“I can’t promise that,” said K. , “glad as I would be to fulfil your wishes or your whims. The matter is urgent, you see, especially after the unfortunate outcome of my talk with the Superintendent.”
“That excuse falls to the ground,” said the landlady, “the Superintendent is a person of no importance. Haven’t you found that out? He couldn’t remain another day in his post if it weren’t for his wife, who runs everything.”
“Mizzi!” asked K. The landlady nodded. “She was present,” said K. “Did she express her opinion?” asked the landlady.
“No,” replied K. , “but I didn’t get the impression that she could.”
“There,” said the landlady, “you see how distorted your view of everything here is. In any case: the Superintendent’s arrangements for you are of no importance, and I’ll talk to his wife when I have time. And if I promise now in addition that Klamm’s answer will come in a week at latest, you can’t surely have any further grounds for not obliging me.”
“All that is not enough to influence me,”