Today is Saturday.It was just dawn, and there was a veil of smog over Paris. The sun could not penetrate the lifeless black cloud, and it became a gray curtain, which was suffocating. I sat in the dining room of the Maxine with my coffee and bread in front of me, but I didn't move a bit.Like all ladies and gentlemen, I was not thinking about my breakfast but looking out the window. This is the most miserable morning in Paris I have ever seen: no flowers, no sunshine, no soft music, no loud laughter, the newspaper was not delivered to me on time, the food was cold; the waiter in the corner was absent-minded Some of them are working on the ground, and some are just looking out of the window like the guests.

It was as if everything stood still. After an unknown amount of time, a man wearing glasses hurried in, and the sound of footsteps made everyone's eyes turn to him.But he obviously didn't pay attention to this, his pale and thin face was frightened, and sweat was streaming down his forehead. He walked straight up to me, leaned close to my ear and said in a trembling voice: "...Lord Earl, Paris... has fallen!" Yes, on June 14, 1940, my homeland... fell! In May, the Germans bypassed the ineffective Maginot Line and stepped into French soil.Since two days ago, the roar of cannons has sounded outside Paris, and the intermittent gunfire has disturbed the hearts of the people. Various rumors are surging: France has completely failed?Are the Nazis going to raze Paris to the ground?The Germans had crossed the Channel to London... The streets were flooded with news of this kind, and the bewildered citizens had no choice but to accept all the rumours.The factory shut down, the radio station stopped broadcasting, the newspapers were no longer published, and all speculations could not be confirmed, so after a few bumps against the ancient high walls and blue bricks, they gradually subsided, and Parisians began to wait for their fate in a numb calm s arrangement.

And this morning the verdict came and the Germans rolled into Paris like locusts. I felt the blood on my face retreat to my heart, grabbed my hat and coat and stood up with a thud: "Pierre, call the car, I'm going to the academy." "My lord, my lord." My loyal personal secretary hurriedly stopped me, "The Germans have flooded into the street, it's chaotic outside, you'd better go back to Armand Manor to take shelter." "I'm going to see Marisa!" "Miss Guied must be safe now!" He anxiously chased me out of the hall, "Please listen to me, my lord: the roads are full of military vehicles, we can't get through! Besides, the Countess is very worried about you..."

I took out my pen and wrote a quick note: "Call my mother; if the post office is still open, send her this telegram at once. I will find Marisa and leave Paris as soon as possible. " I stuffed the note into his hand and rushed out of the gate without any explanation. There were not many people on the street, and most of them were hiding on the sidewalk. Women and old people watched the motorcycles of the Nazi stormtroopers speeding past with horror and guarded eyes. The fists of young people were clenched tightly, and their eyes were burning with anger. .More people hid in the house, watching the movement outside the window with trepidation!

The swastika flags passed by one after another, whirring.I lowered the brim of my hat and rounded the corner of Locust Street.Pedestrians trot past me, hurrying home, chaos everywhere. Marisa, Marisa, don't let anything happen to you!I really shouldn't have left you alone in the Academy, even if you insisted!Wait for me, Marisa, I'll come get you! As I was thinking, I quickened my pace, when there was a shout from across the street, and several pieces of broken glass slammed in front of me. Several young students who looked like students were yelling at a German military vehicle and throwing stones and glass bottles over it; a big soldier with a submachine gun jumped out of the vehicle and pointed his gun at it threateningly. They swayed around, which aroused the anger of the young people even more, and a boy with light yellow hair even blocked the muzzle of his chest...

God!Isn't that Joseph?My heartbeat at least doubled! These idiots, why don't they stay in school obediently, now is not the time to be a hero! Seeing that the soldier's expression became more and more ferocious, I rushed over without thinking too much, and grabbed the boy's arm: "Enough, Joseph Guide, shut up!" Everyone was surprised by my appearance, and while they were stunned, I dragged and dragged these children back to the sidewalk.Fortunately, the German didn't do anything else, just jumped into the car triumphantly and drove away. "Mr. Earl, why did you stop us?" The impulsive Luke Page first expressed his dissatisfaction with me, and the others glared at me, "I can't give them a good look at these invaders, they should be driven out France!"

