Чума
Part I
Ifheacceptedtheofferthatwasmadetohim,itwasforhonourablemotivesandonemightevensayoutoffidelitytoanideal.
Thisprovisionalsituationhadlastedformanyyears,thecostoflivinghadincreasedimmeasurablyandGrand’ssalary,despitesomeperiodicalincreases,hadremainedderisory.HecomplainedofthistoRieux,butnooneelseseemedtobeawareofit.ThisiswhereGrand’seccentricityappears,oratleastoneindicationofit;becausehecouldatleasthavequotedtheassuranceshehadbeengiven,ifnotexactlyhisrights,aboutwhichhewasunsure.But,tobeginwith,thechiefwhofirstemployedhimhaddiedalongtimeagoandinanycasetheclerkdidnotremembertheprecisetermsofthepromisethathehadbeengiven.Finally,andmostofall,wordsfailedhim.
AsRieuxobserved,thiswasthecharacteristicthatbestdefinedourfellow-citizen,JosephGrand.Thisiswhatalwayspreventedhimfromwritingtheletterofcomplaintthathehadinmindorfromtakingwhateveractionthecircumstancesdemanded.Heclaimedtofeelespeciallyinhibitedinusingtheword"right"whennotsureofhisrights,or"promises"whenthismightimplythathewasdemandingsomethingowedtohim—whichwould,consequently,appearpresumptuousandnotappropriatefromsomeoneinthelowlypostthatheoccupied.Ontheotherhand,herefusedtousetheterms"goodwill","request"and"gratitude",whichheconsideredincompatiblewithhispersonaldignity.
