Chapter 6 Chapter Six

The boss is waiting for him at the door of the inn. K. would not have greeted him without asking him.K. therefore asked him what he wanted to do. "Have you found a new lodging?" asked the innkeeper, his eyes on the ground. "Did your woman tell you to ask?" K. replied. "Are you so at the mercy of your woman?" "No," said the proprietor, "I didn't ask you because my woman told me to. But she's terribly troubled, terribly heartbroken, and alive for your sake." I can't even do it, and I'm always moaning and complaining in bed." "Would you like me to go and see her?" said K. "I wish you would go and see her," said the boss, "I have gone to the village headman's house to call you. I listened at the door, but you were talking. I don't want to disturb you, and besides, I miss you." I saw my woman and ran back again; but she didn't want to see me, so I had no choice but to wait for you to come back." "Then let's go at once," said K. I'll teach her to settle down soon." "I wish you could do that," said the boss.

They walked through the bright kitchen, where three or four maids were working in different corners, and it was obvious that they all felt uncomfortable when they saw K.The proprietress's sigh could be heard in the kitchen.She lay in a windowless lean-to, separated from the kitchen by a thin board.There is only room for a double bed and a cabinet in the room.The position of the bed is just right to look down on the whole kitchen and supervise the work in the kitchen.From the kitchen, on the other hand, nothing was visible in the lean-to.The light in the lean-to was very dark, only the faintly glowing purple sheets could still be discerned.When one enters this room, one cannot distinguish things until one's eyes get used to the darkness.

"You're here at last," said the proprietress feebly.She lay on her back, pushed back the eiderdown, and could see that she was breathing hard.She looked much younger in bed than when she was fully clothed.The delicate lace-embroidered nightcap she wore, though too small and tilted on her head, made her haggard features look pitiful. "Why should I come?" asked K. mildly. "You didn't send for me." "You shouldn't have told me to wait so long," said the proprietress in the critical tone of a patient. "Sit down," she went on, pointing to the bed, "everyone else go away." For at that moment the maids and the two assistants were pouring in. "I'm going too, Gadana," said the boss.This was the first time K had heard her name. "Of course," she answered slowly, as if she had other things on her mind, and added absently, "Why should you stay when everyone else is going away?" But when they retreated to the kitchen-- -This time even the two assistants walked away immediately, and followed by a maid,--Gadana was very alert, she knew every word she said, and could be heard in the kitchen, because this technical room There is no door.So she ordered everyone to leave the kitchen.This was done right away.

"Land surveyor," Gardana said, "there's a blanket hanging by the cupboard, could you please bring it to me? I want to cover myself. I can't stand this eiderdown, I can't breathe." When K. handed her the blanket, she went on; at first glance, this blanket is very beautiful, isn't it? "It seemed to K. an ordinary woolen blanket; he touched it again with his fingers only out of politeness, but there was no answer. "Yes, it's a beautiful blanket," said Kakashi. Dana covered herself up as she spoke. Now she lay down comfortably, and all her pain seemed to disappear, and she had enough energy now to remember the position in which she was lying to mess up her hair; Sitting up again, smoothing the hair around the nightcap. Her hair was very thick.

K. grew impatient and said: "You asked me just now, ma'am, if I have found another lodging." "Did I ask you?" said the landlady. "No, you're mistaken." "Your husband asked me a few minutes ago." "That's very likely," said the landlady, "I couldn't get along with him. I didn't want you to stay." He kept you here when he was here, and now I like you here, and he's going to drive you away. He's always like that." "So your opinion has changed considerably?" K. Say. "Did it change in two hours?" "I haven't changed my opinion," said the landlady, who was talking and laughing again now. "Give me your hand. Here, and promise to be very frank with me, and I will be frank with you." "Yes," said K., "but who will be the first to confess?" "I will." The first confession," said the proprietress.She did not give the impression of being perfunctory to K., but of someone eager to be the first to speak.

