Chapter 9 Eight Grain Merchant Bullock - Fire Lawyer

K. finally decided not to let the lawyer intervene in his case.Is it wise to take this step?He has always had doubts about it.In the end, however, the belief that it must be had the upper hand.It took him a lot of effort to make up his mind.On the day he decided to meet with the lawyer, he was unproductive; he had to stay in the office until late in order to complete his assignment.When he arrived at the door of the lawyer's house, it was past ten o'clock.He thought it over again before ringing the bell; perhaps it would be better to fire the lawyer by phone or letter, it would be embarrassing to talk about it in person.But he doesn't want to give up the benefits of face-to-face interviews; if the lawyer is fired in other ways, the lawyer will acquiesce in the status quo, or write a sentence or two of approval in a high-sounding manner.Unless K. went to Leni to find out what had happened, he would never know how the lawyer reacted to the dismissal and what, in the lawyer's opinion, the consequences of this move would be.The opinion of the lawyer should be taken seriously.He interviewed the lawyer, who could surprise him with a demand for dismissal; no matter how vigilant the lawyer was, K would easily learn all he wanted to know from his behavior; K might even find it wiser to let the lawyer intervene in the case, Therefore, you will change your decision.

The first bell he rang at the lawyer's door was as usual, producing no results. "Leni should have moved more quickly," thought K.Thankfully, though, this time, unlike usual, there was no second party to meddle, like the man in the pajamas or any other meddling guy. K. rang the bell again and looked at the next door, but this time both doors were closed.Finally, a pair of eyes emerge from behind the officer on the lawyer's door, but not Leni's eyes.One unplugged the door latch, but kept the door open as a precaution.After a while, the man yelled "it's him" into the room before opening the door. K. was leaning against the door, he could hear the hurried sound of the key being turned.At last the door opened, and K almost burst into the antechamber.He saw Leni scurrying down the passage in her pajamas; the man who had called into the house must have greeted her.He watched her back for a moment, then turned to see who opened the door.It was a thin, short, bearded man who held a candle in one hand. "Do you work here?" asked K. "No," said the man, "I don't belong to their family, I'm just a client of the lawyer, and I came to him on business." "You came in your shirt?" asked K, pointing to the man's inappropriate attire. . "Oh, excuse me," said the man, looking at himself by the light of the candle as if he had no idea he was disheveled. "Is Leni your mistress?" asked K. coldly.He spread his legs slightly, held the hat in his hand, and clenched his fist behind his back.Just because he was wearing a thick woolen coat, he felt superior to the thin guy. "Oh, God," said the man, holding out his hand in front of his face in surprise and denial, "no, no, what are you thinking!" "You look like an honest man," laughed K. "But it doesn't matter, let's go!" K waved his hat and pushed the man, asking him to go first. "What's your name?" asked K. as they moved forward. "Blok, a grain merchant," said the little man, turning around and introducing himself, but K. could not allow the man to stand still. "Is that your real name?" K. continued. "Of course," was the answer, "why do you suspect that it's not your real name?" "I think you may have some reason to remain anonymous," said K.He feels relaxed now, just like when a person goes to a foreign country and talks to a person who is not as good as himself, he can keep his own affairs secret, but he can calmly participate in discussions about that person's affairs. Leave it alone as you please.When they reached the door of the lawyer's study, K. stopped, opened the door, and called to the grain merchant who was walking leisurely along the aisle: "Don't hurry, just follow here." K. thought, Lai Ni might be hiding in the study. He asked the grain merchant to take a candlestick and take a look at every corner of the room: there was no one in the study. K. went up to the judge's portrait, pulled the grain merchant by the braces behind him, and dragged him back. "Do you know who he is?" he asked, pointing to the painting on the wall.The grain merchant held up the candle, blinked at it for a while, and said to K.: "It's a judge." "A senior judge?" asked K.He stood beside the man, observing what impression the painting would make on the man.The grain merchant looked up respectfully. "A senior judge," he said. "Your eyesight is not very good," said K., "he is one of the lowest-ranking examining magistrates." "Now I remember," said the man, putting down the candle, "that was what they told me before." "This is Of course," said K. loudly, "how could I have forgotten, of course you have heard of it before." "But why must I have heard of it?" said the man, walking towards the door Go, because K is pushing him from behind.When they were in the passage, K. said: "I think you know where Leni is hiding?" "Where is it?" he said, "No, she is probably in the kitchen making soup for the lawyer. " "Why didn't you tell me in the first place?" asked K. "I was going to take you to her, but you stopped me," replied the man, seemingly confused by these conflicting inquiries. "You think you're very clever," said K., "take me into the kitchen!" K. had never been in the kitchen, which was surprisingly large and well-equipped.The cooking stove was three times larger than the average stove; other things could not be seen very clearly, because there was only a small lamp hanging by the door.Lenny, as usual, in her white apron, was standing by the stove, beating eggs into a stock pot on top of the kerosene stove. "Good evening, Joseph," she said, turning to K. with a glance. "Good evening," said K., and directed the grain merchant to a farther chair, where he sat down obediently. K. then walked up behind Leni, leaned close to her, leaned on her shoulder and asked: "Who is this man?" Leni stirred the soup with one hand, put K. on his arm with the other, and let him come forward. "He's a poor wretch," she said, "a poor grain merchant named Blok. Look at him." They both turned to look at the grain merchant.The man was sitting in the chair assigned by K. and had already blown out the candle, since there was no need to light it again; he was snuffing out the stump with his fingers. "You're only in your pajamas," said K., and he turned Leni's head violently back towards the stove.She didn't answer. "Is he your lover?" asked K.She reached for the saucepan, but K. took her both hands and said: "Answer me!" She said: "Go into the study and I will tell you all about it." "No," said K., "I want you Tell me here." She quietly took K.'s arm and was about to kiss him, but K pushed her away and said to her: "I don't need you to kiss me now." "Joseph," said Leni, begging and stared at him frankly, "Surely you don't envy Mr. Brock?" Then she turned to the grain merchant and said, "Come and help me, Rudy, you see, I'm under suspicion; put down the candle." The people It might have been thought that the grain merchant had been absent-minded, but he understood at once what Lainee had said. "I can't imagine you have anything to be jealous of," he said bluntly. "I really can't imagine being jealous either," replied K., smiling, looking at him.Leni laughed out loud when she heard this, and while K was in a good mood for a while, she hooked his arm and whispered, "Leave him alone now, and you'll understand what kind of guy he is. I'm a little more polite to him." Some, because he's one of the lawyer's best clients, and that's the only reason. How are you? Would you like to see the lawyer tonight? He's not feeling well today; but that's all right, if you want to see him, I'll Tell him you're here. But you must spend the night with me. You haven't been seen in a long time since you were here last time, and even the lawyer asked you. Can't be indifferent to your case! I've heard some I'll tell you something about the situation. But first, take off your coat." She helped him take off his coat, took his hat, ran to the hall to hang it, and then ran back to look at the pot. soup. "Shall I announce that you are here, or should I serve him soup first?" "Let's announce first," said K.He was annoyed because he wanted to talk the whole case over with Leni, especially the dismissal of the lawyer;Then again, he thought the matter too important to be left to the interference of a little grain merchant; so he called back Lainee who had entered the passage. "No, let him have the soup first," he said, "that way he'll talk to me with more strength, which he needs." "So you're a client of the lawyer, too," said the grain merchant. Sitting in the corner of the room, he said calmly; he seemed to want to prove one thing.His words had adverse consequences. "What's your business?" said K.; Leni interrupted: "Don't shout." Leni said to K.: "Well, I'll bring him the soup first." She poured the soup into a bowl. "But he'll probably fall asleep right away, he has to sleep after every meal." "What I'm going to tell him will keep him up all night," said K., trying to make it clear , his meeting with the lawyer would be very important; he expected Leni to come and question him, and then he would ask her for advice.But Leni just did exactly as he was told.She was carrying the soup, and when she passed in front of him, she deliberately poked him with her elbow, and said to him softly: "As soon as he finishes drinking the soup, I will notify him of your arrival, so that you can come back to me as soon as possible." Come here." "Go," said K., "you go quickly." "Don't be so angry," she said, and turned away at the door with the soup bowl in hand.

