Чума
Part I
"Despitethisgoodexample,peoplearoundtownaretalkingagreatdealaboutthebusinessoftherats.Thenewspaperhastakenitup.Thelocalnewspages,usuallyverydiverse,arenowentirelyoccupiedbyacampaignagainstthetownauthorities:"Areourtowndignitariesawareofthedangerthatmayarisefromtherottingcorpsesoftheserodents?"Themanagerofthehotelcannottalkaboutanythingelse.Butthisispartlybecauseheisangryaboutit.Itseemsunimaginabletohimthatratsshouldbediscoveredintheliftofarespectablehotel.Toconsolehim,Isaid:"Buteverybodyhasthesamething."
"Exactly,"hereplied."Nowwearelikeeverybody."
"Hewastheonewhomentionedtomeaboutthefirstcasesofthatunusualinfectionthatpeoplearestartingtoworryabout.Oneofhischambermaidshasit.
"Butitsurelycan’tbecatching,"heinsisted.
"Itoldhimthatitwasallthesametome.
"Ah,Isee!Monsieurislikeme,afatalist."
"Ihadsaidnothingofthesortandinanycase,Iamnotafatalist.Itoldhimasmuch…"
FromhereonTarrou’snotebooksstarttogiverathermoredetailsaboutthisunknownillnesswhichwasalreadycausingconcernamongthepublic.
