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is unwell,” said the girl as K.’s uncle, without stopping,
rushed towards one of the doors. K. continued to look at the
girl in amazement as she turned round to block the way into
the living room, she had a round face like a puppy’s, not
only the pale cheeks and the chin were round but the tem-
ples and the hairline were too. “Josef!” called his uncle once
more, and he asked the girl, “It’s trouble with his heart, is
it?” “I think it is, sir,” said the girl, who by now had found
time to go ahead with the candle and open the door into the
room. In one corner of the room, where the light of the can-
dle did not reach, a face with a long beard looked up from
the bed. “Leni, who’s this coming in?” asked the lawyer, un-
able to recognise his guests because he was dazzled by the
candle. “It’s your old friend, Albert,” said K.’s uncle. “Oh,
Albert,” said the lawyer, falling back onto his pillow as if
this visit meant he would not need to keep up appearances.
“Is it really as bad as that?” asked K.’s uncle, sitting on the
edge of the bed. “I don’t believe it is. It’s a recurrence of your
heart trouble and it’ll pass over like the other times.” “May-
be,” said the lawyer quietly, “but it’s just as much trouble as
it’s ever been. I can hardly breathe, I can’t sleep at all and
I’m getting weaker by the day.” “I see,” said K.’s uncle, press-
ing his panama hat firmly against his knee with his big
hand. “That is bad news. But are you getting the right sort of
care? And it’s so depressing in here, it’s so dark. It’s a long
time since I was last here, but it seemed to me friendlier
then. Even your young lady here doesn’t seem to have much
life in her, unless she’s just pretending.” The maid was still
standing by the door with the candle; as far as could be

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