K stood where he was, watching her.Now that he had made up his mind to fire the lawyer, he certainly didn't have the opportunity to discuss it with Leni first.Though these matters are far beyond her powers, she is sure to persuade him to change his mind; and this time her opinion may well prevail, and she may well cause him to abandon his original intention and make him continue to be the subject of doubt and fear. Sacrifice until his decision could finally be put into practice; a decision too important to pass up.The sooner this decision is implemented, the less pain he will suffer.The corn merchant might be able to enlighten him on this matter.

Then he turned to the grain merchant, who made a jerk, as if about to jump up. "Sit down," said K., pulling up a chair and sitting down next to the grain merchant. "You have been the lawyer's client for a long time, haven't you?" "Yes," said the grain merchant, "his client for a long time." "How long has he been involved in your case?" asked K. "I don't understand what you mean," said the merchant. "In business—I'm a grain merchant—the lawyer has been my attorney from the beginning, that is to say, for twenty years; He was my lawyer from the very beginning, that is to say, more than five years ago. Yes, more than five years now," he produced an old Notebook, to corroborate what I said, "I have it all in here. I can give the exact dates if you like. It is very difficult to keep these dates in your head. My case may go back further. Earlier, earlier than I said, it started as soon as my wife died, must have been five and a half years ago." K. moved the chair closer to the man. "So the lawyer is also involved in estate disputes?" asked K.The connection between courts and jurisprudence seemed to him unusually strong. "Of course," said the grain merchant, and added in a low voice: "They even say he knows better about inheritance disputes than anything else." He put a hand on K.'s shoulder and said to K.: "Don't betray me, please." K. patted his thigh lightly and said: "No, I won't tell the truth." "You know , he was used to retaliation," Blok said. "Surely he wouldn't hurt a loyal client like you, would he?" said K. "Oh, he will," said Blok, "when he loses his temper he disowns all his relatives; besides, I'm not really loyal to him." "What's the matter?" asked K. "I probably shouldn't have told you," Brock said hesitantly. "I think you might as well say it," said K. "Well," said Blok, "I'll tell you a few things, but you've got to tell me one of your secrets, too, so we can hold each other's hand." "You're so cautious " said K., "the secret I'm about to tell you will dispel all your doubts. Now tell me how you have been disloyal to the lawyer." "Well," said the merchant hesitantly, as if making an admission. A shameful thing, "I have other lawyers besides him." "It's nothing special," said K., somewhat disappointed. "It is said that this is impossible," said the merchant, who had been breathless from the beginning of his speech, but was now relieved by K.'s cooperation. "This is not allowed. Especially when you have a formal lawyer, you are not allowed to consult with those lawyers. And I am doing this. Besides him, I have five lawyers." "Five !” exclaimed K., who was surprised by the number. “Besides this one, are there five other lawyers?” Blok nodded and went on: “I’m still negotiating with the sixth lawyer.” “However, you What do you need so many lawyers for?" asked K. "Every single one of them is useful to me," Brock said. "Tell me what's going on, would you like to?" said K. "Of course I will," said the grain merchant. "First of all, I don't want to lose the case, as you can easily understand; so I dare not let go of anything that might be of use to me. If there is any hope of doing my own good, Even if this hope is very remote, I will never give up. It is for this reason that I have spent all the money on my case. For example, I have filled in all the money of the business; A whole floor, and now all I need is a north-facing room and a clerk. Of course my business is dying, not just because I'm running out of money, but because I'm running out of energy. When you go all out When you're working on your own case, you don't have much energy to spend on other things." "So you're also working on your own case," interrupted K. "I was just about to ask you That question." "There's nothing much to say about it," said the grain merchant; "at first I tried to take matters into my own hands, but then I had to give up. It was exhausting and disappointing. Just going to court Go, see how things are going, it takes a lot of money, at least for me. Even if you just sit there, waiting to be called, you will feel listless. You know how the air is in there So." "How do you know that I have been to court?" asked K. "I happened to be there when you passed the passage." "What a coincidence!" cried K., absorbed by the grain merchant's words, completely forgetting that just now he thought the grain merchant was a very ridiculous character. "So you saw me! You were there when I went down the aisle. Yes, I went down the aisle once." "It wasn't a coincidence," said the grain merchant. I have to go there every day." "I'll probably have to go there often from now on," said K., "but probably I won't be greeted with as much grandeur as that time when everyone stood up. I think you must take me for a judge." "No," said the merchant, "we stood up because of the porter. We know that you are also a defendant. This kind of news spread like wildfire." "So you already knew then," said K., "that you probably thought I was a high-ranking, powerful person. Did no one talk about that?" "No opinion of you." bad," said the grain merchant, "but it's all nonsense." "How can it be nonsense?" asked K. "Why do you ask?" said the grain merchant angrily. "You don't seem to know the people there, and you'll be misunderstood. Remember, in these courts, everything comes up for discussion." , these discussions are ridiculous. People get tired and can no longer concentrate and think, so they resort to superstition. I'm as bad at this as anyone else. According to one superstition, people can tell a person and especially the line of his lips, to see how his case will play out. For example, people will declare that, judging by your lip movements, you will be found guilty, and in the near future. I I can tell you that superstition is stupid as hell, and in many cases the assumptions it makes are completely different from the truth. But if you live among these people, it's hard not to be immune to this overriding perception You can't imagine what a profound effect such superstitions can have. You spoke to a man there, didn't you? ; one of the reasons why he was speechless: after seeing your lips, he was stimulated. He later said that he found in your lips the signs of his own condemnation." "On my lips on?" asked K., taking a small mirror from his pocket and examining his lips carefully. "I don't see anything special on my lips. Can you see it?" "I don't see it either," said the grain merchant, "not at all." "Those people are superstitious!" K said loudly. "Didn't I tell you?" said the grain merchant. "Then they probably meet often and exchange ideas?" asked K. "I've never had any dealings with them." "They don't usually see each other very much," said the grain merchant. Too many people. Besides, they have very little common interest. Some occasionally believe that a common interest has been found, but soon find themselves wrong. People cannot act unitedly against the courts. Each case is heard individually , the Court is unequivocal on this point. So the possibility of concerted action is out of the question. Individuals may covertly make some progress here or there, but others only get a glimpse of it after the fact, and no one So there is no real unity of action; people meet frequently in the aisles, but talk very little. Superstition is an old tradition that is growing spontaneously." "I saw all the people," K pointed out, "and I thought to myself, what a point they are hanging around here." "Not pointless. Not at all," said Blok, "the only pointless thing is independent action. You said I had five other lawyers besides this one. You might think—and I have thought so—that I could sit back and let this case go. You would be wrong. I It has to be watched more closely than when I had only one lawyer. I don't think you can understand that, can you?" "Yes," said K., putting out his hand and pressing it, begging him not