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induced to say very much. It was not even out of the ques-
tion that K. might, after all, be persuaded that it would be
best to leave his defence to the lawyer and withdraw his dis-
missal.
As usual, there was at first no response to K.’s ring at the
door. “Leni could be a bit quicker,” thought K. But he could
at least be glad there was nobody else interfering as usually
happened, be it the man in his nightshirt or anyone else
who might bother him. As K. pressed on the button for the
second time he looked back at the other door, but this time
it, too, remained closed. At last, two eyes appeared at the
spy-hatch in the lawyer’s door, although they weren’t Leni’s
eyes. Someone unlocked the door, but kept himself pressed
against it as he called back inside, “It’s him!”, and only then
did he open the door properly. K. pushed against the door,
as behind him he could already hear the key being hurried-
ly turned in the lock of the door to the other flat. When the
door in front of him finally opened, he stormed straight
into the hallway. Through the corridor which led between
the rooms he saw Leni, to whom the warning cry of the
door opener had been directed, still running away in her
nightshirt . He looked at her for a moment and then looked
round at the person who had opened the door. It was a
small, wizened man with a full beard, he held a candle in
his hand. “Do you work here?” asked K. “No,” answered the
man, “I don’t belong here at all, the lawyer is only represent-
ing me, I’m here on legal business.” “Without your coat?”
asked K., indicating the man’s deficiency of dress with a
gesture of his hand. “Oh, do forgive me!” said the man, and

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