Page 129 - the-trial

rest and looking at K., “you didn’t like me, and I don’t
suppose you like me now, either.” “Liking wouldn’t be very
much,” said K., evasively. “Oh!” she exclaimed with a smile,
thus making use of K.’s comment to gain an advantage over
him. So K. remained silent for a while. By now, he had be-
come used to the darkness in the room and was able to
make out various fixtures and fittings. He was especially
impressed by a large picture hanging to the right of the
door, he leant forward in order to see it better. It depicted a
man wearing a judge’s robes; he was sitting on a lofty throne
gilded in a way that shone forth from the picture. The odd
thing about the picture was that this judge was not sitting
there in dignified calm but had his left arm pressed against
the back and armrest, his right arm, however, was com-
pletely free and only grasped the armrest with his hand, as
if about to jump up any moment in vigorous outrage and
make some decisive comment or even to pass sentence. The
accused was probably meant to be imagined at the foot of
the steps, the top one of which could be seen in the picture,
covered with a yellow carpet. “That might be my judge,”
said K., pointing to the picture with one finger. “I know
him,” said Leni looking up at the picture, “he comes here
quite often. That picture is from when he was young, but he
can never have looked anything like it, as he’s tiny, minute
almost. But despite that, he had himself made to look bigger
in the picture as he’s madly vain, just like everyone round
here. But even I’m vain and that makes me very unhappy
that you don’t like me.” K. replied to that last comment
merely by embracing Leni and drawing her towards him,

1 The Trial