A short time elapsed. Gregor lay there limply. All around was
still. Perhaps that was a good sign. Then there was ring at the
door. The servant girl was naturally shut up in her kitchen, and
therefore Grete had to go to open the door. The father had arrived.
"What's happened?" were his first words. Grete's appearance had
told him everything. Grete replied with a dull voice; evidently she
was pressing her face into her father's chest: "Mother fainted, but
she's getting better now. Gregor has broken loose." "Yes, I have
expected that," said his father, "I always told you that, but you
women don't want to listen."
It was clear to Gregor that his father had badly misunderstood
Grete's short message and was assuming that Gregor had committed
some violent crime or other. Thus, Gregor
