Чума
Part IV
SoGonzalessuggestedmeetingthefollowingMonday,butthistimetheywouldlodgeRambertinMarcelandLouis’shouse."We’llarrangeameeting,youandI.ThenifI’mnotthere,youcangodirectlytotheirplace.We’lltellyouwheretheylive."ButMarcel(orLouis)saidatthatpointthatthesimplestthingwastotakethecomradethereatonce.Ifhewasn’tfussy,therewasenoughtoeatforallfourofthem.Inthisway,he’dknowhowthingsstood.Gonzalessaidthatwasaverygoodideaandtheysetofftowardstheport.
MarcelandLouislivedontheoutskirtsoftheMaritimedistrict,nearhouseswhichlookedoutoverthefront.TheirswasalittleSpanishhouse,withthickwalls,paintedwoodenshuttersandbare,shadyrooms.Theyoungmen’smother,anoldSpanishwoman,withasmileandlotsofwrinkles,servedthemrice.Gonzaleswasamazed,becausetherewasalreadyashortageofriceintown."Wehaveways,atthegates,"saidMarcel.Rambertateanddrank,andGonzalessaidhewasarealfriend,whilethejournalistcouldonlythinkoftheweekhehadaheadofhim.
Infact,hehadtwoweeks,becausetheshiftsofguarddutywereextendedtoafortnight,toreducethenumberofteams.And,duringthatfortnight,Rambertworkedunstintinglyandcontinuously,fromdawntonight,asitwerewithhiseyesshut.Hewouldgotobedlateatnightandsleepaheavysleep.Thesuddentransitionfromidlenesstothisexhaustinglabourlefthimmoreorlesswithoutdreamsandwithoutstrength.
