Чума
Part V
However,formanyofthesemourners,therewasalsoprofoundrelief,eitherbecausethefearofseeingotherrelativescarriedoffwasfinallyappeased,orelsebecausethefeelingoftheirownpersonalpreservationwasmoreacute.Butthefamilieswhichweretoremainleasttouchedbythegeneraljoywere,undoubtedly,thosewhoatthatverymomenthadapatientfightingagainsttheplagueinhospitalandwho,inthequarantinecentresorintheirownhomes,werewaitingforthepestilencetobetrulydonewiththem,asithadnowfinishedwithothers.Certainly,thesepeoplehadhopes,buttheystoredthemupandkepttheminreserve,refusingtodrawonthembeforetheyreallyhadtherighttodoso.Andthiswaiting,thissilentwatch,somewherebetweenagonyandjoy,seemedtothemmorecruelstill,inthemidstofthegeneralrejoicing.
Buttheseexceptionsdidnotatalldetractfromthesatisfactionoftherest.Ofcoursetheplaguewasnotyetoveranditwouldproveasmuch.Yetineveryone’smind,weeksbeforetherealevents,trainswerewhistlingastheyleftonendlesstracks,andshipsploughedtheshiningseas.Thefollowingday,spiritswouldbecalmedanddoubtsreturn.Butforthemomentthewholetownshook,burstingoutofthoseenclosedspaces,darkandmotionless,inwhichithadputdownitsrootsofstoneandfinallybegantomovewithitsloadofsurvivors.ThateveningTarrouandRieux,Rambertandtherest,walkedinthemidstofthecrowd,andtheytoofelttheyweretreadingonair.
