‘This is a poor state of things,’ said K., but without meaning it entirely seriously, for he didn’t much mind where he stayed, and here in the attic, which had no walls and windows on two sides, while a cold draught blew keenly through it, he was freezing in his under-wear. ‘You’ve made the room so nice, and now we have to move out. I’d be very, very unwilling to accept the position; it’s embarrassing to be instantly humiliated in front of this petty little teacher, and now he is to be my superior. If we could only stay here a little longer, perhaps my situation may change this very afternoon. If at least you were to stay, we could wait and put the teacher off. I can always find a place to spend the night, in the bar if needs must —’ But here Frieda put her hand over his mouth. ‘Not that,’ she said anxiously, ‘please don’t say that again. However, I’ll do as you say in everything else. If you want me to stay here on my own then I will, sad as it would be for me. If you like we’ll reject the offer, although I do think it would be the wrong thing to do. Because listen, if you find any-thing else, even this afternoon, well, naturally we’ll give up the place at the school at once then, no one will try to stop us. And as for your humiliation in front of the teacher, trust me to make sure it’s no such thing. I’ll speak to him myself, you will just have to stand there in silence, and it will be the same later. You’ll never have to speak to him yourself if you don’t want to.
I and I alone will probably be his servant, and not even that, for I know his weaknesses. So all is not lost if we accept the post, but a great deal is lost if we refuse it. Above all, if you don’t hear anything from the castle today, you are really unlikely to find a bed for the night anywhere in the village of which I myself, as your future wife, would not be ashamed. And if you don’t get a bed for the night, are you going to expect me to sleep here in this warm room, while I know that you are wandering outside in the dark and the cold?’ K., who all this time had been standing with his arms folded, slapping his back with his hands to warm himself up a bit, said: ‘Then I see there’s nothing for it but to accept. Come along!’
Back in the room he went straight to the stove, ignoring the teacher, who was sitting at the table, took out his watch, and said: ‘It’s getting late.’ ‘But now we are agreed, sir,’ said Frieda. ‘We’ll take the post.’ ‘Very well,’ said the teacher, ‘but the post is offered to the land sur-veyor here. He must speak for himself.’ Frieda came to K.’s aid. ‘Really,’ she said, ‘he does accept the post, don’t you, K.?’ So K. was able to limit his declaration to a simple: ‘Yes,’ not even directed at the teacher but at Frieda. ‘Then’, said the teacher, ‘all that remains is for me to tell you what your duties will be, so that we’re agreed on that once and for all.
You, Mr Land Surveyor, are to clean and heat both classrooms every day, do small repairs about the place, clear the path through the garden of snow, run errands for me and my assist-ant teacher, and do all the gardening in the warmer seasons of the year. In return you have the right to live in one of the classrooms, whichever you choose, but if the children are not being taught in both rooms at the same time, and you happen to be in the room where they are being taught, you must of course move into the other room. You may not cook in the school building, but you and your household will be given board here at the inn at the expense of the parish. I mention only in passing, for as an educated man you will know such things for yourself, that you must strictly uphold the dignity of the school, and in particular the children must never, for instance, have to witness any unpleasant scenes in your domestic life during lessons. In that respect, let me just mention that we must insist on your putting your relationship with Miss Frieda on a legal footing as soon as possible.’ All this seemed to K. unimportant, as if it did not concern him, or at least did not bind him in any way, but the teacher’s arrogant manner annoyed him, and he said casually: ‘Well, I suppose these are the usual obligations.’ To cover up a little for this remark, Frieda asked about the salary. ‘Whether or not any salary is paid,’ said the teacher, ‘will be considered only after a month’s service on probation.’ ‘But that’s going to be difficult for us,’ said Frieda. ‘We’re to get married almost penniless and set up household on nothing.
Sir, couldn’t we lodge a petition with the parish asking for a small salary at once? Would you advise that?’ ‘No,’ said the teacher, still speaking to K. ‘Such a petition would be answered as you wish only if I were to recommend it, and I wouldn’t. I have offered the post only as a favour to you, and favours mustn’t go too far if a man’s to maintain his awareness of his public responsibility.’ Here K. did intervene, almost against his will. ‘As for favours, sir,’ he said, ‘I think you are wrong. Perhaps I’m the one doing you the favour.’ ‘Oh no,’ said the teacher, smiling, for now he had forced K. to speak directly to him after all, ‘I have precise instructions on that point. We need a school janitor about as much as we need a land surveyor. Janitor or land surveyor, you’re a millstone around our necks. I shall have to think hard to find a way of justifying the expense to the par-ish council; it would be best, and more in line with the facts, just to put the demand on the table and not try justifying it at all.’ ‘That’s exactly what I mean,’ said K. ‘You have to take me on against your will, and although you have many reservations about it you have to accept me. But if someone is forced to accept another person, and that other person allows himself to be accepted, he is the one doing the favour.’ ‘Strange,’ said the teacher. ‘What, I ask, could force us to take you? Why, only the village mayor’s good, over-generous heart. I see very well, Mr Land Surveyor, that you’ll have to abandon many of your fanciful notions before you are any use as a school janitor.
Naturally such remarks as that won’t make anyone feel inclined to pay you a salary. I am afraid I must also remark that your conduct will give me a great deal of trouble; all this time you are trying to negotiate with me, as I can’t help seeing, and I can hardly credit it, in your shirt and underpants.’ ‘So I am,’ said K., laughing and clap-ping his hands. ‘What’s become of those dreadful assistants of mine?’ Frieda hurried to the door. The teacher, realizing that K. was not going to respond to him any more, asked Frieda when they would be moving into the school. ‘Today,’ said Frieda. ‘Then I’ll come to check on you first thing tomorrow,’ said the teacher, raising a hand in farewell. He was about to go through the door, which Frieda had opened for him, but collided with the maids coming back with their things to settle into the room again. He had to slip past them, for they made way for nobody. Frieda followed him. ‘You’re in a hurry,’ said K. to the maids, very pleased with them this time. ‘We’re still here, and you have to move in at once?’ They did not reply, but merely fiddled awkwardly with their bundles, from which K. saw the famil-iar grubby rags hanging out. ‘I don’t think you can ever have washed your things,’ said K., not angrily but with a certain liking for them. They noticed it, opened their unyielding mouths at the same time to display fine, strong teeth, like the teeth of animals, and laughed with-out a sound. ‘Come along then,’ said K. ‘Settle in; it’s your room, after all.’ But when they still hesitated—perhaps their room struck them as changed too much—K. took one of them by the arm to lead her further in. However, he let her go again at once, for
