Чума
Part II
Inshort,fromthenon,weacceptedourstatusasprisoners;wewerereducedtoourpastaloneandevenifafewpeopleweretemptedtoliveinthefuture,theyquicklygaveitup,asfaraspossible,sufferingthewoundsthattheimaginationeventuallyinflictsonthosewhotrustinit.
Inparticular,allofthepeopleinourtownverysoongaveup,eveninpublic,whateverhabittheymayhaveacquiredofestimatingthelengthoftheirseparation.Why?Itwaswhenthemostpessimistichadsettled,say,onafigureofsixmonths,whentheyhadexhaustedinadvanceallthebitternessofthosemonthstocomeandraisedtheircouragetothelevelofthistrial,stretchingthemselvestotheutmosttoenduresuchsufferingoversuchalongsuccessionofdayswithoutweakening,andthen,sometimes,achancemeetingwithafriend,aviewexpressedinthenewspaper,afleetingsuspicionorasuddenmomentofforesight,gavethemtheideathat,afterall,therewasnoreasonwhythediseaseshouldnotlastmorethansixmonths,perhapsayear,orevenlonger.
Atthatmoment,thecollapseoftheirmorale,theirwillpowerandtheirpatiencewassoabruptthattheyfelttheywouldneverbeabletoclimbbackoutoftheirhole.Consequently,theyforcedthemselvesnevertothinkoftheendoftheirsuffering,neveragaintolooktowardsthefutureandalways,asitwere,tokeeptheireyeslowered.Butnaturallythiscaution,thiswayofdeceivingone’spainanddroppingone’sguardtorefusetofight,wasill-rewarded.
