Запретный лес
XVIII. The Plague
Insuchcasestherewasnofinaldelirium;thepatientdiedwithclearmindandlittlebodilypaininanextremelanguor.Thefirsttypecommonlyseizedtheyoungandfull-bodied;childrenandoldfolkfollowed,asarule,thesecondcourse.Butbothwerefatal:inaweekoutoffifty-ninesmitten,fifty-nineweredead.
Therewasnodoctortobehadinallthecountryside.TheleechatKirkAller,sentforbyDavid,refusedtocomewithinamileofWoodilee,andtheoldwomen,theusualmedicalauthoritiesofthevillage,hadnothingbutsenselessconcoctionsand--insecret--moresenselesscharms.Presentlyeventhesewereforgotten,andtheplacelayinastuporoffearunderavisitationfromHeaven.Cottageswhichthepesthadenteredwere,bypopularconsent,shuttotheworld,sothattheybecameahot-bedofinfectionfortheotherinmates.Amanwhohadsicknessinhisdwellingdarenotshowhisfaceinthestreetexceptundercoverofnight.Therewasnoneighbourlyassistanceaskedorgiven.Themembersofastrickenfamilyhadtoconducttheirlifeinadreadfulisolation,tilltheytoosickened;therewereshuttereddwellingswherelifewasslowlyblottedout,andthevillageonlylearnedthattheendhadcomeforallbythefactthatthechimneyceasedtosmoke....Atfirstanattemptwasmadetoburythedeaddecently,theremainingmembersofahouseholdundertakingthetask,butthespreadofthepestilencesoonmadethisimpossible.