to. Speak so quickly, "I would like you to speak a little slower, these things are of the utmost importance to me, and I cannot keep up with your speed." "I am glad you reminded me," said the grain merchant, "of course , you're new here, and you're inexperienced in this sort of thing. Your case's only six months old, haven't you? Yes, I've heard of it. Six months is too short a time! But I've thought about it so many times, it's become second nature to me." "I think you must be very grateful when you think that your case has come this far," said K., not wanting to Inquire directly how far the grain merchant's case has progressed.He didn't get a direct answer. "Yes, I have carried this burden for five full years," Brock said, bowing his head. "It's not a trivial matter." He was silent for a while. K listened attentively to see if Leni had returned.On the one hand, he didn't want Lainee to come in at this moment, because he had a lot of questions to ask, and he didn't want her to see him having a heart-to-heart conversation with the grain merchant; Here I am still troubled by staying with the lawyer for so long: How can it take so much time to send a bowl of soup! "I can still vividly recall the beginning," the grain merchant resumed, and K immediately listened attentively. "My case was at the stage where yours is now. I had only one lawyer." , I'm not very satisfied with him." "Now I can clear everything up," thought K., nodding kindly, as if this would motivate the grain merchant to tell everything. "There was no progress in my case at that time," Blok continued. "I have been tried several times, and I have been tried each time; It turned out that it was completely superfluous. I often come to the lawyer, and he has filed several complaints—" "How many complaints?" asked K. "Yes, that's right," Brock said. "This is very important to me," said K., "because he is preparing the first statement of appeal for my case. He has not written anything up to now. Now I understand how little he cares about me." It's a disgrace." "The pleadings haven't been written yet, and probably he had some good reasons," said Blok, "and I'll tell you the truth, my pleadings were pretty much useless afterward. Thanks to the kindness of a judge , I have seen one of them. It is profound, but empty. It begins with a sentence in Latin, which I cannot understand; , although no names were named, but those skilled in the art will know who they are boasting at a glance; the next is the lawyer boasting about himself, and at the same time flattering the court; past cases similar to the situation in the case. Based on what I have learned, I must admit that this analysis is very detailed and incisive. Don't think I am evaluating the work of lawyers; the complaint is just a lot It's just a copy of the complaint. But anyway, I don't see any progress in my case. That's what I mean." "What kind of progress would you like to see?" asked K. "That's a good question," said the grain merchant, laughing. "It's hard to get any noticeable progress in these cases. But I didn't understand that. I was a businessman, and I was more of a businessman then than I am now. I was I just want to get visible results. I think this series of consultations will either end, or be transferred to a higher level according to the normal way. But what follows are just some passing interrogations. Again, I can answer as if I were saying a prayer. The court summons has to come several times a week to my business, my house, or wherever I can be found, which is of course a nuisance, and things are much better now, Because calling me doesn't bother me too much. Besides, rumors about my case are spreading everywhere, not only to my business friends, but even to my relatives. So, I hit walls everywhere , and the court did not show any intention to try my case legally in the near future. So I went to the lawyer and vented my grievances to him. He asked me to explain it in detail, but flatly Refusing to do what I said. He said that no one could cause the court to set a date for hearing the case. It was unheard of to put such a demand in the pleadings - which I was expecting him to do. This will only destroy me and him. I thought to myself: what this lawyer doesn't want to do or can't do, another lawyer must be willing and able to do. So I went to find other lawyers. I have to tell you now too , and none of them ever asked the court to fix a date for my case, nor did they make any effort to get a trial. It is practically impossible to do so—there is one exception, which I will explain in a moment The lawyer didn't really do me any wrong, but I don't think it's necessary to regret having another lawyer. Dr. Holder has told you a lot about lawyers, I think, and he must have They were reduced to nothing; and in a sense they were. But he always made a small mistake in speaking of them, and in comparing them with himself and his colleagues, Let me draw your attention to this in passing. He always refers to the lawyers in his circle as "big lawyers" as a comparison. This is not true; of course, anyone who likes it can add but this matter should be decided by the tradition of the court. Except for lawyers who are uneducated, all lawyers, big and small, are recognized by the court. According to the tradition of the court, our lawyer and his colleagues only They belong to the category of small lawyers, but I have only heard of real big lawyers, and I have never seen them. They stand above small lawyers, just like small lawyers stand above lawyers." "The real ones Barristers?" asked K. "Who are they? How can one find them?" "So you've never heard of them," said Blok. "The defendants have heard of barristers. Afterwards, always daydreaming about seeing them, with the rare exception of one defendant. Don't be fooled, though. I don't know who the barristers are, and I don't believe them.able to find them.I don't know of any cases in which they have definitely intervened.Because they only plead certain cases when it pleases them.They only defend those they are willing to defend.Also I guess they only act when the case has passed beyond the lower courts.In fact, one had better forget about all these barristers, or they would think the conversation was silliness and foolishness when they listened to the cautious ideas and suggestions of ordinary lawyers - I have experienced it myself ; so they want to throw everything away and go to bed and sleep with their heads covered.Of course, it would be even more stupid to do this, because even if you go to bed, you can't sleep well. "So you didn't think about going to a barrister then?" asked K. "It was like this for a while," said Blok, who smiled again. "Unfortunately, one cannot completely forget the barristers, especially at night.But at the time I needed immediate results, so I went to the theorists. "

"How close you two are!" cried Leni, who had returned with the soup bowl and was standing in the doorway.They were indeed sitting close together, their heads touching at the slightest movement; little Blok sat there, leaning forward, speaking in such a low voice that K. had to bend over him to hear every word he said. sentence. "Let's stay together quietly for a while," cried K., telling Leni to go away, his hand still resting on the grain merchant's shaking with rage. "He wants me to present my case to him," the grain merchant said to Leni. "Well, you go ahead and introduce him," she said.She spoke to Blok in a kind, though slightly haughty tone, which displeased K.In any case, K. has discovered that the grain merchant has a certain value, he has his own experience and knows how to communicate this experience to others.It was possible that Lainey at least had not found his worth.To K.'s displeasure even more, Leni took away the candle that the grain merchant had been holding, wiped his hands with her apron, and bent down to wipe the candle tears off his trousers. "You just said that you went to the lawyers," said K., and silently pushed Leni's hand away. "What are you doing?" she asked, patted K., and went on wiping the tears off the grain merchant's trousers. "Yes, I went to see a lawyer," Blok said, rubbing his hand to his forehead as if in recollection. K. wanted to help him remember, so he added: "You wanted immediate results, so you went to the lawyers." "Yes," said Blok, but did not go on. "Probably he doesn't want to speak in Leni's presence," thought K.; immediately suppressing his eagerness to hear what happened, he did not press the man any further.