She showed K. a photograph from under the pillow. "Look at this picture," she said excitedly.In order to get a better view, K. went into the kitchen, but even there he could not make out anything in the photograph, for the color had faded from time, it was torn, creased, and soiled in several places. up. "The photograph is blurred," said K. "Yes, unfortunately," said the landlady, "that's what a man is bound to do if he carries one with him for years and years. But you can see it clearly if you look closely. You can see it clearly, but I can help you too. Tell me what you see, I like to hear people talk about this photograph, well, how is it?" "There is a boy," said K. "Well," said the landlady, "then what is he doing?" "Looks like he's lying on a plank, stretching and yawning." The landlady laughed. "Not at all," she said.But there is really a board here, and he is really lying on it," K insisted. "But look carefully," said the landlady wearily, "is he really lying down? ""No," said K. now, "he's floating in the air, and now I see that it's not a plank at all, it might be a rope, and the lad is diving from a great height. ""look! "The proprietress replied triumphantly," he is really diving, that's how the official messengers practice.I knew you would recognize it.Can you still see his face? ""I can only make out his face dimly," said K., "he is clearly exerting himself, his mouth is open, his eyes are tightly closed, and his hair is flying in the air. ""You speak so well," said the landlady approvingly, "that no one has ever seen so clearly as you.He is a handsome lad.I saw him only once, and only for a moment, but I never forgot him. " "So, who is he? asked K. "He was Klamm's first messenger who asked me to come to him. "

K could not listen attentively, his attention was distracted by the rattling of the glass windows.He immediately discovered the reason for his disturbance.Two assistants were standing outside in the yard, hopping alternately in the snow, as if wanting to see him again; they were pointing to K. cheerfully, and at the same time they kept talking. knocking on the kitchen window. K. made a threatening gesture to them, they stopped jumping at once, tried to pull each other away, but the one broke free from the other's grasp immediately, so the two of them soon came back to the window. K. hurried to the place where they could not see him from the outside, he should not have run to see them.But the soft, imploring tap-tap on the window-pane went on for a while.

"It's my two assistants again," he said apologetically to the proprietress, pointing outside.But she paid no attention to him, took the picture from him, stared at it, smoothed it out, and tucked it back under the pillow.Her movements became slow, not because she was tired, but because of how many memories of the past weighed on her mind.She wanted to tell K. the story of her life, but when recalling it, she forgot K.She fiddled with the tassels of the blanket.After a while she raised her eyes, wiped them with her hand, and went on: "This blanket is from Klamm, and so is this nightcap. This picture, blanket and nightcap, are The only three keepsakes I keep. I am not as young as Frieda, not as dissatisfied as her, not as sensitive as her, she is very sensitive, so I will not be frank, I know how to adapt to life , but I must admit that I could not have lasted so long without these three souvenirs. These three things may seem insignificant to you, but let me tell you that although Frieda and Clara I have been with Tom for a long time, but I have not had a souvenir of Kramm. I asked her, she is too fanciful, and too difficult to please her; I've only been with Klamm three times--he hasn't called me since, I don't know why--but I managed to bring back three presents anyway, because I had this hunch: I will not be with him for long. Of course, one must seize the opportunity, and Klamm himself never gives anything to others, but if one sees something one likes there, one will can get it from him."

It made K. uncomfortable to hear her tell these stories, and it made him even more uncomfortable because they concerned his own interests. "So, how long ago were you talking about?" he asked with a sigh. "More than twenty years ago," replied the proprietress, "about twenty years ago." "So one's fidelity to Klamm can last so many years," said K., "but you can feel, ma'am, that these stories you tell me when I think about my future married life." Terrified?" The landlady seemed to think that K. should not interrupt her by interfering with his own affairs, so she glanced sullenly sideways at him.

"Don't be offended, ma'am," said K., "I don't mean any objection to Klamm in saying this, but despite this, I still feel compelled by circumstances to meet Klamm; His people can't oppose me. Well, well, that's why I can't help but think of myself when Klamm is mentioned, and that can't be changed. Besides, ma'am, "Speaking of which, K. He held her boss's reluctant hand, "Think about how we broke up in a bad conversation last time, this time we will break up calmly." "You're right," the proprietress nodded and said, "but please spend a little more time on my behalf. I'm not more prone to anger than others; This bug."

