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chief clerk was a gentleman, good and honest, but he did not
know what it was he could do and merely hoped there would
be some influential gentlemen who would take his side. I’m
sure that is what will happen and that everything will turn
out for the best in the end, but in the mean time things do
not look at all good, and you can see that from the mood of
the chief clerk himself. Of course, I did not place too much
importance on this conversation, and even did my best to
put the bank clerk’s mind at rest, he was quite a simple man.
I told him he was not to speak to anyone else about this, and
I think it is all just a rumour, but I still think it might be
good if you, Dear Father, if you looked into the matter the
next time you visit. It will be easy for you to find out more
detail and, if it is really necessary, to do something about it
through the great and influential people you know. But if it
is not necessary, and that is what seems most likely, then at
least your daughter will soon have the chance to embrace
you and I look forward to it.’ She’s a good child,” said K.’s
uncle when he had finished reading, and wiped a few tears
from his eyes. K. nodded. With all the different disruptions
he had had recently he had completely forgotten about Erna,
even her birthday, and the story of the chocolates had clear-
ly just been invented so that he wouldn’t get in trouble with
his aunt and uncle. It was very touching, and even the the-
atre tickets, which he would regularly send her from then
on, would not be enough to repay her, but he really did not
feel, now, that it was right for him to visit her in her lodgings
and hold conversations with a little, eighteen year old
schoolgirl. “And what do you have to say about that?” asked

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