Page 150 - the-trial

that really was their relationship, how would they direct
K.’s trial which, as the lawyer had explained, was especial-
ly difficult and therefore important enough to attract great
attention from the very first time it came to court? There
could not be much doubt about what they would do. The
first signs of it could already be seen in the fact that the first
documents still had not been submitted even though the
trial had already lasted several months, and that, according
to the lawyer, everything was still in its initial stages, which
was very effective, of course, in making the defendant pas-
sive and keeping him helpless. Then he could be suddenly
surprised with the verdict, or at least with a notification that
the hearing had not decided in his favour and the matter
would be passed on to a higher office.
It was essential that K. take a hand in it himself. On
winter’s mornings such as this, when he was very tired and
everything dragged itself lethargically through his head,
this belief of his seemed irrefutable. He no longer felt the
contempt for the trial that he had had earlier. If he had been
alone in the world it would have been easy for him to ignore
it, although it was also certain that, in that case, the trial
would never have arisen in the first place. But now, his uncle
had already dragged him to see the lawyer, he had to take
account of his family; his job was no longer totally sepa-
rate from the progress of the trial, he himself had carelessly
with a certain, inexplicable complacency mentioned it to
acquaintances and others had learned about it in ways he
did not know, his relationship with Miss Burstner seemed
to be in trouble because of it. In short, he no longer had any

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