all? That’s not bad. And why on earth a protocol? Was it an official interview, then?” “No,” replied the teacher, “a semiofficial one, the protocol too was only semiofficial. It was merely drawn up because with us everything must be done in strict order. In any case it’s finished now, and it doesn’t better your credit.” K., who had at last found the comb, which had been tucked into the bed, said more calmly: “Well then, it’s finished. Have you come to tell me that?” “No,” said the teacher, “but I’m not a machine and I had to give you my opinion. My instructions are only another proof of the Superintendent’s kindness; I want to emphasise that his kindness in this instance is incomprehensible to me, and that I only carry out his instructions because it’s my duty and out of respect to the Superintendent.” Washed and combed, K. now sat down at the table to wait for his shirt and clothes; he was not very curious to know the message that the teacher had brought, he was influenced besides by the landlady’s low opinion of the Superintendent. “It must be after twelve already, surely?” he said, thinking of the distance he had to walk; then he remembered himself, and said: “You want to give me some message from the Superintendent.” “Well, yes,” said the teacher, shrugging his shoulders as if he were discarding all responsibility. “The Superintendent is afraid that, if the decision in your case takes too long, you might do something rash on your own account. For my own part I don’t know why he should fear that—my own opinion is that you should just be allowed to do what you like. We aren’t your guardian angels and we’re not obliged to run after you in all your doings. Well and good. The Superintendent, however, is of a different opinion. He can’t of course hasten the decision itself, which is a matter for the authorities. But in his own sphere of jurisdiction he wants to provide a temporary and truly generous settlement; it simply lies with you to accept it. He offers you provisionally the post of school janitor.” At first K. thought very little of the offer made him, but the fact that an offer had been made seemed to him not without significance. It seemed to point to the fact that in the Superintendent’s opinion he was in a position to look after himself, to carry out projects against which the Town Council itself was preparing certain counter measures. And how seriously they were taking the matter! The teacher, who had already been waiting for a while, and who before that, moreover, had made out the protocol, must of course have been told to run here by the Superintendent. When the teacher saw that he had made K. reflect at last, he went on: “I put my objections. I pointed out that up till now a janitor hadn’t been found necessary; the churchwarden’s wife cleared up the place from time to time, and Fräulein Gisa, the second teacher, overlooked the matter. I had trouble enough with the children, I didn’t want to be bothered by a janitor as well. The Superintendent pointed out that all the same the school was very dirty. I replied, keeping to the truth, that it wasn’t so very bad. And, I went on, would it be any better if we took on this man as janitor? Most certainly not. Apart from the fact that he didn’t know the work, there were only two big classrooms in the school, and no additional room; so the janitor and his family would have to live, sleep, perhaps even cook, in one of the classrooms, which could hardly make for greater cleanliness. But the Superintendent laid stress on the fact that this post would keep you out of difficulties, and that consequently you would do your utmost to fill it creditably; he suggested further, that along with you we would obtain the services of your wife and your assistants, so that the school should be kept in first-rate order, and not only it, but the school-garden as well. I easily proved that this would not hold water. At last the Superintendent couldn’t bring forward a single argument in your favour; he laughed and merely said that you were a Land Surveyor after all and so should be able to lay out the vegetable beds beautifully. Well, against a joke there’s no argument, and so I came to you with the proposal.” “You’ve taken your trouble for nothing, teacher,” said K. “I have no intention of accepting the post.” “Splendid!” said the teacher. “Splendid! You decline quite unconditionally,” and he took his hat, bowed, and went.
Immediately afterwards Frieda came rushing up the stairs with an excited face, the shirt still unironed in her hand; she did not reply to K.’s enquiries. To distract her he told her about the teacher and the offer; she had hardly heard it when she flung the shirt on the bed and ran out again. She soon came back, but with the teacher, who looked annoyed and entered without any greeting. Frieda begged him to have a little patience—obviously she had done that already several times on the way up—then drew K. through a side door of which he had never suspected the existence, on to the neighbouring loft, and then at last, out of breath with excitement, told what had happened to her. Enraged that Frieda had humbled herself by making an avowal to K., and—what was still worse—had yielded to him merely to secure him an interview with Klamm, and after all had gained nothing but, so she alleged, cold and moreover insincere professions, the landlady was resolved to keep K. no longer in her house; if he had connections with the Castle, then he should take advantage of them at once, for he must leave the house
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