"Unfortunately, I am the same way," said K., "but I am determined to control myself. Now please tell me, madam, if Frieda is really as passionate as you are, and has this terrible feeling for Klamm." Loyalty, then, in the face of such loyalty, how should I spend my married life?" "Scary loyalty!" repeated the proprietress angrily. "Is this a question of loyalty? I am loyal to my husband... But what does it have to do with Klamm? Klamm once chose me as his mistress, how could I lose this What about honor? You ask me how you will get on with Frieda from now on? Ah, land surveyor, who are you to ask such things?" "Madame," said K. warningly. "I know," said the proprietress, controlling herself, "but my husband never asks such questions. I don't know who is more unfortunate, the past me or the present Frieda. Frieda did it on her own rashness." Klamm, and myself, because he no longer called me. But Frieda might be more unfortunate, though she did not seem to have imagined how unfortunate she was. But the whole thing I thought It was all my own misfortune, because I was always asking myself a question then, and I still am still asking today: Why did this happen? Klamm called me three times, but the fourth time he didn't Come on, don't come on, never barked for the fourth time! What else could I think about in those days but this? My husband and I were married shortly after this... except What else could there be to talk about? We were so busy then--we'd just taken over this messy inn, and it was a hard struggle to make it look--but it was night! How many years Well, we always talk about Klamm at night, about why he changed his mind. If my husband falls asleep talking about it, I wake him up, and we go on talking." "Well," said K., "if you will allow me, I would like to ask a very presumptuous question." The proprietress didn't make a sound. "Then I will not ask," said K. "Well, that suits me too." "Well," replied the landlady, "that's what you mean, too, and what you mean best. You misunderstand everything, even silence. You only misunderstand. I allow you to Ask your question." "If I've misunderstood everything, then maybe I've misunderstood my question too, and maybe I'm not asking it so presumptuously. I just want to know how you met your husband, the inn How did it get transferred to your hands?" The proprietress frowned, but she said nonchalantly: "That's easy to say. My father was a blacksmith, and my husband Hans was a groom on a large farm. He often went to visit my father. After my last meeting with Klamm, I was very sad. Of course, I have no right to be sad, because everything has to be what it should be, and I was not allowed to see Klamm again. It was Klamm himself. Therefore, it must be done, but the reason is unclear, and I have every right to inquire about the reason, but I have no right to be sad; but even so, I still sit in the front yard all day, I can't work. Hans used to sit by me when he saw me like this. I didn't complain to him, but he knew what was going on, and he was a good boy, and he wept with me. At that time The innkeeper's wife died, so the innkeeper went out of business--and he was an old man, too. So once he walked by our yard and saw us sitting there, he stopped and didn't Fei took great pains to rent the inn to us, and didn't ask us to pay a penny in advance, because he believed in us, and the rent was set very low. I just want not to make myself a burden to my father, and I don't care about anything else, so I Thinking this inn and this new job might help me forget a little of the past, so I married Hans. That's all it was." There was a moment's silence, then K. said: "The innkeeper's actions, although a little rash, were very generous. Did he have any special reasons for trusting you two?" "He knows Hans very well," said the landlady, "and he is his uncle." "Then, the people in Hans' family must really want to marry you?" "It might be so," said the landlady, "but I don't know. I never bothered about it." "But anyway, that must be the case," said K., "because the family made such a sacrifice willingly and handed an inn into your hands without any guarantees." "As it turned out, I did not do this lightly," said the landlady. "I worked with all my heart, I was strong, I was a blacksmith's daughter, and I didn't need maids or hired men. I ran around , hustle and bustle, bar, kitchen, stables, yard, all by myself. I'm good at cooking, I've even brought some customers over from the Herrenhof Hotel. You've never Had lunch at the inn, you don't know how many customers we had during the day; they came more then than they do now, and some of them don't come here now. So it turned out that not only were we able to pay the rent on time, but we couldn't. In a few years we bought the entire inn and today we are totally debt free. I have to admit that the end result is that I have ruined my own health, got a heart attack and am now an old woman You may think that I am much older than Hans, but in fact he is only two or three years younger than me, and he will not grow old, because his job is to smoke a pipe and listen to the gossip of customers , and tapping his pipe, and fetching a jug of beer now and then for a customer—a man never grows old for such work." "You've done a good job," said K., "I don't doubt that at all, but we're talking about before you got married, and at that time, as far as the Hans family was busy with wedding arrangements, that It must be an extraordinary thing--to be prepared to risk a fortune, or at least to take such a risk, to place the inn in your hands--and to have