word put in for me. But the landlord was delighted that I had a word put in for me to make it easy for him to take me on again. It actually ended by them having to press me to take on the post; when you reflect what the taproom reminds me of you’ll understand that. Finally I decided to take it on. I’m only here temporarily. Pepi begged us not to put her to the shame of having to leave the taproom at once, and seeing that she has been willing and has done everything to the best of her ability, we have given her a twenty-four hours’ extension.” “That’s all very nicely arranged,” said K. , “but once you left the taproom for my sake, and now that we’re soon to be married are you going back to it again?” “There will be no marriage,” said Frieda. “Because I’ve been unfaithful to you?” asked K. Frieda nodded. “Now, look here, Frieda,” said K. , “we’ve often talked already about this alleged unfaithfulness of mine, and every time you’ve had to recognise finally that your suspicions were unjust. And since then nothing has changed on my side, all I’ve done has remained as innocent as it was at first and as it must always remain. So something must have changed on your side, through the suggestions of strangers or in some way or other. You do me an injustice in any case, for just listen to how I stand with those two girls. The one, the dark one⁠—I’m almost ashamed to defend myself on particular points like this, but you give me no choice⁠—the dark one, then, is probably just as displeasing to me as to you: I keep my distance with her in every way I can, and she makes it easy, too, no one could be more retiring than she is.” “Yes,” cried Frieda, the words slipped out as if against her will, K. was delighted to see her attention diverted, she was not saying what she had intended⁠—“Yes, you may look upon her as retiring, you tell me that the most shameless creature of them all is retiring, and incredible as it is, you mean it honestly, you’re not shamming, I know. The Bridge Inn landlady once said of you: ‘I can’t abide him, but I can’t let him alone either, one simply can’t control oneself when one sees a child that can hardly walk trying to go too far for it, one simply has to interfere.’ ” “Pay attention to her advice for this once,” said K. smiling, “but that girl⁠—whether she’s