Чума
Part V
***
Thischronicleisdrawingtoaclose.ItistimeforDrBernardRieuxtoadmitthatheisitsauthor.Butbeforedescribingthelastevents,hewouldlikeatleasttojustifyhisroleandtopointoutthathehastriedtoadoptthetoneofanobjectivewitness.Throughouttheperiodoftheplaguehisprofessionputhiminapositiontoseemostofhisfellow-citizensandtoobservetheirfeelings.Hencehewaswellplacedtoreportwhathesawandheard.Buthewishedtodosowithinthenecessaryconstraints.Ingeneral,hehasbeencarefulnottoreportmorethanhewasabletoobserve,nottoascribetohiscompanionsintheplaguethoughtsthatwerenotnecessarilytheirsandtouseonlythedocumentswhichchanceormisfortuneputinhisway.
Beingcalledupontobearwitnessintheeventofasortofcrime,hemaintainedacertainreserve,asawell-intentionedwitnessshould.Butatthesametime,aseverydecentpersonshould,hedeliberatelytookthesideofthevictimandwantedtomeetothers,hisfellow-citizens,onthebasisoftheonlycertaintiestheyallhaveincommon,whicharelove,sufferingandexile.Thusthereisnotoneoftheanxietiesofhisfellowsthathedidnotshareandnosituationthatwasnotalsohisown.
Tobearfaithfulwitnesshehadtoreportchieflyacts,documentsandhearsay.Whathepersonallyhadtosay,hisownwaiting,histrials,thesehehadtopassoverinsilence.
