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not to think about them, as if you do it makes the discus-
sions with the other lawyers, all their advice and all that
they do manage to achieve, seem so unpleasant and useless,
I had that experience myself, just wanted to throw every-
thing away and lay at home in bed and hear nothing more
about it. But that, of course, would be the stupidest thing
you could do, and you wouldn’t be left in peace in bed for
very long either.” “So you weren’t thinking about the great
lawyers at that time?” asked K. “Not for very long,” said the
businessman, and smiled again, “you can’t forget about
them entirely, I’m afraid, especially in the night when these
thoughts come so easily. But I wanted immediate results in
those days, so I went to the petty lawyers.”
“Well look at you two sat huddled together!” called Leni
as she came back with the dish and stood in the door-
way. They were indeed sat close together, if either of them
turned his head even slightly it would have knocked against
the other’s, the businessman was not only very small but
also sat hunched down, so that K. was also forced to bend
down low if he wanted to hear everything. “Not quite yet!”
called out K., to turn Leni away, his hand, still resting on
the businessman’s hand, twitching with impatience. “He
wanted me to tell him about my trial,” said the businessman
to Leni. “Carry on, then, carry on,” she said. She spoke to
the businessman with affection but, at the same time, with
condescension. K. did not like that, he had begun to learn
that the man was of some value after all, he had experience
at least, and he was willing to share it. Leni was probably
wrong about him. He watched her in irritation as Leni now

1 The Trial