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he looked at himself in the light of the candle he was hold-
ing as if he had not known about his appearance until then.
“Is Leni your lover?” asked K. curtly. He had set his legs
slightly apart, his hands, in which he held his hat, were be-
hind his back. Merely by being in possession of a thick
overcoat he felt his advantage over this thin little man. “Oh
God,” he said and, shocked, raised one hand in front of his
face as if in defence, “no, no, what can you be thinking?”
“You look honest enough,” said K. with a smile, “but come
along anyway.” K. indicated with his hat which way the man
was to go and let him go ahead of him. “What is you name
then?” asked K. on the way. “Block. I’m a businessman,”
said the small man, twisting himself round as he thus intro-
duced himself, although K. did not allow him to stop
moving. “Is that your real name?” asked K. “Of course it is,”
was the man’s reply, “why do you doubt it?” “I thought you
might have some reason to keep your name secret,” said K.
He felt himself as much at liberty as is normally only felt in
foreign parts when speaking with people of lower standing,
keeping everything about himself to himself, speaking only
casually about the interests of the other, able to raise him to
a level above one’s own, but also able, at will, to let him drop
again. K. stopped at the door of the lawyer’s office, opened it
and, to the businessman who had obediently gone ahead,
called, “Not so fast! Bring some light here!” K. thought Leni
might have hidden in here, he let the businessman search in
every corner, but the room was empty. In front of the pic-
ture of the judge K. took hold of the businessman’s braces to
stop him moving on. “Do you know him?” he asked, point-

00 The Trial