"Have you reported?" he asked Leni. "Of course," she said, "the lawyer is waiting for you. Now leave Blok alone, and you can talk to him later, because he's always here." K. was still hesitating. "Do you stay here all the time?" he asked the grain merchant; he wanted the man to speak for himself, and he didn't want Leni to speak for him, because she spoke as if the man wasn't there at all. Today K. is very angry with Leni for some reason.But it was Leni who spoke again: "He often sleeps here." "He sleeps here?" cried K., who thought that the grain merchant would just wait until his brief conversation with the lawyer was over, and then they would leave together. , find a place to discuss this matter thoroughly in private. "Yes," said Leni, "no one like you, Joseph, comes to the lawyer whenever he likes. You even think that if you ask for a patient like the lawyer at eleven o'clock at night, he should do the same." Promise, you won't find it strange. You take for granted what your friends do for you. Yes, your friends, at least me, will do for you. I don't want you to thank me, I don't I need everyone's thanks; I just want you to like me." "Like you?" K thought, but only after the words came to his mind did he realize: "I like her." But he didn't Ignoring the other things she said, she just said: "He agreed to meet me because I am his client. If I want to talk to a lawyer and need help from others, then I have to keep bowing and bowing. "He's tough today, isn't he?" Lainey said to the grain merchant. "Now it's my turn to be ignored, she only talks to him as if I were not there," thought K., who was also angry with the grain merchant, who also spoke in the same rude manner as Leni: "But, The lawyer agreed to meet him for other reasons. His case is much more interesting than mine. Also, his case is still in its infancy and may have hope, so the lawyer is willing to intervene. You will find out about these two cases later It's different." "Yes, yes," said Leni, looking at the grain merchant and smiling, "you can talk!" Then she turned to K.: "You can take a word of what he said." Don't believe it either. He's a nice guy, but too talkative. Maybe that's why the lawyer can't stand him. That's why the lawyer never sees him unless he's in a particularly good mood. I've tried to change that, but it's no use. Just think how many times I've told the lawyer that Blok was here, but the lawyer didn't see him for three days. If he wasn't there when the lawyer wanted to see him, his chance was lost; I had to Start all over, re-inform him. So I have to put Brock to sleep