Monsieur Segotin's Story
we would be likely to scrape together, and indeed it is very probable that they did. Like all the world, we too had had our Germans amongst us in the days before the war, good, fat, jolly fellows whom many of us were glad to invite into our homes. Such people have opportunities of making estimates as they go about in a small community where everyone knows all about everyone else. No doubt they reported their discoveries. This contribution was not called a contribution, you understand. It was levied by way of security for our good behaviour, and we were told by proclamation that it would be refunded to the town if the inhabitants showed themselves reasonable and committed no hostile act. But the Germans are apparently still waiting to assure themselves of Saint Hilaire's reasonableness. And, of course, so long as they are there, there is always the possibility that a hostile act may be committed.
"Having thus made arrangements by which we should be prevented from eating ourselves to death, or gambling ourselves into the workhouse, they set about providing for the maintenance of order and tranquillity in the town.
"They plastered our walls with orange papers which forbade us to leave our houses during the daytime except for absolutely necessary purposes, in order, for instance, to buy provisions—and from whom, dear God?—or to water cattle. At night we were absolutely forbidden to leave our houses after six o'clock in any circumstances whatever.
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