Чума
Part III
Mostoften,asuddenopportunitywouldleadhithertohonestcitizenstoreprehensibleactions,whichwerepromptlyimitated.Soitmighthappenthatsomemaniacswoulddashintoastillburninghouse,rightinfrontoftheowner,whowasdazedanddistressed.Seeingthathedidnothing,severalonlookerswouldfollowtheexampleofthefirstvandalsandbythelightofthefire,inthisdarkside-street,silhouettescouldbeseenfleeinginalldirections,deformedby.thedyingflamesandbytheobjectsorthefurniturewhichtheycarriedontheirshoulders.Itwastheseincidentsthatforcedtheauthoritiestocomparetheplaguetoastateofsiegeandtoapplytheappropriatelaws.Twothieveswereshot,butitisdoubtfulwhetherthismademuchimpressionontherest,since,inthemidstofsomuchdeath,thesetwoexecutionspassedunnoticed—theywereadropintheocean.Andthetruthwasthatsimilareventsoccurredquitefrequentlywithouttheauthoritiesgivinganysignofintervention.Theonlymeasurethatseemedtoimpressalltheinhabitantswastheimpositionofacurfew.Aftereleveno’clock,plungedintodarkness,thetownwaslikeamonument.
Underamoonlitsky,itswhitishwallsandregularstreetsextendedinstraightlines,neverbrokenbytheblackshapeofatree,neverdisturbedbythestepsofapasser-byorthehowlofadog.
