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His father went back to his breakfast, but his sister whispered:

"Gregor, open the door, I beg of you." Gregor, however, had no

thought of opening the door, and instead congratulated himself

for his cautious habit, acquired from his travelling, of locking

all doors at night even when he was at home.

The first thing he wanted to do was to get up in peace without

being disturbed, to get dressed, and most of all to have his

breakfast. Only then would he consider what to do next, as he was

well aware that he would not bring his thoughts to any sensible

conclusions by lying in bed. He remembered that he had often felt

a slight pain in bed, perhaps caused by lying awkwardly, but that

had always turned out to be pure imagination and he wondered how

his imaginings would slowly resolve themselves today. He did not

have the slightest doubt that the change in his voice was nothing

more than the first sign of a serious cold, which was an

occupational hazard for travelling salesmen.