Part IV

           DuringthemonthsofSeptemberandOctobertheplaguekeptthetownbentbeneathit.Asitwasacaseofmarkingtime,manyhundredsofthousandsofpeoplewerestillkickingtheirheelsforendlessweeks.Mist,heatandrainfollowedoneanotherinthesky.Silentflocksofstarlingsandthrushes,comingfromthesouth,flewoverhead,butskirtedaroundthetownasthoughkeptatadistancebyPaneloux’sflail,thatstrangepieceofwoodwhichwhistledasitswungabovethehouses.AtthebeginningofOctobergreatstormsofrainsweptthroughthestreets.Andallthewhile,nothingmoreimportanthappenedthanthisgreatmarkingoftime.

           Rieuxandhisfriendsnowdiscoveredhowtiredtheywere.Indeed,themembersofthehealthteamscouldnolongerovercometheirtiredness.DrRieuxnoticeditwhenheobservedthesteadygrowthofastrangeindifferenceinhimselfandinhisfriends.Forexample,menwhouptonowhadshownsuchalivelyinterestinanynewsabouttheplague,nolongerbotheredwithit.Rambert,whohadbeenprovisionallyputinchargeofrunningoneofthequarantinehouses,whichhadbeensetupinhishotel,knewexactlythenumberofpeoplewhomhehadunderobservation.HewasinformedoftheminutestdetailsoftheplanforimmediateevacuationthatRieuxhaddrawnupforanyonewhosuddenlyshowedsignsofthedisease.Thestatisticsoftheeffectsoftheserumonthoseinquarantinewereengravedonhismemory.