duties when I have other business, I’m going to marry her and become a member of the community, and besides my official connection I have also a personal connection with Klamm, although as yet I haven’t been able to make use of it. That’s surely quite a lot? And when I come to you, why do you make me welcome? Why do you confide the history of your family to me? Why do you hope that I might possibly help you? Certainly not because I’m the Land Surveyor whom Lasemann and Brunswick, for instance, turned out of their house a week ago, but because I’m a man with some power at my back. But that I owe to Frieda, to Frieda who is so modest that if you were to ask her about it, she wouldn’t know it existed. And so, considering all this, it seems that Frieda in her innocence has achieved more than Amalia in all her pride, for may I say that I have the impression that you’re seeking help for Amalia. And from whom? In the last resort from no one else but Frieda.” “Did I really speak so abominably of Frieda?” asked Olga, “I certainly didn’t mean to, and I don’t think I did, still, it’s possible; we’re in a bad way, our whole world is in ruins, and once we begin to complain we’re carried further than we realise. You’re quite right, there’s a big difference now between us and Frieda, and it’s a good thing to emphasise it once in a while. Three years ago we were respectable girls and Frieda an outcast, a servant in the Bridge Inn, we used to walk past her without looking at her, I admit we were too arrogant, but that’s how we were brought up. But that evening in the Herrenhof probably enlightened you about our respective positions today. Frieda with the whip in her hand, and I among the crowd of servants. But it’s worse even than that! Frieda may despise us, her position entitles her to do so, actual circumstances compel it. But who is there who doesn’t despise us? Whoever decides to despise us will find himself in good company. Do you know Frieda’s successor? Pepi, she’s called. I met her for the first time the night before last, she used to be a chamber maid. She certainly outdoes Frieda in her contempt for me. She saw me through the window as I was coming for beer, and ran to the door and locked it, so that I had to beg and pray for a long time and promise her the ribbon from my hair before she would let me in. But when I gave it to her she threw it into a corner. Well, I can’t help it if she despises me, I’m partly dependent on her goodwill, and she’s the barmaid in the Herrenhof. Only for the time being, it’s true, for she certainly hasn’t the qualities needed for permanent employment there. One only has to overhear how the landlord speaks to Pepi and compare it with his tone to Frieda. But that doesn’t hinder Pepi from despising even Amalia, Amalia, whose glance alone would be enough to drive Pepi with all her plaits and ribbons out of the room much faster than her own fat legs would ever carry her. I had to listen again yesterday to her infuriating slanders against Amalia until the customers took my part at last, although only in the kind of way you have seen already.” “How touchy you are,” said K. “I only put Frieda in her right place, but I had no intention of belittling you, as you seem to think. Your family has a special interest for me, I have never denied it; but how this interest could give me cause for despising you I can’t understand.” “Oh, K.,” said Olga, “I’m afraid that even you will understand it yet; can’t you even understand that Amalia’s behaviour to Sortini was the original cause of our being despised?” “That would be strange indeed,” said K., “one might admire or condemn Amalia for such an action, but despise her? And even if she is despised for some reason I can’t comprehend, why should the contempt be extended to you others, her innocent family? For Pepi to despise you, for instance, is a piece of impudence, and I’ll let her know it if ever I’m in the Herrenhof again.” “If you set out, K.,” said Olga, “to convert all the people who despise us you’ll have your work cut out for you, for it’s all engineered from the Castle. I can still remember every detail of that day following the morning I spoke of. Brunswick, who was our assistant then, had arrived as usual, taken his share of the work and gone home, and we were sitting at breakfast, all of us, even Amalia and myself, very gay, father kept on talking about the celebration and telling us his plans in connection with the Fire Brigade, for you must know that the Castle has its own Fire Brigade which had sent a deputation to the celebration, and there had been much discussion about it, the gentlemen present from the Castle had seen the performance of our Fire Brigade, had expressed great approval, and compared the Castle Brigade unfavourably with ours, so there had been some talk of reorganising the Castle Brigade with the help of instructors from the village; there were several possible candidates, but father had hopes that he would be chosen. That was what he was discussing, and in his usual delightful way had sprawled over the table until he embraced half of it in his arms, and as he gazed through the open window at the sky his face was young and shining with hope, and that was the last time I was to see it like that. Then Amalia, with a calm conviction we had never
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