Monsieur Segotin's Story
"But I am not going to weary you with a full recital of our woes. To do that would take me a month. I have at least shown you something of what it is to live under German martial law.
"And now I must be making my way to my sister's good and hospitable home, for she keeps early hours, the dear woman. Her man is English, as you know. A domesticated being. He has not the café habit, and my sister and the little ones fear for the old man if he is out late in this great London. And they must not be made anxious. Another day I will tell you of the deportation business, that foulest of all the foul crimes that Germany has committed in this war. You shall hear how they carried off men, women and boys, yes, and young girls, to replace the German labour which was needed in their armies, and which lacked to their munition works. You shall hear of the brutal scenes that took place everywhere in Germany, the heartrending separations, the crowding of human beings into open cattle trucks, women throwing themselves across the railway line to stop the trains, men, who refused to go, bayoneted in cold blood. You shall hear how they tried to starve our people into submission, offering them food and money to make shells to kill their own brothers and sons and fathers. You shall hear of the girls they carried off for purposes which I will not name. But not now.
"Let me only, before I go, tell you how it came about that I am to-day sitting by your side in this
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