Page 233 - the-trial

the lawyer had ordered him to crawl under the bed as if it
were a kennel and to bark out from under it, then he would
have done so with enthusiasm. K. listened to all of this, test-
ing it and thinking it over as if he had been given the task of
closely observing everything spoken here, inform a higher
office about it and write a report. “And what has he been do-
ing all day?” asked the lawyer. “I kept him locked in the
maid’s room all day,” said Leni, “so that he wouldn’t stop me
doing my work. That’s where he usually stays. From time to
time I looked in through the spyhole to see was he was do-
ing, and each time he was kneeling on the bed and reading
the papers you gave him, propped up on the window sill.
That made a good impression on me; as the window only
opens onto an air shaft and gives hardly any light. It showed
how obedient he is that he was even reading in those condi-
tions.” “I’m pleased to hear it,” said the lawyer. “But did he
understand what he was reading?” While this conversation
was going on, Block continually moved his lips and was
clearly formulating the answers he hoped Leni would give.
“Well I can’t give you any certain answer to that of course,”
said Leni, “but I could see that he was reading thoroughly.
He spent all day reading the same page, running his finger
along the lines. Whenever I looked in on him he sighed as if
this reading was a lot of work for him. I expect the papers
you gave him were very hard to understand.” “Yes,” said the
lawyer, “they certainly are that. And I really don’t think he
understood anything of them. But they should at least give
him some inkling of just how hard a struggle it is and how
much work it is for me to defend him. And who am I doing

The Trial