here, because it happened before that the lawyer called him in the middle of the night. So Brock has to be ready to see the lawyer at all times, day and night. Sometimes When the lawyer changed his mind, he once found out that Blok was indeed waiting there, but he refused to see him." K cast a questioning look at the grain merchant, who nodded, in the straightforward tone just now, "Yes, as time goes by, people become more and more attached to their lawyers," said perhaps with a sense of self-deprecation and unease. Sleep here, he used to tell me that." She moved to a small door and pushed it open. "Would you like to see his bedroom?" she asked. Ｋ跟着她走，从门口向里面看了一眼：这间屋子天花板很低，没有窗子，窄得只能放一张床，要上床就得爬过床架。床头边的墙上有个洞，里面放着一根蜡烛，一个墨水瓶和一支笔，这些东西都整整齐齐地摆在一叠文件旁边——可能是有关案子的文件。 “这么说，你睡在女仆的房间里？”Ｋ转过头来问谷物商。 “是莱妮让我睡在这儿的，”他说，“这儿很方便。”Ｋ久久地注视着他；他给Ｋ留下的第一个印象也许不错；勃洛克经验丰富，这是肯定的，因为他的案子已经拖了好几年，然而他为取得这些经验却付出了很高的代价。 Ｋ突然觉得无法忍受他的那副模样。 “让他上床去，”Ｋ对莱妮嚷道，她好像没明白他的意思。其实他是想摆脱律师，不仅使霍尔德，而且也使莱妮和谷物商从自己的生活中消失。但是，勃洛克在走到卧室门口之前，低声对Ｋ说：“Ｋ先生。”Ｋ生气地转过身来。 “你忘了自己的诺言，”商人说，他朝Ｋ伸出手，像是在哀求。 “你得把你的一个秘密告诉我。”“不错，”Ｋ说，并且扫了莱妮一眼，莱妮正全神贯注地看着他。 “好吧，你听着，不过现在已经是一个公开的秘密了。我要到律师那儿去，解聘他，不要他过问我的案子。”“解聘他！”谷物商惊奇地喊道；他从椅子上跳起来，举起双臂，在厨房里匆匆跑了一圈，一面跑一面嚷道：“他要解聘律师！”莱妮抓住Ｋ的胳膊，但是勃洛克却把他拉开，她攥起拳头打勃洛克。她握着拳，赶紧去追Ｋ，Ｋ已经走了好远了。她刚要追上Ｋ，Ｋ却一步跨进律师的房间；他打算随手把门关上，但是莱妮从门缝中挤进一只脚来，伸出手，抓住他的胳膊往后拽。 Ｋ使劲捏着莱妮的手腕，疼得她“哎哟”一声，不得不松开手。她不敢硬挤进屋来，Ｋ钥匙一转，把门锁了。

“我等了你好久啦，”律师从床上对Ｋ说，他把刚才正借着烛光阅读的一份文件放在桌上，架上眼镜，凝视着Ｋ。Ｋ没有表示歉意，而是说：“我不会占用你很多时间了。”这句话并非道歉，所以律师没有理会，他说：“下次再这样晚，我就不见你了。”“这和我的想法一致，”Ｋ接过话头说。律师疑虑地向他瞥了一眼，说道：“坐下。”“既然你让我坐下，我就坐下，”Ｋ说，他拽过一把椅子，放在床头柜旁边，自己坐下。“我好像听见你把门锁上了，”律师说。“是的，”Ｋ说，“这是因为莱妮的缘故。”他不想庇护任何人；律师接着问：“她又来缠着你啦？”“缠着我？”Ｋ反问道。“是啊，”律师说，他抿着嘴轻声笑了起来，直到咳嗽了一下才止住笑，咳完后又轻声笑了起来。“我想，你一定已经发现她在缠你了，对吗？”律师拍拍Ｋ的手问道；Ｋ刚才心烦意乱，无意中把手放在床头柜上，现在赶紧缩了回来。“你不必太在意，”Ｋ急忙说道。律师接着往下说，“这更好。否则我就要为她道歉了。这是她的怪癣之一，我早就原谅了她，如果你刚才不把门锁上的话，我也不想再提起。我最不愿意向你解释她的这个怪癖，但因为看样子你困惑不解，我认为还是有必要解释一下。她的这个怪癖是，几乎觉得所有的被告都可爱。她追求他们每个人，爱他们每个人，并且显然也被他们所爱；当我同意的时候，她常常把这些事告诉我，让我开心。我并不为此大惊小怪，不过，看来你却着实感到吃惊。如果你在这方面的眼力不错，你也会发现，被告们往往是可爱的。这是一个值得注意的现象，可以说是一条自然规律。一个人被控告以后，他的外貌并不会立即发生明显的、一下子就能发现的变化。这些案子并不像普通刑事案件，大部分被告继续从事日常活动，如果有一个好律师过问的话，他们的利益不会受到多大损害。然而，有经验的人能在人山人海中把所有被告一个不漏地辨认出来。他们是怎么把被告认出来的？你会这么问。我怕我的答复不会使你满意。他们能认出来，因为被告们总是甚为可爱的。不是罪行使他们变得可爱了，因为——我起码作为一个律师，应该如实讲讲我的看法——他们并非全都有罪。也不是尔后的依法施刑事先使他们变得可爱了，因为他们并非都会受到惩处。因此，准是对他们的控告以某种方式使他们变得可爱了。当然有的人比其他人更可爱。不过总的来说，他们都很可爱，连那个名叫勃洛克的可怜虫也一样。”

