Чума
Part IV
Buthewasunabletotellyoutheweeklytotalofplaguevictimsandgenuinelyhadnoideaifitwasrisingorfalling.Yethe,despiteeverything,clungtothehopethathewouldshortlyescape.
Asfortheothers,theywereabsorbeddayandnightintheirwork,notreadingthenewspapersorlisteningtotheradio.Ifsomeonetoldthemafigure,theywouldpretendtobeinterested,butinfactgreetitwiththatabsent-mindedindifferencethatoneimaginestobetheattitudeofsoldiersingreatwars,exhaustedbytoilandsimplydeterminednottofailintheirdailyduties,whilelookingforwardtothefinalpushorthedayofthearmistice.
Grand,whowentonmakingthenecessarycalculationsontheplague,wouldsurelyhavebeenunabletogiveyouanygeneraltrendsoroutcomes.Hishealthhadneverbeengood,unlikethatofTarrou,RambertandRieux,whowereevidentlytoughandfit;yethecarriedouthisdutiesasassistantattheHôteldeVille,hissecretarialworkforRieux,andhisownworkatnight.Asaresult,hecouldbeseeninacontinualstateofexhaustion,sustainedbytwoorthreefixedideas,forexamplethathewouldgivehimselfacompleteholidayaftertheplague,foratleastoneweek,sothathecouldworkinapositiveway,"hatsoff",onhisproject.Hewasalsoliabletosuddenmomentsofemotion;and,onsuchoccasions,hereadilyspoketoRieuxaboutJeanne,wonderingwhereshemightbeatthatmomentandif,whenshereadthenewspapers,shethoughtofhim.
