Page 269 - the-trial

followed the young woman in front of them, not so much
because he wanted to catch up with her, nor even because he
wanted to keep her in sight for as long as possible, but only
so that he would not forget the reproach she represented for
him. “The only thing I can do now,” he said to himself, and
his thought was confirmed by the equal length of his own
steps with the steps of the two others, “the only thing I can
do now is keep my common sense and do what’s needed
right till the end. I always wanted to go at the world and try
and do too much, and even to do it for something that was
not too cheap. That was wrong of me. Should I now show
them I learned nothing from facing trial for a year? Should
I go out like someone stupid? Should I let anyone say, after
I’m gone, that at the start of the proceedings I wanted to end
them, and that now that they’ve ended I want to start them
again? I don’t want anyone to say that. I’m grateful they sent
these unspeaking, uncomprehending men to go with me on
this journey, and that it’s been left up to me to say what’s
necessary”.
Meanwhile, the young woman had turned off into a side
street, but K. could do without her now and let his compan-
ions lead him. All three of them now, in complete agreement,
went over a bridge in the light of the moon, the two gentle-
men were willing to yield to each little movement made by
K. as he moved slightly towards the edge and directed the
group in that direction as a single unit. The moonlight glit-
tered and quivered in the water, which divided itself around
a small island covered in a densely-piled mass of foliage
and trees and bushes. Beneath them, now invisible, there

The Trial