“I kept asking myself why it was that Mr. K. took such an interest in Miss B�rstner. Why does he quarrel with me over her when he knows that any cross word from him and I can't sleep that night?

And I didn't say anything about Miss B�rstner that I hadn't seen with my own eyes.” K. said nothing in reply, he should have chased her from the room as soon as she had opened her mouth, and he didn't want to do that. He contented himself with merely drinking his coffee and letting Mrs. Grubach feel that she was superfluous. Outside, the dragging steps of Miss Montag could still be heard as she went from one side of the hallway to the other. “Do you hear that?” asked K. pointing his hand at the door. “Yes,” said Mrs. Grubach with a sigh, “I wanted to give her some help and I wanted the