gowned slave.
“No, Mistress,” she said.
“What are you?” asked another.
“A slave, Mistress,” she said.
“What sort of slave?” asked another.
“A meaningless slave, Mistress,” said the gowned slave.
“Are you better than we?” asked a girl.
“No, Mistress,” said the gowned slave.
“Are you less than we?” asked another.
“Yes, Mistress,” said the gowned slave.
Several of the slaves laughed. “She speaks truly,” said one of them.
“Remove her gown,” said a girl.
“No!” begged the gowned slave.
“The guard will not permit it,” said a slave.
“Go, see!” said a slave, and another slave hurried from the kennel.
“No, no!” said the gowned slave.
In a moment the slave who had rapidly exited the kennel returned, beaming. “It may be done!” she shouted.