Angeline Read Online Free PDF

women held babies and these were passed affectionately from one to another. There were four young girls, around the same age as herself, she thought. Not as sumptuously dressed as the older women—perhaps they were slaves, too? They ran toward her as soon as they saw her. The woman who had brought Angeline here said a few words, then motioned to Angeline to follow them. Instinctively, Angeline drew away from them, but the girls only laughed, then grabbed her and pulled her down a passageway and into another room that contained a large pool of water. Before she realized what they were about, they began to strip her shift off her. She pushed their hands away, but they just laughed even harder and continued disrobing her.
    “Stop!” she cried, but to no avail.
    She struggled but there were four of them and only one of her. Besides, they were plump and well-fed while she was thin and weak. In a trice they had stripped off her clothes and the ragged shoes she wore, and she stood before them, completely naked, crimson with shame.
    One of the girls gathered up the clothes and shoes and disappeared, holding them by two fastidious fingers as far away from herself as possible, her nose wrinkled with disgust at the smell.
    There was worse to come. The girls chattered and babbled to each other in a language that Angeline could not understand, but she understood when they motioned to her to get into the pool. She could not believe it. Submerge herself in that water? Completely? She shook her head vigorously. She had splashed water on her body now and then to clean herself off, but never voluntarily ventured all the way into any river or lake. No one in possession of all their senses would do so!
    One of girls grabbed and tugged at her. Angeline ripped her arm out of her grasp. Another girl pushed her toward the water. Angeline pushed her back. Scowling, the girl shoved Angeline again, harder. Then the other girls seized her. Angeline kicked and screamed and even managed to bite one on the hand. That girl slapped her; she slapped back. Between the three of them they finally managed to drag Angeline into the water, but she dragged them in with her. It gave her great satisfaction to see them floundering in their light shifts that were now soaking wet and totally transparent. They were effectively as naked as she.
    Her resistance did her no good, however. She found herself being scrubbed mercilessly with a soft, sweet-smelling soap. It was nothing like the harsh stuff made out of lye that was all she had ever seen before. They even lathered her hair. The bath had turned into a battle, but eventually it was over. She was finally allowed to climb out, dripping and swearing with every evil word she had ever heard. Then they attempted to dry her. Angeline seized the cloths from them, spitting with rage, and dried herself.
    The one who had taken her clothes returned with a clean, brightly coloured shift and red leather slippers. She fairly threw them at Angeline. Angeline clothed herself as quickly as she could and bent to tie the slippers on her feet. She hardly noticed the softness of the material of the shift they had given her, nor the fineness of the slippers. The girls were not finished with her yet, however. Three of them held her while the fourth took a stiff brush and began to tear at the tangles in her hair. They were as rough as they could be, deliberately, she was certain of it. Tears sprang to her eyes in spite of herself, but she would not give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry. When she realized that the more she struggled, the more painful the task would be, she forced herself to hold still and endure it.
    When they were done and had released her, she whirled around to face her tormentors. She glared at them. They glared back. Then she saw what they looked like. They were still soaking wet, their hair streamed water and their shifts clung to them in dripping folds.
    They look like drowned rats, Angeline thought. Before she