nothing but your ability to do it. What's more, at that time, no one knew what your ability to do things was, and as for the fact that Hans didn't have the slightest ability to do things, everyone already knew." "Oh, come on," said the landlady wearily, "I know what you're thinking, in fact, I'm far from what you think. Klamm has nothing to do with it. Why should Klamm Worrying about me, or rather, how could he worry about me? He didn't know anything about me at the time. He didn't ask me to come to him anymore, which showed that he had forgotten me. As soon as he stops calling people, that's when he forgets them completely. I don't want to talk about this in front of Frieda. It's not just forgetting, it's almost worse than forgetting. One day he will remember him again. But for Klamm, this is impossible. If he no longer calls anyone, it means that he has completely forgotten this person. Not only has he forgotten everything in the past , and shall never remember him again. If I tried hard, I should be able to guess what was going through your mind, and perhaps there was some truth in your thoughts. But if you think that Clara It would be a wild idea if Klamm gave me Hans as husband only so that, should he call me again, I could go to him without much trouble. I'll go, what man can stop me? So it's wild thinking, outright crazy thinking, and if a man likes to think wildly, he must feel that he is beginning to get confused." "No," said K., "I don't want to confuse myself at all; I haven't thought as far as you, but to be honest, I'm thinking that way too. The only thing that surprises me so far is that Hans Your relatives had such high expectations for his marriage, and their expectations, after sacrificing your heart and your health, were actually fulfilled. I admit, I do have the idea that these things have something to do with Klamm , it's not out of my imagination, or I didn't think it was until you point it out now - obviously you're just trying to make fun of me, because it pleases you Well, then, to your great pleasure! My thoughts remain the same: first of all, Klamm is obviously the cause of your marriage. If it were not for Klamm, you would not be unhappy, and you would not If it weren't for Klamm, Hans wouldn't have seen you sitting there, and if you weren't unhappy, a cowardly and shy man like Hans wouldn't have dared to follow. Hans would never have seen you cry if it hadn't been for Klamm when you spoke, and the good old man would never have seen you two sitting there quietly if it hadn't been for Klamm You will not be indifferent to your future life, and therefore you will not marry Hans. In my opinion, this alone is enough to show that it is because of Klamm. But And that's not all. If you hadn't been trying so hard to forget the past, you would never have spent your energies so much and kept the inn so well. So it's also because of Klamm. But aside from that Klamm, too, is at the root of your illness, for the hopeless feeling you felt for him before your marriage has wrecked your heart. The only question that remains now is, why Hans's relatives desire He married you? You said it yourself that it was an eternal honor to be Klamm's mistress, so perhaps that was what attracted them. But besides that, I suppose, they also hoped that the star would lead you to The lucky star that goes to Klamm's side - let's say it's a lucky star - is your natal star, so it will always follow you, and will not leave you suddenly like Klamm." "Do you really think so?" asked the proprietress. "Yes, I really think so," replied K. at once, "but I don't think the hopes of Hans' relatives are entirely right or entirely wrong, and I think I saw them too." Mistakes made. On the surface, of course, everything seemed to work out. Hans was secure, he had a beautiful wife, he was respected, and the inn was paid off. But in fact, nothing came true. If he had first love with an ordinary girl and then lived together, he might be happier instead. If sometimes he stood by in the inn like a lost soul, just like you complained about him , that's because he really feels like he's lost his soul--he's not happy with his marriage, it's true, I know him well--for a bright young man like him It is also true that a man would be happier with another wife, and by happier I mean more independent, more spirited, more manly. And you yourself, And not happy at all, because you said yourself that you could not live without these three souvenirs, and now you have a heart attack. Are the hopes of Hans' relatives wrong? I don't think it's wrong, the lucky star is hanging on your head, but they don't know how to take it off." "According to you, what did they miss the opportunity to do?" asked the landlady.She was lying on her back at this moment, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. "Ask Klamm," said K. "So we're back to your business again," said the landlady, "and our business is running side by side." "What do you want from Klamm?" asked the landlady.She was already sitting up, pulled out the pillow, leaned her back on it, and stared at K. "I told you frankly about my experience, and you should understand a little bit. Please also frankly tell me what you want to ask Klamm. It took me a lot of trouble to persuade Frieda to go upstairs. Stay in her own room, and I'm afraid you won't be able to speak freely in her presence." "I have nothing to hide," said K., "but first of all I would like to draw your attention to something. You say that Klamm is forgetful. Well, first of all, this seems to me to be impossible." ; and, secondly, it is