"Yes! Yes! Don't let the German pigs think we are cowards!" Immediately there was an impassioned echo. I was really about to get angry: "Yeah, you are warriors, dare to stand up to the machine gun with bare hands! Wait, when the bullet pierces your chest and your mother bursts into tears at your corpse, you will know that for a little verbal What price did you pay for venting on the Internet!" "We... are not afraid of death!" There was a moment of regret on the young man's face, but his anger was still lingering. I sighed and patted Page on the shoulder: "France has not failed! Believe me, save your strength, and you will have the opportunity to teach the Germans a lesson in the future! Get out of here now, listen to me, don't fight for a short-term breath And sacrificed their lives in vain."

They were silent for a moment, then looked at each other again, seeming to be convinced, spat bitterly at the back of the mighty figure, and slowly dispersed.I stopped Joseph and asked if he had seen Marisa. "Sister? She should still be in the academy, right? Well...at least when we went to find her...she...was still..." I narrowed my eyes: "Where is she?" Joseph turned his head a little uneasy: "I don't know, she should stay in the academy, but she said she would come out with us..." I guessed it! There were sporadic gunshots in the distance, which made my heart jump.I told Joseph to go home first, and then continued to the college.

The Paris Conservatoire where I have worked for two years has already closed classes. No one can study calmly under the threat of guns. This noble place is so quiet at the moment. Teachers and students have all gone home. I found the office of Professor Margaret Sorel as quickly as possible. The door was open, and quietly, a petite figure was looking at the window.Her flaxen hair hangs over her shoulders, and she looks slender in a long skirt and a high-necked shirt, but her back is straight, her arms are folded as if biting her nails, she seems nervous, and she doesn't even walk I didn't even notice when I entered the room.

"Marisa!" She's still here, thank God! "Chart!" She turned around and ran over to grab my hand in great surprise. "It's great to see you! The Germans have already entered the city, and I'm worried about you!" "Me too, girl!" "What happened to you?" "I'll be fine! I'm still reluctant to let people have the opportunity to take away my beautiful fiancée. Besides, without me, the most charming handsome man in Paris, who should you marry?" It was reassuring to see her standing in front of me intact: "Listen, Marisa, we're going back to the Armand estate now, it's much safer than Paris. I've told my mother I'm taking you back, How about we can get married there, darling . . . darling?"

