Чума
Part I
Thisiswhy,unabletofindtherightwords,hecontinuedinhishumblepostuntilafairlyadvancedage.Moreover,accordingtowhathetoldDrRieux,herealizedwithtimethathismaterialexistencewasguaranteed,sinceallthatwasnecessaryintheendwasforhimtoadapthisneedstohisincome.InthiswayheacknowledgedthecorrectnessofafavouritesayingoftheMayor,acaptainofindustryinourtown,whowouldinsistthatwhenitcamedowntoit—andheemphasizedtheexpressionwhichborethefullweightoftheargument—whenitcamedowntoit,then,noonehadeverbeenknowntostarvetodeath.Anyway,thealmostasceticlifeledbyJosephGrandhadatleast,inreality,freedhimfromanysuchworry.Hewasstilltryingtofindtherightwords.
Inonesense,youcouldsaythathislifewasexemplary.Hewasoneofthosemen,asrareamongusasanywhereelse,whoalwayshavethecourageoftheirbetterfeelings.Indeed,thelittlethatherevealedofhimselftestifiedtogoodnessandattachmentsthatpeoplenowadaysareafraidtoadmit.Hedidnotblushtoacknowledgethathelovedhisnephewsandhissister:shewastheonlyrelativethathestillhadleftandhewouldgotovisithereverytwoyearsinFrance.Heconfessedthathegrievedoverthememoryofhisparents,whohaddiedwhenhewasstillyoung.Hedidnotdenythatmostofallhelikedacertainbellinhisneighbourhoodthatrangsoftlyaroundfiveintheevening.Buteventofindthewordstoexpresssuchsimpleemotionscosthimanenormouseffort.
