“Sometimes,” said K. , “but nothing points to the fact that it’s so this time, at least neither you nor I have anything that we can show in black and white. The proceedings are only started, it seems, and I haven’t used my influence yet to intervene, but I will. If the affair turns out badly for you, you’ll find that you haven’t exactly endeared yourself to your master, and perhaps it was superfluous after all to break the hazel switch. And then you have abducted Frieda, and that has given you an inflated notion of yourself, but with all the respect that I have for your person, even if you have none for me any longer, a few words from me to Frieda will be enough⁠—I know it⁠—to smash up the lies that you’ve caught her with. And only lies could have estranged Frieda from me.” “These threats don’t frighten me,” replied Jeremiah, “you don’t in the least want me as an assistant, you were afraid of me even as an assistant, you’re afraid of assistants in any case, it was only fear that made you strike poor Arthur.” “Perhaps,” said K. , “but did it hurt the less for that? Perhaps I’ll be able to show my fear of you in that way many times yet. Once I see that you haven’t much joy in an assistant’s work, it’ll give me great satisfaction again, in spite of all my fear, to keep you at it. And moreover I’ll do my best next time to see that you come by yourself, without Arthur, I’ll be able then to devote more attention to you.” “Do you think,” said Jeremiah, “that I have even the slightest fear of all this?” “I do think so,” said K. , “you’re a little afraid, that’s certain, and if you’re wise, very much afraid. If that isn’t so why didn’t you go straight back to Frieda? Tell me, are you in love with her, then?” “In love?” said Jeremiah. “She’s a nice clever girl, a former sweetheart of Klamm’s, so respectable in any case. And as she kept on imploring me to save her from you why shouldn’t I do her the favour, particularly as I wasn’t doing you any harm, seeing that you’ve consoled yourself with these damned Barnabas girls?” “Now I can see how frightened you are,” said K. , “frightened out of your wits; you’re trying to catch me with lies. All that Frieda asked for was to be saved from those filthy swine of assistants, who were getting past bounds, but unfortunately I hadn’t time to fulfil her wish completely, and now this is the result of my negligence.”