律师发表了这番宏论后，Ｋ已经完全恢复了镇静，还点过几次头，好像对律师讲的最后几句话表示完全赞同；不过，他实际上更加认为自己的一贯看法有理，即律师总想讲一些泛泛的大道理，就像这次一样，使他的注意力从主要问题上转移开。这个主要问题是：律师在推动案子的进展方面到底做了多少实际工作？律师住了嘴，给Ｋ一个讲话的机会，他或许已觉察到，Ｋ比往常更咄咄逼人；他看见Ｋ仍旧一言不发，便问道：“你今晚到这儿来，有什么特殊事情吗？”“是的，”Ｋ说，他伸出一只手，遮住烛光，以便把律师看得更清楚些。 “我来告诉你，从今天起，我不需要你过问我的案子了。”“我没听错吧？”律师问道，他一只手撑在枕头上，微微欠起身来。 “我希望你没听错，”Ｋ说，他坐得笔直，似乎处于戒备状态。 “好吧，咱们可以围绕着这个设想商量一下，”律师停了一会儿说。 “这不是设想，而是事实，”Ｋ说。 “就算是吧，”律师说，“不过咱们用不着这么匆忙。”他用“咱们”这个词，好像不想让Ｋ离开他，如果实在不能当Ｋ的正式代理人，至少可以给Ｋ出几个主意嘛。 “这不是一个匆忙作出的决定，”Ｋ说；他慢慢站起来，退到椅子后面，“我是深思熟虑过的，也许考虑的时间已经够久了，这是我的最后决定。”“既然这样，请允许我发表一点看法，”律师说，他踢开鸭绒被，坐在床沿上。他的腿上稀稀地长着白色的汗毛，他由于没穿裤子而冷得直发抖。他请Ｋ把沙发上的毛毯递给他。 Ｋ拿起毯子说：“你没有必要这么冻着。”“我有充分的理由这么做，”律师说，他把被子技在肩上，用毯子裹着腿，“你叔叔是我的朋友，我也慢慢喜欢上了你。我公开承认这点，没什么可难为情的。”Ｋ不愿意听这个老头抒发感情，因为这就迫使他不能不把话讲得更明白一些，而他则想避免这么做；另外，他自己承认，律师的话虽然丝毫不能影响他的决定，但也使他很尴尬。 “我感谢你的友好态度，”他说，“你竭尽全力，做了你认为对我有利的事，对此我表示欣赏。不过，最近一段时间以来，我慢慢懂得了，光有你的努力是不够的。我当然不应该试图把自己的看法强加给一个比我年长得多、有经验得多的人；如果我无意中似乎正在这样做，那就请你原谅我，可是——用你的话来说——我有充分的理由这么做。我相信，在我的案子中，应该采取比迄今为止强有力得多的措施。”“我理解你，”律师说，“你感到不耐烦了。”“我没有不耐烦，”Ｋ说，他有点恼火，因此不那么注意酌字斟句了，“我第一次跟叔叔一起来拜访你的时候，你就应该发现，我并不把我的案子当作一码事；如果别人不强迫我想起它，可以说，我早就把它忘得一干二净了。但我叔叔坚持要我聘请你做我的代理人；我这么做了，为的是使他高兴。从那时起，我当然希望，这件案子在我心头的压力会减轻一些，因为聘请律师的目的就是要把压力匀一点给律师。然而事实恰恰相反。自从我聘请你做我的代理人以后，这件案子反而使我更加苦恼了。我独自一人时，什么事也不想干，但我几乎毫无忧虑；而请了律师后，我觉得条件已经齐备，只等发生一件什么事了。我日以继夜地等着你的干预，等得我心焦如焚；但你却什么事情也没做。我承认，你给我提供了许多有关法院的情况，这些情况在别处也许是听不到的。可是这种帮助对我来讲远为不够，要知道案子正折磨着我，刺痛着我的心。”Ｋ把椅子推到一边，直挺挺地站着，双手插在上衣口袋里。 “当一个人的活动到了一定阶段以后，”律师压低声音、心平气和地说，“就不会出现什么真正新鲜的东西了。我的委托人中，不知有多少也像你这样，当案子到了一定程度后，就到我这里来，站在我面前，脑子里转着同样的念头，嘴里说出同样的话！”“好吧！”Ｋ说，“这么说来，他们也和我一样是事出有因的。这并不能反驳我的论点。”“我不想反驳你的论点，”律师说，“我只想补充一句，我希望你比其他人理智一些，尤其是因为关于法院的活动以及我自己的做法，我对你讲的要比我通常对一般委托人讲的多得多。而我现在却不得不看到，尽管这样，你却对我不够信任。你没有为我创造方便条件。”律师真会在Ｋ面前低声下气！他丝毫不考虑自己的职业尊严；在这种时候，职业尊严最容易受到损害。他为什么要这样呢？如果人们的印象符合事实的话，他是一位阔绰的律师，登门求助的人很多；对他来说，失去Ｋ这么一位委托人，失去Ｋ的酬金，算不了什么。何况他身体有病，自己应该想到，少接受几个委托人是明智的。可是，他却紧紧抓住Ｋ不放！Why?是因为他和Ｋ的叔叔有私人交情吗？还是因为他真的认为该案很特殊，他可以借为Ｋ辩护或通过讨好法院里的朋友等方式，来提高自己的声望呢？后面这种可能性是不能排除的。 Ｋ仔细端详着他的脸，可是却发现不了任何迹象。人们几乎可以认为，律师故意装出一副冷若冰霜的表情，看看他的话会引起什么效果。然而，律师显然把Ｋ的沉默作了太有利于自己的解释，因为他接着说：“你大约已经发现，我的办公室虽然很大，但是我却不在助手。前几年可不是这样，那时有几位学法律的年轻学生在我这里工作；不过现在就剩我一个人了。我作了这种变革，一方面是为了适应我的业务活动的变化，因为我渐渐地只过问像你这样案子了；另一方面是为了适应我心中逐渐形成和巩固的一种信念。我发现，我不能把过问这些案件的责任委托给其他人，否则肯定会使我的委托人蒙受不白之冤，使我已经着手做的事情冒失败的危险。但是，我决定把这种类型的案子全部接受下来以后，自然而然地就产生了这样的后果：我只好拒绝接受大部分委托给我的案子，只接受那些跟我有密切关系的案子。我可以告诉你，就在我家附近便有不少可怜虫，不管我给他们介绍哪个蹩脚的律师，他们都会急忙找上门去的。由于工作过度紧张，我的身体搞垮了。不过我并不为自己的决定感到后悔；我也许应该更果断一些，接受的案子更少一些。我应该专心致志地过问我所接受的那些案子，这种做法经证明是必要的，是有道理的。我有一次曾经读到过一篇出色的文章，介绍两类律师的区别：一类律师只过问一般法律权益问题，另一类律师过问像你们这样的案子。两者的区别在于：前者手里拿着一条细线，牵着他的委托人走，一直到判决作出为止；后者则从一开始就把委托人扛在肩上，背着他走，从不把他放下，一直背到作出判决，甚至背到判决以后。确实如此。但是，如果说我挑起这么重的一付担子而从来也不后悔，那也不大符合事实。比如说，在你的案子中，我的努力完全遭到误解了；这时，只是在这时，我才感到有一点后悔。”这番话并没有使Ｋ心悦诚眼，只是使他更加不耐烦了。律师讲话的口气提醒他，要是他让步的话，会面临什么后果：以前的那些规劝又会重复一遍，律师将再次介绍申诉书的进展情况和某些法官的谦恭温和态度，还会劝他别忘记在这个过程中存在的巨大困难——总之，那套陈词滥调又会搬出来，目的在于用虚幻的希望哄他，或者用同样虚幻的威胁折磨他。不能再这样下去了，应该到此止步，永远终结。于是他说道：“如果我仍旧请你做我的代理人，你打算在我的案子中再采取一些什么措施？”律师对这个挑衅性的问题居然也逆来顺受，他回答道：“我将继续采取我已经采取的那些措施。”“我早就料到了，”Ｋ说，“好吧，再谈下去等于浪费时间。”“我将再试一试，”律师说，好像有过错的是Ｋ，而不是他自己。 “我有这么一个感觉：你在评价我的能力时大错特错了，你的一般表现也不对头，这都是由于你虽然是个被告，却受了太好的待遇的缘故。换句话说，或者更确切地说，他们对你疏忽了，这是表面上的疏忽。当然，他们这么做是有道理的：被告戴上镣铐往往比逍遥法外更感到安全。不过，我得让你瞧瞧，其他被告得到的是什么待遇，你也许能从中学到点东西。我现在就把勃洛克叫来；你最好去把门打开，然后坐在这儿，坐在床头柜旁边。”“好吧，”Ｋ说，他执行了这些指示，他一贯愿意学点东西。然而，为了慎重起见，他又问了一句：“你知道我要解聘你吗？”“知道，”律师说，“不过你如果想改变主意的话，还来得及。”他重新躺到床上，盖上毯子，一直盖到下巴上，然后转过身去，脸朝墙躺着。接着他按了铃。

