kind of ignorance which can’t be enlightened at one attempt, and perhaps never can be, but there’s a lot you could learn if you would only believe me a little and keep you own ignorance constantly in mind. For instance you would at once be less unjust to me, and you would begin to have an inkling of the shock it was to me—a shock from which I’m still suffering—when I realised that my dear little Frieda had, so to speak, deserted the eagle for the snake in the grass, only the real situation is much worse even than that, and I have to keep on trying to forget it so as to be able to speak civilly to you at all. Oh, now you’re angry again! No, don’t go away yet, listen to this one appeal: Wherever you may be, never forget that you’re the most ignorant person in the village, and be cautious; here in this house where Frieda’s presence saves you from harm you can drivel on to your heart’s content, for instance here you can explain to us how you mean to get an interview with Klamm, but I entreat you, I entreat you, don’t do it in earnest.”
She stood up, tottering a little with agitation, went over to K. , took