This was where the city began, but it began in the country — as if it were keeping a foot in both camps until it finally made up its mind. Low, country cottages lined the road, which was peppered, here and there, with a looming terraced house several storeys high. The city was like a musician trying out his instrument, striking false, faltering notes until he hit on the right tone and began to play. The streets were deserted and dimly lit. In most of the little houses the people had already gone to sleep. The snow-white curtains that could be seen inside some of the windows gave one the feeling of sweet, sound sleep and sheltering maternal wings. Somewhere a baby began to cry, and immediately stopped again. A limping dog came towards them at a lolloping run, stopped to sniff, and turned round to watch them from behind. At the entrance to a dark alley, on a bench hidden in the shadow of a tree, a couple sat locked in an embrace. Then the street opened up into a large, well-lit square, and the tram terminus was before them. At that moment a tram emerged from the terminus and set off for the city, its bell clamouring loudly. Although it was not the last tram, the three of them all broke into a frantic run, as if at some signal agreed to in advance.

‘We’re catching up, we’re catching up!’ cried Dr Astel as he ran.

And they jumped onto the last coach and went on running until they reached the front seats, where they sat down. Then they looked at each other as if they had not seen one another for a long time, like people who have been sitting together in the dark when the lights suddenly go on in the room.

The coach was almost empty. Two workers in dirty blue overalls sat huddled in opposite corners, getting ready to enjoy a nap, as if the journey were going to last all night. Apart from them, the only other passengers were a poor woman with a little boy and a covered basket, out of which poked the head of a dead rabbit. The boy kept on putting out his hand to touch the rabbit, and the woman scolded him and slapped his hand, but he only laughed. In the end she took the basket and put it under the seat, where the head of the rabbit went on sticking out into the aisle. With hardly any passengers to weigh it down, the tram hurtled ahead, making a deafening noise and bumping and jolting so violently that it seemed to have come off the tracks and to be careening over the paving stones. It rushed past the stations without stopping. When the conductor came to take the money for their fares, he seemed unwilling to wake the sleeping workers, and appeared to be half asleep himself.