莱妮差不多在同一时刻就出现在眼前，她匆匆投过几瞥目光来，想弄明白发生了什么事。她看见Ｋ正安安静静地坐在律师的床边后，似乎放心了。她微笑着朝Ｋ点点头，但是Ｋ只是毫无表情地瞧着她。“把勃洛克领到这儿来，”律师说。但是莱妮却没有去领勃洛克，而是走到门口，喊了一声：“勃洛克！律师叫你！”然后，也许因为律师的脸对着墙，没有注意她，她便乘机悄悄走到Ｋ的背后，靠着椅子背，身子向前倾去，伸出手指，温情脉脉地拨弄着Ｋ的头发，或者抚摸他的太阳穴，使他一直神志恍惚。最后Ｋ不得不抓住她的手，让她别再摸；她反抗了一阵，只好屈服。 勃洛克一叫即应，但他走到门口时却犹豫不决起来，显然不知道是不是应该进屋。他睁大眼睛，抬起头，似乎盼着有人叫他第二遍。Ｋ本来想让勃洛克进来，但他已决定不仅和律师，而且也和在律师家里的所有人决裂，所以他一动也不动。莱妮也一句话没说。勃洛克发现，至少谁也没有撵他走，便蹑手蹑脚地进了屋；他的面部表情很紧张，双手拢在背后，门没有关，以便随时可以出去。他顾不上看Ｋ一眼，只盯着那条隆起的毯子，律师紧靠着墙蜷缩在毯子下面，所以没法看见。不过，床上倒传来了一个声音：“是勃洛克吗？”勃洛克听到这个声音，像是被人打了一下，不由得向前走了好几步。他跌跌撞撞，似乎胸前刚挨了一拳，背后又被捶了一下；他接着深深鞠了个躬，双脚立定，答道：“为您效劳。”“你来干什么？”律师问，“你来得不是时候。”“不是有人叫我来吗？”勃洛克说，他的话与其说是对律师说的，倒不如说是对自己说的，他伸出双手，好像在护着自己，同时准备随时溜出门去。“是有人叫你来，”律师说，“不过，反正你来得不是时候。”律师停了一会儿，又补充了一句：“你总是来得不是时候。”勃洛克自从听见律师的声音后，便把目光从床上移开，凝视着一个屋角，他只是听着律师说话，不想看着律师，大概是太晃眼，他受不了。不过，他听律师讲话也很费力，因为律师脸贴着墙，声音又很轻，说得很快。“你希望我走开吗？”勃洛克问。“嗨，既然你已经到这儿了，”律师说，“你就呆着吧！”勃洛克浑身直打颤，人们可能会以为，律师没有满足勃洛克的愿望，而是威胁说要揍他一顿。“昨天，”律师说。“我见到了我的朋友——第三法官，我们谈着谈着，提到了你的案子。你想知道他说了些什么吗？”“噢，当然，”勃洛克说。由于律师没有立即回答，勃洛克又央求了他一次，看来准备跪倒在他面前。但是Ｋ却大声插嘴道：“你这是在干什么？”莱妮试图堵住他的嘴，不让他嚷嚷，于是Ｋ把她的另一只手也抓住了。他抓住她的手，这可不是一种爱抚动作：她“哎唷哎唷”地叫着，竭力想挣脱。由于Ｋ的暴怒，最后吃苦头的，却是勃洛克；律师冷不防向他提了个问题，“你的律师是谁？”“是您，”勃洛克说。“除了我以外还有谁？”律师问。“除了您以外，没有别人了，”勃洛克说。“那你就别理会任何其他人，”律师说。勃洛克对这句话心领神会；他恶狠狠地瞪了Ｋ一眼，朝Ｋ使劲摇头。如果把这些动作转换成语言，即是对Ｋ的一顿臭骂。而Ｋ竟想和这个人一起，友好地商谈自己的案子！“我决不会插嘴了，”Ｋ说，他的身子朝后一仰。靠着椅子背，“你想下跪也好，在地上爬一圈也好，只要你愿意就行，我再也不多嘴了。”然则勃洛克身上还残留着一些自尊心，至少在Ｋ面前是这样，因为他走到Ｋ面前，壮起胆子，当着律师的面，挥舞着拳头，对Ｋ嚷道：“不许你用这种腔调对我说话，不允许你这么做。你侮辱我，想要干什么？居然当着律师的面也敢这么做，你这是什么意思？他只是出于怜悯之心才让咱们两人到这儿来的。你比我好不到哪儿去，你也是个被告，你也和我一样，牵涉到一件案子里面去了。但是，假如你仍然是位绅士，那就让我告诉你，我也是一位和你一样有名气的绅士，如果不是比你更有名气的话。我得强迫你用绅士的口气对我说话，是的，你应该这样。如果你觉得比我占上风，因为你可以舒舒服服地坐在这儿，看着我在地上爬——你是这么说的——那就让我提醒你记住一句古人的警句吧：受到怀疑的人最好多活动，而别呆着不动，因为呆着不动就有可能被人认为真的有罪，而自己还蒙在鼓里。”Ｋ一句话也说不出来，只是目瞪口呆地瞧着这个疯子。就在这个钟头内，这家伙身上发生了多么大的变化啊！他是不是为案子的事过分着急，以至连敌友也区分不清了？他难道没有发现，律师在肆意侮辱他吗？这回律师没有任何别的目的，只是想在Ｋ面前显显自己的威风。另外，他也许想强迫Ｋ默认他的这种权力。然而，如果勃洛克不能看出这一点，或者他怕律师怕得要命，不敢让自己看出这一点；那么，他又怎么会刁钻或者能干到骗过律师的程度？他居然否认曾经找过其他律师。他明知道Ｋ可能会揭穿他的秘密，又为什么会鲁莽到出言攻击Ｋ的地步？他的鲁莽逐步升级，居然走到律师床前，埋怨起Ｋ来了。“霍尔德博士，”他说，“您听见这家伙对我说的话了吗？他的案子和我的相比，只有几小时的历史；可是，虽然我五年前就卷入案子了，他却大言不惭地要给我出主意。他甚至还辱骂我。他什么都不懂，居然还骂人，骂起像我这样一个煞费苦心、仔细研究过各种义务、公德和传统的人来了。”“别理会任何人，”律师说，“自己觉得怎么对就怎么办。”“一定照办，”勃洛克说，他好像取得了自信心，接着匆匆向旁边扫了一眼，紧挨着床跪下。“我跪下了，霍尔德博士，”他说。然而律师没有回答。勃洛克伸出一只手，小心翼翼地抚摸着毯子。屋内一片静寂；莱妮挣脱了Ｋ，说道：“你把我捏疼了，放开，我要和勃洛克在一起。”她走过去，坐在床沿上。勃洛克看见她来，十分高兴；他频频做着手势，像是在演哑剧一样，哀求莱妮在律师面前为他的案子说情。