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seem to think that because I can’t stand this to-ing and fro-
ing of Miss Montag that I’m over-sensitive and there she
goes back again.” Mrs. Grubach appeared quite powerless.
“Should I tell her to leave moving the rest of her things over
till later, then, Mr. K.? If that’s what you want I’ll do it imme-
diately.” “But she has to move in with Miss Burstner!” said
K. “Yes,” said Mrs. Grubach, without quite understanding
what K. meant. “So she has to take her things over there.”
Mrs. Grubach just nodded. K. was irritated all the more by
this dumb helplessness which, seen from the outside, could
have seemed like a kind of defiance on her part. He began
to walk up and down the room between the window and the
door, thus depriving Mrs. Grubach of the chance to leave,
which she otherwise probably would have done.
Just as K. once more reached the door, someone knocked
at it. It was the maid, to say that Miss Montag would like
to have a few words with Mr. K., and therefore requested
that he come to the dining room where she was waiting for
him. K. heard the maid out thoughtfully, and then looked
back at the shocked Mrs. Grubach in a way that was almost
contemptuous. His look seemed to be saying that K. had
been expecting this invitation for Miss Montag for a long
time, and that it was confirmation of the suffering he had
been made to endure that Sunday morning from Mrs. Gru-
bach’s tenants. He sent the maid back with the reply that he
was on his way, then he went to the wardrobe to change his
coat, and in answer to Mrs. Grubach’s gentle whining about
the nuisance Miss Montag was causing merely asked her to
clear away the breakfast things. “But you’ve hardly touched