The Castle: Chapters 11–15

He wasn’t saying this for the children; their screaming and laughter had already taken on such a life of its own that it needed no further motive or provocation and couldn’t be pierced or influenced in any way by words.

“I agree with you entirely, Miss Gisa,” said the teacher, “you, Janitor, are of course dismissed on the spot owing to this disgraceful dereliction of duty.”

The lady has no choice but to leave this room with the children, since you refuse in a refractory manner to accept my notification of dismissal.

In any case he monopolized everybody’s attention, all work had ceased, breakfast was dragging on.

Father had become very angry at K. and would certainly never allow K. to come and visit Mother; indeed he had actually wanted to go and see K. in order to punish him for his behavior, except Mother had dissuaded him.

After reflecting for a moment with a fixed gaze, like a woman who wants to do something forbidden and seeks a way to carry it out with impunity, Hans said that it would perhaps be possible the day after tomorrow.

And now in long conversations with K. he considered what difficulties had to be overcome; even with the best intentions of Hans these difficulties were almost insurmountable.

During the conversation it had occurred to K. that Brunswick, no matter how dangerous and evil a person he was in other respects, couldn’t really be his adversary, for he was after all, at least according to the council chairman’s report, the leader of the faction that had, even if merely on political grounds, demanded the summoning of a surveyor.

Annoyed by these vague generalities and more irritated than moved by Frieda’s tearfully plaintive voice—especially since the landlady was again interfering in his life, by means of memories at any rate, for until now she hadn’t had much success in person—K. threw the wood he was holding in his arms on the floor, sat down on it, and asked gravely for clarification.

And then Gisa had even left the cat entirely in Frieda’s care, since Schwarzer, K.’s acquaintance from the first evening, had appeared, greeted K. with a mixture of diffidence—for which the foundation had been laid that evening.

The authorities would have gone on dealing with the matter, but calmly through official channels, unruffled by the impatience of the individual party, whom they probably considered especially repugnant.

Olga, refreshed and fortified by the cold air, seemed vigorous and energetic as if transformed by work very different in nature from her usual lethargic standing about in this room.

Yet K., hard-pressed because of the need to leave quickly and also uneasy under Amalia’s scrutiny, did not hesitate to admit without further embroidery that the invitation was ill-considered, having been prompted solely by personal sentiments, and that unfortunately he couldn’t honor it because of the great enmity between Frieda and the Barnabas household, which he found incomprehensible.

Yet K., hard-pressed because of the need to leave quickly and also uneasy under Amalia’s scrutiny, did not hesitate to admit without further embroidery that the invitation was ill-considered, having been prompted solely by personal sentiments, and that unfortunately he couldn’t honor it because of the great enmity between Frieda and the Barnabas household, which he found incomprehensible.

“My brother’s affairs are his own concern, I know nothing about them other than what I get to hear now and then by chance, against my will. But Olga can give you the full story since she is his confidante.”