Чума
Part V
Evennow,whenthetimeoftheplaguehadpassed,theycontinuedtoliveaccordingtoitsrules.Eventshadovertakenthem.Withothers,however—andtheseweretobefoundespeciallyamongthosewhohaduntilthenlivedapartfromthosetheyloved—afterthislongperiodofconfinementanddespondency,therisingwindofhopelitafeverandanimpatiencewhichdeprivedthemofallcontroloverthemselves.Asortofpanicseizedthemattheideathattheymightperhapsdiesoclosetotheend,thattheywouldnotseethepersonthattheyadoredandthattherewouldbenorewardfortheirlongperiodofsuffering.Formonthstheyhadpersistedinwaiting,withself-effacingtenacity,despiteprisonandexile;andnowthefirstsignofhopewasenoughtodestroywhatfearanddespairhadnotmanagedtodent.Theydashedofflikemadmentobeattheplague,unabletofollowitsprogressdowntothefinalmoment.
Atthesametime,though,spontaneoussignsofoptimismappeared.Foronething,therewasamarkedfallinprices.Fromastrictlyeconomicpointofview,thiswasimpossibletoexplain.Thesameproblemsremained:thequarantineruleswerestillappliedatthegatesandfoodsupplieshadcertainlynotimproved.Sowewerewitnessingastrictlynon-materialphenomenon,asthoughtheretreatoftheplaguehadrepercussionseverywhere.Atthesametimetheoptimismspreadtothosewhohadpreviouslylivedingroupsandwhohadbeenforcedbythediseasetoseparate.
