Чума
Part II
Eveningwascoming,butthetown,whichhadoncebeensobusyatthattimeofday,seemedoddlydeserted.Onlyafewbuglecallsinthestillgoldenskyshowedthatthearmywaspretendingtodoitsjob.Meanwhile,alongthesteeplydescendingstreets,betweentheblue,ochreandvioletwallsoftheMoorishhouses,Rambertspokeinastateofgreatagitation.HehadlefthiswifebehindinParis.Strictlyspeakingshewasnothiswife,butitwasthesamething.Hehadsentheratelegramassoonasthetownwasclosed.Atfirsthethoughtitwasjustatemporarymatterandhehadsimplytriedtokeepintouchwithher.HiscolleaguesinOranhadtoldhimthattherewasnothingtheycoulddo,thepolicehadsenthimawayandasecretaryatthePrefecturehadlaughedinhisface.Eventually,afterwaitingfortwohoursinaqueue,hehadmanagedtohaveatelegramacceptedinwhichhesaid:"ALLWELLSTOPSEEYOUSOON."
Butthenextdaywhenhegotuphesuddenlythoughtthatafterallhehadnoideahowlongitmightlast.Sohedecidedtoleave.Sincehehadinfluence(inhisjob,peoplecanpullstrings),hemanagedtoreachtheheadofthePrefect’sdepartmentandtoldhimthathehadnothingtodowithOran,thatitwasnothisbusinesstostaythere,thathehadfoundhimselfherebyaccidentandthatitwasonlyrightthatheshouldbeallowedtoleave,evenif,oncehewasoutside,hehadtobeputinquarantine.
