Превращение
II
Hewasstandingupstraightenoughnow;dressedinasmartblueuniformwithgoldbuttons,thesortwornbytheemployeesatthebankinginstitute;abovethehigh,stiffcollarofthecoathisstrongdouble-chinemerged;underthebushyeyebrows,hispiercing,darkeyeslookedoutfreshandalert;hisnormallyunkemptwhitehairwascombeddownpainfullyclosetohisscalp.Hetookhiscap,withitsgoldmonogramfrom,probably,somebank,andthrewitinanarcrightacrosstheroomontothesofa,puthishandsinhistrouserpockets,pushingbackthebottomofhislonguniformcoat,and,withlookofdetermination,walkedtowardsGregor.Heprobablydidnotevenknowhimselfwhathehadinmind,butnonethelessliftedhisfeetunusuallyhigh.Gregorwasamazedattheenormoussizeofthesolesofhisboots,butwastednotimewiththat—heknewfullwell,rightfromthefirstdayofhisnewlife,thathisfatherthoughtitnecessarytoalwaysbeextremelystrictwithhim.Andsoheranuptohisfather,stoppedwhenhisfatherstopped,scurriedforwardsagainwhenhemoved,evenslightly.Inthiswaytheywentroundtheroomseveraltimeswithoutanythingdecisivehappening,withoutevengivingtheimpressionofachaseaseverythingwentsoslowly.Gregorremainedallthistimeonthefloor,largelybecausehefearedhisfathermightseeitasespeciallyprovokingifhefledontothewallorceiling.Whateverhedid,Gregorhadtoadmitthathecertainlywouldnotbeabletokeepupthisrunningaboutforlong,asforeachstephisfathertookhehadtocarryoutcountlessmovements.