I felt something was wrong, she didn't look at me, she just grabbed her neckline with her hands, and bit her lower lip nervously. "What's wrong with you, Marisa?" I supported her body, and suddenly found a large amount of bright red blood in her collar, "God, are you injured? What's the matter? Did you meet a German?" "No, it's not me." She lowered her head in embarrassment, trying to cover the blood in her shirt, "I'm sorry, Chartres, I... I didn't stay here well..." Then she pointed to the side door as if determined , "We need your help, right now!" us?I sighed and closed my eyes. Professor Marguerite Sorel was hiding in her little lounge, and on the sofa lay a bloodied young man who, with difficulty, turned his face to me and called "Count." It was Armand Fessel, one of the professor's best pupils, the future flutist.But now he had been shot in the waist, and was covering the wound with gauze; but it was obviously useless—the blood kept oozing from between his fingers, staining Professor Lyle's shirt behind him. "Oh my God," I whispered, and hurriedly took off my coat and started rummaging through the first-aid kit. "Did the Germans do it?" "Yeah, I... I threw some Molotov cocktails at them!" Who can tell me how to stop these impatient children? Professor Sorel, who usually lacks a smile, hugged the young man like a mother at this moment, and kept wiping off his cold sweat, looking very restless. "It won't go on like this, Monsieur Count," she said to me, almost commandingly, "you won't be able to treat the wound here, we'll have to take him to the hospital." "Yes, I'd love to do that if I could, but, Professor—" I told her what was going on outside, pressing down on the gauze "—the streets are full of Nazis, they've taken over Paris, every There are Gestapo checks at the intersection, if you really want to protect this reckless young man, the best way is to let him stay here obediently." "He's going to die!" "At least not now!"—oh, my shirt and tie, they're all gone! The professor and I gently laid the wounded down, let him close his eyes and rest, and then began to clean up the blood stains on the ground. Marisa brought a basin of water, and we carefully washed the blood stains on our hands and skin. "What should we do next?" She looked at me anxiously, "We can't hide here forever, can we?" "Don't worry!" I comforted her with my arms around her shoulders. "When Armand is a little better, I will call Pierre to drive over. He can pretend to be a patient and go to the hospital with us. From Ouagera I don't think the Germans have set up a card there yet." "Can it work?" "Just try, or they'll start searching and find it here, and we'll all die!" When it was close to twelve o'clock, martial law had already begun outside.Squads of heavily armed Germans ran across the street at a steady pace, which made people feel more panic. From behind the intersection of Charlotte Street, countless invaders could be seen passing the Arc de Triomphe like a pack of wolves. And now I am worried about the wounded man in the back seat. Although he put on a clean coat and leaned weakly between Marisa and Professor Sorel, his pale face showed that he had lost too much blood and might faint at any time; What's worse is the previous investigation. I didn't expect to bump into the mobile post of the Germans on such a secluded path-I should really confess to God for secretly kissing Marisa last week. Pierre gripped the steering wheel with both hands, and nervously looked at the two soldiers at the turn ahead. When they signaled to drive the car past, the young man's knuckles turned white. "It's okay, buddy." I reassured him, "Brace yourself, and do as planned." "Yes, yes, sir." A short soldier with a rifle bent his head and asked in broken French where we were going. "Hospital!" I took over, "My secretary has an emergency, maybe appendicitis, and needs to be checked immediately!" The soldier looked suspiciously at the three people in the back seat, and finally set his eyes on the pale Armand. "Is that him?" he asked, pointing. "right." "Who are these two people?" "His wife and mother."—I really don't want to tell such a lie. Perhaps it was because of the convincing anxious expressions on the faces of Marisa and Professor Soler, the short soldier finally believed it and waved his hand to signal us to go over. My real secretary breathed a sigh of relief and was about to start the car when a very low voice suddenly came from beside him: "Wait a minute." The short soldier turned around, snapped to attention, and saluted. A tall man got out of the jeep and walked up to my window. "Excuse me, sir, may I see your papers?" The air in the car suddenly became tense, and I groaned inwardly; he came at a really bad time. I took out my ID card and a whole lot of mess and stuffed it into his hands.The officer gave me a slight nod and began to check one by one. The time became very long, I looked at his epaulets and cap badge, guessed his rank and function: the black uniform and silver sash badge told me that this guy seemed to be an SS captain. A "pure" Germanic, blond, blue-eyed, tall, chiseled, with a face as handsome as Apollo's.If he wasn't a Nazi, I'd love to have him as a sketch model. "Excuse me, Monsieur Count." He handed back my papers. "Can you tell me where you are going?" I repeated the lie just now. "Ah, that's right." He looked at the three people behind me with his blue eyes, "You probably don't know yet? This morning, some mobs threw petrol bombs at our soldiers on George V Road. We were on the spot One was killed, others were arrested, but one escaped with injuries, so we must be careful not to let him slip through the net! You will cooperate with us, won't you, Lord Earl?" His magnetic voice makes us shudder. "Of course, sir." I forced a smile, "If there is a situation, I will definitely report—" "So can you please get out of the car?" "What are you doing?" "I have to double check!" asshole!My heart was in my throat: "But, sir, my secretary is very ill. You see, he is in great pain..." "Just a moment." "You are too strong, sir!" My words made the officer frown a little, he straightened up and made a gesture, and the five or six soldiers behind immediately opened the car door like wolves and dragged us all down! "Let go of