Превращение
I
Youdon’tneedtowait,sir;I’llbeintheofficesoonafteryou,andpleasebesogoodastotellthattothebossandrecommendmetohim!”
AndwhileGregorgushedoutthesewords,hardlyknowingwhathewassaying,hemadehiswayovertothechestofdrawers—thiswaseasilydone,probablybecauseofthepractisehehadalreadyhadinbed—wherehenowtriedtogethimselfupright.Hereallydidwanttoopenthedoor,reallydidwanttoletthemseehimandtospeakwiththechiefclerk;theotherswerebeingsoinsistent,andhewascurioustolearnwhattheywouldsaywhentheycaughtsightofhim.IftheywereshockedthenitwouldnolongerbeGregor’sresponsibilityandhecouldrest.If,however,theytookeverythingcalmlyhewouldstillhavenoreasontobeupset,andifhehurriedhereallycouldbeatthestationforeighto’clock.Thefirstfewtimeshetriedtoclimbuponthesmoothchestofdrawershejustsliddownagain,buthefinallygavehimselfonelastswingandstoodthereupright;thelowerpartofhisbodywasinseriouspainbuthenolongergaveanyattentiontoit.Nowhelethimselffallagainstthebackofanearbychairandheldtightlytotheedgesofitwithhislittlelegs.Bynowhehadalsocalmeddown,andkeptquietsothathecouldlistentowhatthechiefclerkwassaying.
“Didyouunderstandawordofallthat?”thechiefclerkaskedhisparents,“surelyhe’snottryingtomakefoolsofus”.“Oh,God!”calledhismother,whowasalreadyintears,“hecouldbeseriouslyillandwe’remakinghimsuffer.Grete!Grete!”shethencried.
