Чума
Part IV
"SoCottard(stillasinterpretedbyTarrou)wasrighttoconsiderthesymptomsofanxietyandconfusionmanifestedbyourfellow-citizenswiththecompleteandindulgentsatisfactionthatmightbeexpressedinthephrase:"Carryontalking,I’vealreadyhaditbeforeyou."
"Itwasallverywellformetotellhimthattheonlywaynottobeseparatedfromotherswas,intheend,tohaveaclearconscience;buthegavemeawickedlookandsaid:"Well,onthatscore,nooneiseverwithanybody."Andthen:"Thinkwhatyoulike,I’mtellingyou,theonlywaytobringpeopletogetheristosendthemtheplague.Justlookaround."IhavetoadmitthatIcanverywellunderstandwhathemeansandhowpleasantlifemustappeartohimtoday.Howcouldhefailtorecognizethereactionsinothersthathadalsobeenhis:theattemptthateachpersonmakestohaveeveryoneonhisorherside;theconsiderationthatonesometimesdisplayswhenshowingalostpasser-bythewayandtheirritationthatoneshowsonotheroccasions;thewaythatpeoplehastentoexpensiverestaurants,theirsatisfactioninbeingthereandstayingthere;thechaoticcrowdswhoqueueeverydayatthecinema,fillallthetheatresanddancehallsandspreadlikeanuncontrolledtidethroughallpublicplaces;theshrinkingfromanycontactandyetthehungerforhumanwarmththatdrawspeopletowardsoneanother,elbowtoelbowsandsexualorganstosexualorgans?Cottardhadclearlyexperiencedallthisbeforethem.
