Page 98 - the-trial

K. thought, however, that he saw more than that, he thought
he also saw that Miss Montag had chosen a means of doing
it that was good, but two-edged. She exaggerated the impor-
tance of the relationship between K. and Miss Burstner, and
above all she exaggerated the importance of asking to speak
with her and she tried at the same time to make out that K.
was exaggerating everything. She would be disappointed,
K. did not want to exaggerate anything, he was aware that
Miss Burstner was a little typist who would not offer him
much resistance for long. In doing so he deliberately took
no account of what Mrs. Grubach had told him about Miss
Burstner. All these things were going through his mind as
he left the room with hardly a polite word. He wanted to go
straight to his room, but a little laugh from Miss Montag
that he heard from the dining room behind him brought
him to the idea that he might prepare a surprise for the two
of them, the captain and Miss Montag. He looked round
and listened to find out if there might be any disturbance
from any of the surrounding rooms, everywhere was qui-
et, the only thing to be heard was the conversation from
the dining room and Mrs. Grubach’s voice from the pas-
sage leading to the kitchen. This seemed an opportune time,
K. went to Miss Burstner’s room and knocked gently. There
was no sound so he knocked again but there was still no
answer in reply. Was she asleep? Or was she really unwell?
Or was she just pretending as she realised it could only be
K. knocking so gently? K. assumed she was pretending and
knocked harder, eventually, when the knocking brought no
result, he carefully opened the door with the sense of doing