Page 186 - the-trial

nodded as if he understood K.’s discomfort very well. “Could
we not open the window?” asked K. “No,” said the painter.
“It’s only a fixed pane of glass, it can’t be opened.” K. now
realised that all this time he had been hoping the painter
would suddenly go over to the window and pull it open. He
had prepared himself even for the fog that he would breathe
in through his open mouth. The thought that here he was
entirely cut off from the air made him feel dizzy. He tapped
lightly on the bedspread beside him and, with a weak voice,
said, “That is very inconvenient and unhealthy.” “Oh no,”
said the painter in defence of his window, “as it can’t be
opened this room retains the heat better than if the window
were double glazed, even though it’s only a single pane.
There’s not much need to air the room as there’s so much
ventilation through the gaps in the wood, but when I do
want to I can open one of my doors, or even both of them.”
K. was slightly consoled by this explanation and looked
around to see where the second door was. The painter saw
him do so and said, “It’s behind you, I had to hide it behind
the bed.” Only then was K. able to see the little door in the
wall. “It’s really much too small for a studio here,” said the
painter, as if he wanted to anticipate an objection K. would
make. “I had to arrange things as well as I could. That’s ob-
viously a very bad place for the bed, in front of the door. For
instance when the judge I’m painting at present comes he
always comes through the door by the bed, and I’ve even
given him a key to this door so that he can wait for me here
in the studio when I’m not home. Although nowadays he
usually comes early in the morning when I’m still asleep.

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