st a clear and
immediate explanation. I am astonished, quite astonished. I
thought I knew you as a calm and sensible person, and now you
suddenly seem to be showing off with peculiar whims. This morning,
your employer did suggest a possible reason for your failure to
appear, it's true - it had to do with the money that was recently
entrusted to you - but I came near to giving him my word of honour
that that could not be the right explanation. But now that I see
your incomprehensible stubbornness I no longer feel any wish
whatsoever to intercede on your behalf. And nor is your position
all that secure. I had originally intended to say all this to you
in private, but since you cause me to waste my time here for no good
reason I don't see why your parents should not also learn of it.
Your turnover has been very unsatisfactory of late; I grant you that
it's not the time of year to do especially good business, we
recognise that; but there simply is no time of year to do no
business at all, Mr. Samsa, we cannot allow there to be."

"But Sir", called Gregor, beside himself and forgetting all else in
the excitement, "I'll open up immediately, just a moment. I'm
slightly unwell, an attack of dizziness, I haven't been able to get
up. I'm still in bed now. I'm quite fresh again now, though. I'm
just getting out of bed. Just a moment. Be patient! It's not quite
as easy as I'd thought. I'm quite alright now, though. It's
shocking, what can suddenly happen to a person! I was quite alright
last night, my parents know about it, perhaps better than me, I had
a small symptom of it last night already. They must have noticed
it. I don't know why I didn't let you know at work! But you always
think you can get over an illness without staying at home. Please,
don't make my parents suffer! There's no basis for any of the
accusations you're making; nobody's ever said a word to me about any
of these things. Maybe you haven't read the latest contracts I sent
in. I'll set off with the eight o'clock train, as well, these few
hours of rest have given me strength. You don't need to wait, sir;
I'll be in the office soon after you, and please be so good as to
tell that to the boss and recommend me to him!"

And while Gregor gushed out these words, hardly knowing what he was
saying, he made his way over to the chest of drawers - this was
easily done, probably because of the practise he had already had in
bed - where he now tried