Чума
Part I
InreplytoRieux’stelegram,hewastoldthattheemergencysupplywasexhaustedandthattheyhadstartedtomanufacturenewstocks.
Meanwhile,fromallthesurroundingdistricts,springwasarrivinginthemarket-place.Thousandsofroseswitheredintheflower-sellers’basketsonthepavements,andtheirsugaryscentwaftedacrossthetown.Inappearancenothinghadchanged.Thetramswerealwaysfullintherushhours,emptyanddirtytherestoftheday.Tarrouobservedthelittleoldmanandthelittleoldmanspatonthecats.Grandreturnedhomeeveryeveningtohismysteriouswork.CottardwentroundincirclesandM.Othon,theexaminingmagistrate,wasstillshowingoffhismenagerie.Theoldmanwithasthmamovedhischick-peasfromonesaucepantoanotherandonemightsometimesmeetthejournalistRambertlookingcalmandattentive.Intheeveningsthesamecrowdfilledthestreetsandqueuesextendedoutsidethecinemas.Theepidemicseemedtobedecliningandforafewdaystheycountedonlytenorsodeaths.Then,suddenly,itshotup.Onthedaywhenthedeath-tolloncemorereachedthirty,BernardRieuxlookedattheofficialtelegramwhichthePrefecthadheldouttohim,saying:"They’rescared."Thetelegramread:
"DECLAREASTATEOFPLAGUESTOPCLOSETHETOWN.’
