room that is needed, you must of course move to the other room. You mustn’t do any cooking in the school; in return you and your dependents will be given your meals here in the inn at the cost of the Town Council. That you must behave in a manner consonant with the dignity of the school, and in particular that the children during school hours must never be allowed to witness any unedifying matrimonial scenes, I mention only in passing, for as an educated man you must of course know that. In connection with that I want to say further that we must insist on your relations with Fräulein Frieda being legitimised at the earliest possible moment. About all this and a few other trifling matters, an agreement will be made out, which as soon as you move over to the school must be signed by you.” To K. all this seemed of no importance, as if it did not concern him, or at any rate did not bind him; but the self-importance of the teacher irritated him, and he said carelessly: “I know, they’re the usual duties.” To wipe away the impression created by this remark Frieda enquired about the salary. “Whether there will be any salary,” said the teacher, “will only be considered after a month’s trial service.” “But that is hard on us,” said Frieda. “We’ll have to marry on practically nothing, and have nothing to set up house on. Couldn’t you make a representation to the Town Council, sir, to give us a small salary at the start? Couldn’t you advise that?” “No,” replied the teacher, who continued to direct his words to K. “Representations to the Town Council will only be made if I give the word, and I shan’t give it. The post has only been given to you as a personal favour, and one can’t stretch a favour too far, if one has any consciousness of one’s obvious responsibilities.” Now K. intervened at last, almost against his will. “As for the favour, teacher,” he said, “it seems to me that you’re mistaken. The favour is perhaps rather on my side.” “No,” replied the teacher, smiling now that he had compelled K. to speak at last. “I’m completely grounded on that point. Our need for a janitor is just about as urgent as our need for a Land Surveyor. Janitor, Land Surveyor, in both cases it’s a burden on our shoulders. I’ll still have a lot of trouble thinking out how I’m to justify the post to the Town Council. The best thing and the most honest thing would be to throw the proposal on the table and not justify anything.” “That’s just what I meant,” replied K., “you must take me on against your will. Although it causes you grave perturbation, you must take me on. But when one is compelled to take someone else on, and this someone else allows himself to be taken on, then he is the one who grants the favour.” “Strange!” said the teacher. “What is it that compels us to take you on? The only thing that compels us is the Superintendent’s kind heart, his too kind heart. I see, Land Surveyor, that you’ll have to rid yourself of a great many illusions before you can become a serviceable janitor. And remarks such as these hardly produce the right atmosphere for the granting of an eventual salary. I notice too with regret that your attitude will give me a great deal of trouble yet; all this time—I’ve seen it with my own eyes and yet can scarcely believe it—you’ve been talking to me in your shirt and drawers.” “Quite so,” exclaimed K. with a laugh, and he clapped his hands. “These terrible assistants, where have they been all this time?” Frieda hurried to the door; the teacher, who noticed that K. was not longer to be drawn into conversation, asked her when she would move into the school. “Today,” said Frieda. “Then tomorrow I’ll come to inspect matters,” said the teacher, waved a goodbye and made to go out through the door, which Frieda had opened for herself, but ran into the maids, who already were arriving with their things to take possession of the room again; and he, who made way for nobody, had to slip between them: Frieda followed him. “You’re surely in a hurry,” said K., who this time was very pleased with the maids, “had you to push your way in while we’re still here?” They did not answer, only twisted their bundles in embarrassment, from which K. saw the well-known filthy rags projecting. “So you’ve never washed your things yet,” said K. It was not said maliciously, but actually with a certain indulgence. They noticed it, opened their hard mouths in concert, showed their beautiful animal-like teeth and laughed noiselessly. “Come along,” said K., “put your things down, it’s your room after all.” As they still hesitated, however—the room must have seemed to them all too well transformed—K. took one of them by the arm to lead her forward. But he let her go at once, so astonished was the gaze of both, which, after a brief glance between them, was now turned unflinchingly on K. “But now you’ve stared at me long enough,” he said, repelling a vague, unpleasant sensation, and he took up his clothes and boots, which Frieda, timidly followed by the assistants, had just brought, and drew them on. The patience which Frieda had with the assistants, always incomprehensible to him, now struck him again. After a long search she had found them below peacefully eating their lunch, the untouched clothes which they should have been brushing in the yard crumpled in their laps; then she had had to brush everything herself, and yet she, who knew how to keep the common people in their places, had not even scolded them,
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