Monsieur Segotin's Story
The cafés were to be closed at five. Anyone who should attempt to leave the town by night or day upon any pretext whatever would be shot. We were not to dig potatoes except with their consent and under military supervision. Their sentinels and patrols were authorised to fire (at their own discretion, please observe) on anyone who should depart from these directions.
"Well, that at any rate put an end to any junketing in the streets. The Pax Germanica had fallen upon the town, which might have been a dead one. Decency was observed in our streets, I promise you, in so far as their lawful inhabitants were concerned. It was hardly worth while to take the air with one's sweetheart if the consequences were to be a bullet from the first sentry who chose to loose off his rifle by way of distracting the monotony of his existence.
"But you must not think that the town was not gay at night. On the contrary, we lived in a perpetual illumination. For a new poster had gone up by which we were instructed to keep a light burning in all rooms which looked on to the street. Not only this, but all our front doors were to be left constantly open, so as to afford the military authorities access to the houses. The town wore thus an appearance both hospitable and festive, but can you conceive it, my dear Monsieur? A whole town lit from cellar to garret, every house door standing open and not a soul abroad save a few sinister figures in spiked helmets with rifles on
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