me, what are you doing?" Marisa screamed. I tried my best to break free from the restraints on my hands, and pushed away the two soldiers beside her!At this time, the captain grabbed Armand who was shaking and lifted his coat! Dark red blood soaked the hem of the shirt from the inside. For a while my hands and feet were cold. "Aha!" The captain gave me a mocking look. "No, don't touch him!" Professor Margaret Sorel rushed to support her student, "He is injured and must be treated!" "I'll treat him right away!" The captain walked behind them, drew out a pistol and pressed it against Armand's head—— Snapped!Blood and brains splashed on Professor Soler's face! There was silence at the scene, and everyone was petrified. I only saw Armand's body falling heavily on the ground, motionless.Professor Sorel uttered an angry cry and grabbed the murderer's shirt tightly! "Fascist! Executioner!" She kicked and slapped him like a lioness. "You should go to hell, devil! Satan!" The captain blocked her hand with a look of disgust, grabbed her by the neck and pushed her to the ground, and shot her away. The scene fell silent again, and after a while I heard Pierre kneeling on the ground gagging.Marisa buried her face in my arms and began to cry. I hugged her trembling body tightly. I couldn't believe my eyes, and I felt my stomach churning. Two people, two people died in front of me in an instant!A kind of fear or anger filled my head, and I stared at the devil in military uniform, my whole body froze! He slowly put the gun back into his waist, gestured for the soldiers to drag the corpse away, and then stepped on the blood on the ground and fell in front of me, his tall figure immediately blocked the sun tightly. "Monsieur Count, I would like to remind you," he said to me, smiling, "that next time you will not tell such a lame lie, because I am very sensitive to the smell of blood. Now, please pay for your stupidity! " The Paris police station had been taken over by the Gestapo and the SS not long ago.It never occurred to me that I, a French citizen, would sit in an interrogation room and be questioned by Germans. "Count Chartres de Nodois, 29 years old, lives in Paris. He is an honorary professor at the French Academy of Music. He teaches Baroque music history and composition, and often writes one-act operas." Lidi continued my file, "Ah, so you are a musician." "No! I'm your prisoner now." He made a helpless expression: "There is no need to be so hostile, Lord Earl, I am a routine." A wave of anger rushed into my head: "Sir—" "Captain Rostock von Portmann." "Okay, Captain Portman," I really wanted to slap him for his composure, "tell me your 'business' is to shoot unarmed wounded and women in broad daylight?" "You are wrong, my lord. I killed a thug who slipped through the net. He was hiding in your car. He was found trying to escape, so I shot him from behind. As for the lady, it is obvious that she is his His accomplice was wounded by stray bullets while helping him escape!" "It's so ridiculous!" I couldn't bear his understatement, "Do you think it's okay? This is France, not Poland!" "It's all the same, maybe after a while I won't even have to use my brain to make up excuses for this kind of thing." The SS man walked up to me with folded arms, the lone incandescent light pouring down from directly above, on his face. cast a dreadful shadow upon it.I sat on the chair and could only look up at him slightly.This look is a bit embarrassing, but I still can't help but give him a hard look. He let out a harsh laugh, then slowly brought his face closer to mine, and the smell of tobacco mixed with lemonade entered my nose. "Your expression is really funny, my lord. Now you should have the attitude that a defeated person should have, instead of putting on an aristocratic air to me like this. You have to understand that you have no right to accuse me." "What a villain you are!" "Perhaps," he shrugged. "It's a pity, my lord, but I really like you!" "That's really my misfortune. If there was a gun, I would kill you immediately!" "Don't try to provoke me," he viciously tilted his head towards the neighbor, "I think that lady is very important to you?" A string in my head snapped, I jumped up and grabbed his collar: "What are you going to do with her? Don't touch her!" A big rough hand was holding my left wrist, and it was getting tighter and tighter like an iron hoop. My bones were about to break, and it was excruciatingly painful. I couldn't help snorting, and had to let him go, and sat down on the chair. "Having a bad temper is not good for you, my lord." The captain looked at me sympathetically. "I believe you will be willing to cooperate with us. It will be good for you and that lady." The pain caused cold sweat to ooze from my forehead. I stroked my wrist without opening my mouth, but this barbarian took out a cigarette and lit it in front of me confidently. "Cheese, would you like it?" He blew the smoke into my face. "Maybe it will help you remember what happened a few hours ago!" I coughed a few times in disgust, and turned away. Captain Portman didn't seem to mind: "It is said that when the sparks from the cigarette butts stimulate people's pain nerves, the brain will be more awake, but I am always worried that such a temperature will leave permanent scars on the woman's delicate skin. " asshole! I clenched my fists, trying to suppress the urge to hit him, and cleared my throat: "...it's none of our business, believe it or not, Marisa and I just want to help him...we just help a It's just the injured..." "So you are a kind person?" "We have nothing to do with the attack he did, I swear!" God, I hate my tone. Captain Portman stared at me with his cold blue eyes, then snapped his fingers, and I saw a smug smile on his lips, maybe he thought it was a good thing to finally get me to bow my head. A very fulfilling thing. "Okay, that's it," he walked back to the table, "Look, can't you make it clear? You can go!" I jerked my head up—he was joking!Or how are you going to play tricks on me! "Don't look at me like that, my lord," he smiled, showing his white and neat teeth, "I didn't mean to embarrass you, you made it clear, isn't it good? Well, now you and you My fiancée—" He raised his chin towards the door, "— hurry up and go!"