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quietly. “Would you like me to go away again, sir?” asked
Block. “Well you’re here now,” said the lawyer. “Stay!” It was
as if the lawyer had not done as Block had wanted but in-
stead threatened him with a stick, as now Block really began
to shake. “I went to see,” said the lawyer, “the third judge
yesterday, a friend of mine, and slowly brought the conver-
sation round to the subject of you. Do you want to know
what he said?” “Oh, yes please,” said Block. The lawyer did
not answer immediately, so Block repeated his request and
lowered his head as if about to kneel down. But then K.
spoke to him: “What do you think you’re doing?” he shout-
ed. Leni had wanted to stop him from calling out and so he
took hold of her other hand. It was not love that made him
squeeze it and hold on to it so tightly, she sighed frequently
and tried to disengage her hands from him. But Block was
punished for K.’s outburst, as the lawyer asked him, “Who
is your lawyer?” “You are, sir,” said Block. “And who besides
me?” the lawyer asked. “No-one besides you, sir,” said Block.
“And let there be no-one besides me,” said the lawyer. Block
fully understood what that meant, he glowered at K., shak-
ing his head violently. If these actions had been translated
into words they would have been coarse insults. K. had been
friendly and willing to discuss his own case with someone
like this! “I won’t disturb you any more,” said K., leaning
back in his chair. “You can kneel down or creep on all fours,
whatever you like. I won’t bother with you any more.” But
Block still had some sense of pride, at least where K. was
concerned, and he went towards him waving his fists, shout-
ing as loudly as he dared while the lawyer was there. “You

The Trial