Чума
Part II
"Yousee,whatIwant,doctor,isthatonthedaywhenthemanuscriptreachesthepublisher,heshouldstandupafterreadingitandsaytohiscolleagues:"Hatsoff,gentlemen!"
Rieuxwassurprisedbythissuddendeclaration.Hefeltthathiscompanionwasmakingthegestureoftakingoffhishat,bringinghishanduptohisheadandraisinghisarmtoahorizontalposition.Atthis,thepeculiarwhistlingsoundseemtoresumewithevengreaterforce.
"Yes,"Grandsaid."Itmustbeperfect."
Thoughheknewverylittleaboutcustomsandpracticeintheliteraryworld,Rieuxhadtheimpressionthatthingswerenotsosimple,and,forexample,thatpublisherswouldbebare-headedintheiroffices.But,infact,oneneverknewandhepreferrednottomakeanyremarkaboutit.Despitehimself,hewaslisteningtothemysteriousnoisesoftheplague.ThetwomenweregettingclosertoGrand’sneighbourhoodand,sinceitwasonaslighthill,theywerecooledbyamildbreezewhichatthesametimecleansedthetownofallitsnoises.However,GrandwentontalkingandRieuxcouldnotalwaysfollowwhatthegoodfellowwassaying.Heonlyunderstoodthattheworkinquestionwasalreadymanypageslong,butthattheeffortstheauthorwastakingtobringittoperfectioncosthimdear."Wholeevenings,wholeweeksononeword…sometimesjustasimpleconjunction."HereGrandstoppedandtookholdofthedoctorbyabuttonofhiscoat.Thewordsstumbledoutofhisill-adjustedmouth.