他显然急于想从律师口中得到一些消息；不过，或许他只是想把这些消息转告给其他律师，供他们参考。看来莱妮知道得很清楚，应该通过什么途径去套出律师的话；她指指律师的手，撅起嘴唇，作出吻手的样子。勃洛克立即去亲律师的手，并在莱妮的提示下，又把这个动作重复了两遍。但是律师一直不予答理。于是莱妮便挺直她那娇美的身躯，俯下身去，凑近老律师的脸，拨弄他那灰白的长头发。这终于引出了一个回答。“我犹豫不决，不知道该不该告诉他，”律师说，他摇着头，也许只是为了更好地享受莱妮的抚摸带来的快乐。勃洛克低着头听着，似乎听人讲话是违法的。“你为什么犹豫不决？”莱妮问。Ｋ觉得，他是在听一段背得滚瓜烂熟的对话，这段对话以前常常听见，以后也会经常重复，只有勃洛克一个人从来也不觉得乏味。“他今天表现得怎样？”律师没有回答，倒是提了个问题。莱妮在向律师提供情况之前，先低下头去看了勃洛克一会儿；勃洛克朝她伸出双手，然后十指交叉，作哀求状。莱妮最后慢吞吞地点了点头，转过脸去，对律师说：“他既安静，又勤快。”一个上了年岁的商人，一位银发长须的长者，竟恳求一个年轻姑娘为自己说句好话！他当然可以保留自己的看法，但是在他的朋友们面前，他是无法为自己辩解的。Ｋ不能明白，律师怎么会认为这样拙劣的表演就能把自己争取过去。如果律师迄今为止还没有使勃洛克丧失人格，那么今天这个场面便足以使他完全失去为人的价值了。甚至旁观者看了也觉得羞愧难当。这么看来，律师的手法——幸好Ｋ还没有长期领教过——听得到的结果是：委托人最后忘记了世间万物，只是寄希望于沿着一条其实是错误的道路蹒跚移步，直到能看到案子的结果为止。委托人不再成其为委托人了，而成了律师的一条狗。如果律师命令此人钻到床底下去——好像钻进狗窝里一样——，并且在那里学狗叫，他准会高高兴兴地照办。Ｋ以冷眼旁观的态度听着每句话，好像他得到的任务是密切注视事态进展，写出书面记录，向上级机构汇报。“他整天尽于些什么？”律师接着问。“我把他关在女佣人的房间里，”莱妮说，“不让他妨碍我干活。那儿是他通常呆的地方。我可以透过门上的通风孔经常监视他，看他在干些什么。他一直跪在床上，看你借给他的文件；他把文件都摊在窗台上。这给我留下了良好印象，因为窗户对着小天井，透不进多少光线，而他却仍然专心致志地看文件，这使我相信，他正在一丝不苟地做着让他做的事情。”“我很高兴听你这么说，”律师说，“但是，那些文件他能理解吗？”在这段时间内，勃洛克的嘴唇一刻不停地在蠕动，他显然是在默默地回答律师的问题。他希望莱妮也这么回答。“这个吗，当然，”莱妮说，“我也不怎么确切知道。不管怎么说，我可以肯定，他看得很仔细。他每天最多只看一页，从不多看；他用手指着，一行行往下看。我每次观察他时，他总是在自怜自叹，好像看文件实在太费劲了。你给他看的文件似乎很深奥。”“是的，”律师说，“那些文件是够深奥的。我不相信他真的能看懂。我让他看这些文件的目的只是使他大致了解，我为他进行辩护是一场多么艰巨的战斗。我到底为推进行这场艰巨的战斗呢？讲起来真可笑——我全是为了勃洛克。他应该明白这意味着什么。他看的时候从来不中途停顿吗？”“差不多一次也不停，”莱妮回答道，“他只有一次问我要点水喝，我从通风口里给他送了水。然后，大约八点钟的时候，我让他出来，给了他一点吃的。”勃洛克向Ｋ瞟了一眼，好像希望Ｋ听了他创造的这个极佳记录后会深受感动。勃洛克的希望似乎增大了，他的动作不那么拘谨了，他还让膝盖稍微挪动了一下。可是，律师下面讲的这番话却使他噤若寒蝉，这是十分明显的。“你在夸奖他，”律师说，“但这只能使我更难向他启口。因为法官讲的话对勃洛克和他的案子很不利。”“不利？”莱妮问道，“这怎么可能呢？”勃洛克目不转睛地瞧着她，好像相信她有本事使法官说过的话具有一种新的、有利于他的含义。“不利，”律师说，“他甚至讨厌我提起勃洛克。'别提勃洛克的事，'他说。'可是，他是我的委托人呀，'我说。'你是在为那人浪费精力，'他说。'我不认为他的案子没有希望了，'我说。'得了吧，你确实是在为他浪费精九'他又说了一句。'我不信，'我说，'勃洛克真心诚意地关心着自己的案子，把全部心思都用在这上面。他为了及时了解诉讼的进展情况，几乎一直住在我家里。这种热情是不常见的。当然，他本身令人反感，举止粗俗，身上很脏；但是作为一个委托人，他是无可指责的。'我当时说'他是无可指责的'，当然是故意言过其实。法官听了后，回答道：'勃洛克只是老练而已。他经验丰富，知道怎样拖延蘑菇。不过，他的无知甚于他的老练。如果他发现他的案子其实还没有开始审理，如果别人告诉他，开庭审理的铃声还没有摇响，你想他会说些什么？'——安静点，别动，勃洛克，”律师说，因为勃洛克哆嗦着两腿，站了起来，显然想求律师解释一下。这是律师第一次直接对勃洛克说话。律师那双毫无光泽的眼睛朝下看着，目光甚为呆滞，既像看着勃洛克，又像没看他。勃洛克慢慢蹲下，重新跪好。“法官的这番话对你没有多少意义，”律师说，“用不着为每个字眼心惊肉跳。如果你再这样，我就什么也不告诉你了。我每讲一句话，你就以这种目光瞧着我，好像已经对你作出最终判决了。你当着我的另一个委托人的面这么做，应该感到难为情。你会使他也不再信任我。你怎么啦？你还活着哩，你还在我的保护之下。你的恐惧是没有道理的，你已经在某个地方看到过，一个人的定罪往往出乎意料地取决于随便哪个人偶尔讲过的一句话，这肯定是符合事实的，尽管有许多保留；然而，同样真实的事，你的恐惧使我很反感，这显然表明你对我缺乏必要的信任。我所讲的一切不过是重述了法官讲的话而已。你知道得很清楚，在这类事情中，意见纷坛，一片混乱。比如说，这位法官认为诉讼是从某个时刻开始的，而我却认为是从另一个时刻开始的。意见不一，仅此而已。按照古老的传统，诉讼进行到一定阶段，就得摇铃。而根据法官的看法，案子的诉讼过程这时才算正式开始。我无法把所有反驳他的论点讲给你听，讲了你也不会明白的；只需要告诉你有许多论据和他的看法相反就行了。”忧心忡仲的勃洛克开始拽起铺在床前的兽毛地毯上的毛来；他对法官讲的话害怕得要命，以至一时忘了听命于律师，只顾考虑自己的事了；他反复琢磨着法官的话，从各个方面进行分析。“勃洛克，”莱妮用警告的口气说，她拽住勃洛克的衣领，把他往上拉起一点。“别动地毯，听律师讲话。”