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Miss Bürstner’s Friend
noticed,throughthekeyhole,thattherewasanunusuallevelofactivityinthehallwaywhichsoonabated.AFrenchteacher,althoughshewasGermanandcalledMontag,apaleandfebrilegirlwithaslightlimpwhohadpreviouslyoccupiedaroomofherown,wasmovingintoMissBürstner’sroom.Shecouldbeseenshufflingthroughthehallwayforseveralhours,therewasalwaysanotherpieceofclothingorablanketorabookthatshehadforgottenandhadtobefetchedspeciallyandbroughtintothenewhome.
WhenMrs.GrubachbroughtK.hisbreakfast-eversincethetimewhenshehadmadeK.socrossshedidn’ttrustthemaidtodotheslightestjob-hehadnochoicebuttospeaktoher,forthefirsttimeinfivedays."Whyistheresomuchnoiseinthehallwaytoday?"heaskedasshepouredhiscoffeeout,"Can’tsomethingbedoneaboutit?DoesthisclearingouthavetobedoneonaSunday?"K.didnotlookupatMrs.Grubach,buthesawnonethelessthatsheseemedtofeelsomereliefasshebreathedin.EvensharpquestionslikethisfromMr.K.sheperceivedasforgiveness,orasthebeginningofforgiveness."We’renotclearinganythingout,Mr.K.,"shesaid,"it’sjustthatMissMontagismovinginwithMissBürstnerandismovingherthingsacross."Shesaidnothingmore,butjustwaitedtoseehowK.wouldtakeitandwhetherhewouldallowhertocarryonspeaking.ButK.keptherinuncertainty,tookthespoonandpensivelystirredhiscoffeewhileheremainedsilent.
