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Well, there's still some hope; once I've got the money together

to pay off my parents' debt to him-another five or six years I

suppose-that's definitely what I'll do. That's when I'll make the

big change. First of all though, I've got to get up, my train

leaves at five."

And he looked over at the alarm clock, ticking on the chest of

drawers. "God in Heaven!" he thought. It was half past six and

the hands were quietly moving forwards, it was even later than

half past, more like quarter to seven. Had the alarm clock not

rung? He could see from the bed that it had been set for four

o'clock as it should have been; it certainly must have rung. Yes,

but was it possible to quietly sleep through that

furniture-rattling noise? True, he had not slept peacefully, but

probably all the more deeply because of that. What should he do

now? The next train went at seven; if he were to catch that he

would have to rush like mad and the collection of samples was

still not packed, and he did not at all feel particularly fresh

and lively. And even if he did catch the train he would not avoid

his boss's anger as the office assistant would have been there to

see the five o'clock train go, he would have put in his report

about Gregor's not being there a long time ago.