also unprovable, obviously nonsense, and invented by the little girls who Klamm once loved. I am amazed that you should believe such a vulgar fiction." "This is no nonsense," said the landlady, "but a conclusion drawn entirely from common experience." "But I know that subsequent experience will disprove this conclusion," said K. "and there is another difference between you and Frieda. It's not a question of Klamm not calling her anymore, on the contrary, he called her, but she didn't go. It's even possible that he's still waiting for her now." The landlady didn't say a word, but just looked K up and down with her eyes.At last she said: "I will listen calmly to what you have to say. You can speak bluntly and don't pity my feelings. I have only one request. Don't mention Klamm's name. You call him him or whatever, but Don't mention him by name." "I am happy to obey," replied K., "but it is difficult to say exactly what I want from him. First, I want to see him up close; then I want to hear him talk; then I want Find out what his attitude towards our marriage is. As for what I want to ask of him, it depends on the outcome of my meeting with him. Many things may arise during the conversation, but for me, The most important thing is to meet with him. You know I haven't spoken to a real official until now. It seems more difficult than I used to think. But now I have permission to use To speak to him in private, I suppose, would be much easier to arrange. If I were to speak to him as a civil servant, I could only be in his castle office, which might not be possible, or— - This is also a question - in the Herrenhof Hotel, but, if in a private capacity, anywhere, in a room, in the street, wherever I meet him, I can Talk to him. If I find this official in front of me, I'd be happy to go up and talk to him. It's not my intention to talk on the road." "Yes," said the proprietress, hiding her head among the pillows, as if she were saying something shameful, "if I can manage to use my influence to convey to Klamm your request to see him, then please Promise me that you will not do anything yourself until you hear back." "I cannot grant you this request," said K., "although I would be more than happy to grant your wishes, or your willfulness. You know that the matter cannot wait, especially after my conversation with the village headman has had unfortunate results. after." "Your reason is untenable," said the proprietress. "The village chief is an insignificant person. Without his wife, he would not be able to be the village chief for a day. He relies on his wife to handle everything for him." "You mean Missy?" asked K.The proprietress nodded. "She was there when I went to see the mayor," said K. "Did she express any opinion?" asked the proprietress. "No," replied K., "but she did not give me the impression that she could express anything." "Oh," said the proprietress, "you see, you have misunderstood everything here. Anyway, the arrangements made by the village chief for you are meaningless. When I am free, I will go to Talk to his woman. If I promise you now and promise to hear from Klamm within a week at the latest, then you won't have any reason not to agree to my request, will you?" "None of this is enough to affect me," said K. "I have made up my mind and I will try to make it happen, even if I get an unfavorable answer in the future. Since this is my unwavering I do not have to make a formal request for an interview in advance. As long as I do not request an interview, it is always nothing more than a wild attempt, but if an unfavorable answer is received in the future, this confident attempt It would be a blatantly illegal thing to do. Honestly, it would be worse." "Worse?" said the landlady. "Anyway, it's illegal. Now you can do whatever you want. Pass me the dress, please." In K.'s presence she put on her skirt without a care, and hurried into the kitchen. K. could hear the noise going on in the dining room for a long time.Someone was knocking on the little door where the meals were delivered.Two assistants opened the little door, yelling that they were hungry.Then several more faces appeared at the door.You can even hear several lowered voices singing. It cannot be denied that K.'s conversation with the proprietress greatly delayed the preparation of lunch, which was not yet ready and the customers were already gathered in the dining room.But according to the order of the landlady, no one dared to step into the kitchen.At this moment, the watchers at the small door announced the arrival of the landlady, and the maids ran back to the kitchen. When K. entered the dining room, there was a rather surprising number of customers, no less than twenty, men and women— - all dressed in local, but not country-style clothes - they rushed from the small kitchen door to the dining table like a tide, and each returned to his seat.Only at a small table in the corner, a couple with a few small children were already sitting there.The good-looking, blue-eyed man, with his gray beard and hair disheveled, stood bent over the children, holding a knife in his hand, beating time to the children who were singing, and he kept trying to make them as good as possible. Sing softly.Perhaps he was trying to make the children forget their hunger by singing.The proprietress said a few words of apology to the customers lightly, and no one complained about her attitude.She looked around for the boss, but the boss had long since slipped away from the difficult situation.So she walked slowly into the kitchen, ignored K., and K. hurried to Frieda's room.