352
PARTISAN REVIEW
washerwomen talking across a river are gradually changed into a slOut
elm and a slOne.) Gregor does not understand why his sister in the
right-hand room did not join the others. "She was probably newly out
of bed and hadn 't even begun to put on her clothes ye t. Well, why was
she crying? Because he wouldn't get up and le t the chief clerk in,
because he was in danger of losing his job, and because the boss would
begin dunning his parents again for the old debts?" Poor Gregor is so
accustomed to be just an instrument lO be used by his family that the
question of pity does not arise: he does not even hope that Grete might
be sorry for him. Mother and sister call to each other from the doors
across Gregor's room. The sister and servant are dispatched for a doclOr
and a locksmith. "But Gregor was now much calmer. The words he
uttered were no longer understandable, apparently, although they
seemed clear enough
lo
him, even clearer than before, perhaps because
his ear had grown accustomed
to
the sound of them . Yet at any rate
people now believed that something was wrong with him, and were
ready
lo
help him. The positive certainty with which these first
measures had been taken comforted him. He felt himself drawn once
more into the human circle and hoped for great and remarkable results
from both the doctor and the locksmith, without really distinguishing
precisely between them. "
Scene V:
Gregor opens the door. "S lowly Gregor pushed the chair
towards the door, then let go of it, caught hold of the door for
support-the sales at the end of his little legs were somewhat sticky–
and rested against it for a moment after his efforts . Then he set himself
lo
turning the key in the lock with his mouth.
It
seemed, unhappily ,
that he hadn't really any tee th-what could he grip the key with?-but
on the other hand his jaws were certainly very strong; with their help
he did manage
lo
set the key in motion, heedless of the fac t that he was
undoubtedly damaging them somewhere, since a brown fluid issued
from his mouth, flowed over the key and dripped on the floor.
... Since he had
lo
pull the door towards him, he was still invisible
when it was really wide open. He had to edge himself slowly round the
near ha lf of the double door, and to do it very carefully if he was not to
fall plump upon his 'back just on the threshold. He was still carrying
out this difficult manoeuvre, with no time to observe anything else,
when he heard the chief clerk utter a loud 'Oh! '-it sounded like a gust
of wind-and now he could see the man, standing as he was neares t to
the door, clapping one hand before his open mouth and slowly
backing away as if driven by some invisible steady pressure. His
