The Castle Read Free Page B

no strain upon him - how quietly he had sauntered through the days, step by step i - but now the consequences of his exertion were making themselves felt, and at the wrong time, too. He felt irresistibly drawn to seek out new acquaintances, but each new acquaintance only seemed to increase his weariness. If he forced himself in his present condition to go on at least as far as the Castle entrance, he would have done more than enough. So he resumed his walk, but the way proved long. For the street he was in, the main street of the village, did not lead up to the Castle hill, it only made towards it and then, as if deliberately, turned aside, and though it did not lead away from the Castle it got no nearer to it either. At every turn K. expected the road to double back to the Castle, and only because of this expectation did he go on; he was flatly unwilling, tired as he was, to leave the street, and he was also amazed at the length of the village, which seemed to have no end; again and again the same little houses, and frost-bound window-panes and snow and the entire absence of human beings-but at last he tore himself away from the obsession of the street and escaped into a small side-lane, where the snow was still deeper and the exertion of lifting one's feet clear was fatiguing; he broke into a sweat, suddenly came to a stop, and could not go on. Well, he was not on a desert island, there were cottages to right and left of him. He made a snowball and threw it at awindow. The door opened immediately-the first door that had opened during the whole length of the village-and there appeared an old peasant in a brown fur jacket, with his head cocked to one side, a frail and kindly figure.
    "May I come into your house for a little?" asked K., " Ìm very tired."
    He did not hear the old man's reply, but thankfully observed that a plank was pushed out towards him to rescue him from the snow, and in a few steps he was in the kitchen. A large kitchen, dimly lit. Anyone coming in from outside could make out nothing at first.
    K. stumbled over a washing' tub, a woman's hand steadied him. The crying of children came loudly from one corner. From another steam was welling out and turning the dim light into darkness. K. stood as if in the clouds.
    "He must be drunk," said somebody.
    "Who are you?" cried a hectoring voice, and then obviously to the old man: "Why did you let him in? Are we to let in everybody that wanders about in the street?"
    "I am the Count's Land Surveyor" said K., trying to justify himself before this still invisible personage.
    "Oh, it's the Land Surveyor," said a woman's voice, and then came a complete silence.
    "You know me, then?" asked K.
    "Of course," said the same voice curtly.
    The fact that he was known did not seem to be a recommendation. At last the steam thinned a little, and K. was able gradually to make things out. It seemed to be a general washing-day. Near the door clothes were being washed. But the steam was coming from another corner, where in a wooden tub larger than any K. had ever seen, as wide as two beds, two men were bathing in steaming water. But still more astonishing, although one could not say what was so astonishing about it, was the scene in the right-hand corner.
    From a large opening, the only one in the back wall, a pale snowy light came in, apparently from the courtyard, and gave a gleam as of silk to the dress of a woman who was almost reclining in a high arm-chair. She was suckling an infant at her breast.
    Several children were playing around her, peasant children, as was obvious, but she seemed to be of another class, although of course illness and weariness give even peasants a look of refinement.
    "Sit down, " said one of the men, who had a full beard and breathed heavily through his mouth which always hung open, pointing-it was a funny sight-with his wet hand over the edge of the tub towards a settle, and showering drops of warm water all over K.'s face as he did so.
    On the settle