Чума
Part II
Itwasonlyinthelongerterm,bynotingtheincreaseinthedeathrate,thatpeoplebecameawareofthetruth.Thefifthweekproduced321deathsandthesixth345.Theseincreases,atleast,wereconvincing—butnotenoughforthetownspeople,foralltheiranxiety,toabandonentirelytheimpressionthatitwasmerelyanincident,annoyingofcourse,butnonethelesstemporary.
Sotheywentonwalkingaroundthestreetsandsittingonthecafeterraces.Onthewhole,theywerenotcowardly,jokingwitheachothermoreoftenthanbewailingtheirfate,andpretendingtoacceptwithgoodhumourdiscomfortsthatwouldclearlynotlast.Appearancesweresaved.Yetaroundtheendofthemonth,moreorlessduringtheweekofprayerthatismentionedbelow,moreserioustransformationsalteredthefaceofthetown.FirstofallthePrefecttookstepstodealwithtrafficandsupplies.Supplieswerelimitedandpetrolrationed.Measureswereeventakentosaveelectricity.OnlyessentialgoodswouldbebroughtbyroadorairtoOran.Asaresult,trafficdecreasedprogressivelyuntilitalmostdisappearedaltogether,someshopssellingluxurygoodsshutdownovernightandothershung"soldout"noticesintheirwindows,whilequeuesofcustomersformedinfrontoftheirdoors.
SoOrantookonanunusualappearance.Thenumberofpedestriansroseand,atslacktimes,manypeople,whohadbeenreducedtoinactivitybytheclosingofshopsandsomeoffices,filledthestreetsandcafes.
