H _
L _ Y
_ N
H _ S
_ R M _ _ R - L _ K _
B _ C K ,
_ N D
_ F
H _
L _ F T _ D
H _ S
H _ _ D
_
L _ T T L _
H _
C _ _ L D
S _ _
H _ S
B R _ W N
B _ L L Y ,
S L _ G H T L Y
D _ M _ D
_ N D
D _ V _ D _ D
B Y
_ R C H _ S
_ N T _
S T _ F F
S _ C T _ _ N S .
T H _
B _ D D _ N G
W _ S
H _ R D L Y
_ B L _
T _
C _ V _ R
_ T
_ N D
S _ _ M _ D
R _ _ D Y
T _
S L _ D _
_ F F
_ N Y
M _ M _ N T . Clue
ONE DAY, IN ORDER TO SPARE HER EVEN THIS SIGHT, HE SPENT FOUR HOURS CARRYING THE BEDSHEET OVER TO THE COUCH ON HIS BACK AND ARRANGED IT SO THAT HE WAS COMPLETELY COVERED AND HIS SISTER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SEE HIM EVEN IF SHE BENT DOWN. 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 LAY ON HIS ARMOUR-LIKE BACK, AND IF HE LIFTED HIS HEAD A LITTLE HE COULD SEE HIS BROWN BELLY, SLIGHTLY DOMED AND DIVIDED BY ARCHES INTO STIFF SECTIONS. THE BEDDING WAS HARDLY ABLE TO COVER IT AND SEEMED READY TO SLIDE OFF ANY MOMENT. HIS FATHER LOOKED HOSTILE, AND CLENCHED HIS FISTS AS IF WANTING TO KNOCK GREGOR BACK INTO HIS ROOM. THEN HE LOOKED UNCERTAINLY ROUND THE LIVING ROOM, COVERED HIS EYES WITH HIS HANDS AND WEPT SO THAT HIS POWERFUL CHEST SHOOK.