Чума
Part II
Yes,thisisthetimewhenonesleepsandthatisreassuringbecausethegreatwishoftheuneasyheartisendlesslytopossessthebeingthatitlovesand,whenthetimeofabsencearrives,tobeabletoplungethatbeingintoadreamlesssleepwhichcanonlycometoanendonthatdaywhenthetwoarereunited.
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Shortlyafterthesermonthewarmweatherbegan.ItwasapproachingtheendofJune.ThedayafterthelaterainstormsthatmarkedtheSundayofthesermon,summerallatonceburstacrosstheskyandabovethehouses.Firstofallagreatburningwindaroseandblewforaday,dryingoffthewalls.Thesunsettledinthesky.Alldaylong,uninterruptedwavesofheatandlightfloodedthetown.Withtheexceptionofstreetswitharcadesandpeople’sflats,itseemedthattherewasnopointinthetownthatwasnotsubjecttothemostblindingglare.Thesunpursuedourfellow-citizensintoeverycornerofthestreetand,iftheystopped,thenitstruckthem.Sincethisfirstheatwavecoincidedwithasharpincreaseinthenumberofvictims,whichrosetonearlysevenhundredaweek,thetownwasseizedwithakindofdespairingexhaustion.Intheworking-classdistricts,betweentheflatstreetsandtheterracedhouses,inneighbourhoodswherepeoplealwaysusedtoliveontheirfrontdoorsteps,thisbustleoflifebegantodiedown:thedoorswereallshutandtheblindsdrawn,thoughnoonecouldtellwhethertheideawastoprotectoneselffromtheplagueorthesun.
