Page 49 - the-trial

“I will, however, as an exception, continue with it today. But
you should never arrive late like this again. And now, step
forward!” Someone jumped down from the podium so that
there would be a place free for K., and K. stepped up onto it.
He stood pressed closely against the table, the press of the
crowd behind him was so great that he had to press back
against it if he did not want to push the judge’s desk down
off the podium and perhaps the judge along with it.
The judge, however, paid no attention to that but sat very
comfortably on his chair and, after saying a few words to
close his discussion with the man behind him, reached for a
little note book, the only item on his desk. It was like an old
school exercise book and had become quite misshapen from
much thumbing. “Now then,” said the judge, thumbing
through the book. He turned to K. with the tone of someone
who knows his facts and said, “you are a house painter?”
“No,” said K., “I am the chief clerk in a large bank.” This
reply was followed by laughter among the right hand fac-
tion down in the hall, it was so hearty that K. couldn’t stop
himself joining in with it. The people supported themselves
with their hands on their knees and shook as if suffering a
serious attack of coughing. Even some of those in the gal-
lery were laughing. The judge had become quite cross but
seemed to have no power over those below him in the hall,
he tried to reduce what harm had been done in the gallery
and jumped up threatening them, his eyebrows, until then
hardly remarkable, pushed themselves up and became big,
black and bushy over his eyes.
The left hand side of the hall was still quiet, though, the

The Trial