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all one had to do was to egg on the peasants against him, their persistent interference seemed much more objectionable to him than the reserve of the others, nor were they free from reserve either, for if he had sat down at their table they would not have stayed.
    Only the presence of Barnabas restrained him from making a scene.

    But he turned round to scowl at them, and found that they, too, were all looking at him. When he saw them sitting like that, however, each man in his own place, not speaking to one another and without any apparent mutual understanding, united only by the fact that they were all gazing at him, he concluded that it was not out of malice that they pursued him, perhaps they really wanted something from him and were only incapable of expressing it, if not that, it might be pure childishness, which seemed to be in fashion at the inn; was not the landlord himself childish, standing there stock-still gazing at K. with a glass of beer in his hand which he should have been carrying to a customer, and oblivious of his wife, who was leaning out of the kitchen hatch calling to him? With a quieter mind K. turned to Barnabas; he would have liked to dismiss his assistants, but could not think of an excuse. Besides, they were brooding peacefully over their beer.
    "The letter," began K., "I have read it. Do you know the contents?"
    "No," said Barnabas, whose look seemed to imply more than his words.
    Perhaps K. was as mistaken in Barnabas's goodness as in the malice of the peasants, but his presence remained a cornfort. "You are mentioned in the letter, too, you are supposed to carry messages now and then from me to the Chief, that's why I thought you might know the contents."
    "I was only told," said Barnabas, "to give you the letter, to wait until you had read it,and then to bring back a verbal or written answer if you thought it needful."
    "Very well," said K., "there's no need to write anything; convey to the Chief - by the way, what's his name? I couldn't read his signature."
    "Klamm," said Barnabas.
    "Well, convey to Herr Klamm my thanks for his recognition and for his great kindness, which 1 appreciate, being as I am one who has not yet proved his worth here. I shall follow his instructions faithfully. I have no particular requests to make for to-day."
    Barnabas, who had listened with close attention, asked to be allowed to recapitulate the message. K. assented, Barnabas repeated it word for word. Then he rose to take his leave. K. had been studying his face the whole time, and now he gave it a last survey.
    Barnabas was about the same height as K., but his eyes seemed to look down on K., yet that was almost in a kind of humility, it was impossible to think that this man could put anyone to shame. Of course he was only a messenger, and did not know the contents of the letters he carried, but the expression in his eyes, his smile, his bearing, seemed also to convey a message', however little he might know about it. And K. shook him by the hand, which seemed obviously to surprise him, for he had been going to content himself with a bow. As soon as he had gone - before opening the door he had leaned his shoulder against it for a moment and embraced the room generally in a final glance - K. said to the assistants: "Ìll bring down the plans from my room, and then we'll discuss what work is to be done first."
    They wanted to accompany him.
    "Stay here," said K.
    Still they tried to accompany him. K. had to repeat his command more authoritatively.
    Barnabas was no longer in the hall. But he had only just gone out. Yet in front of the house - fresh snow was falling - K. could not see him either. He called out: "Barnabas!"
    No answer.
    Could he still be in the house?
    Nothing else seemed possible. None the less K. yelled the name with the full force of his lungs. It thundered through the night. And from the distance came a faint response, so far away was Barnabas already. K. called him back, and at the same time went