Part 16

EIGHTH CHAPTER

MERCHANT BLOCK · DISMISSAL OF THE LAWYER

At last K. had nevertheless decided to withdraw his case from the lawyer. Doubts as to whether it was right to act thus could not be entirely eradicated, but the conviction of its necessity prevailed. The decision had cost K. much working strength on the day he meant to go to the lawyer; he worked especially slowly, had to remain long at the office, and it was already past ten when he finally stood before the lawyer's door. Before ringing, he considered whether it might not be better to dismiss the lawyer by telephone or letter; the personal interview would certainly become very painful. Nevertheless K. did not in the end wish to forgo it; with any other manner of dismissal it would be accepted in silence or with a few formal words, and K., unless perhaps Leni could find out something, would never learn how the lawyer had taken the dismissal and what consequences for K. this dismissal might have according to the lawyer's not unimportant opinion. But if the lawyer sat opposite K. and was surprised by the dismissal, then K., even if the lawyer did not let much be drawn from him, could easily gather from his face and bearing all that he wished. It was not even excluded that he might be convinced that it would after all be good to leave the defense to the lawyer, and that he would then withdraw his dismissal.

The first ring at the lawyer's door was, as usual, pointless. "Leni could be quicker," thought K. But it was already an advantage that the other party did not interfere, as it usually did, whether the man in the dressing gown or someone else began to be a nuisance. While K. pressed the button a second time, he looked back toward the other door, but this time it too remained closed. At last there appeared at the spy window of the lawyer's door two eyes, but they were not Leni's eyes. Someone unlocked the door, but for the moment still braced himself against it, called back into the apartment: "It is him," and only then opened fully. K. had pressed against the door, for he already heard how behind him in the door of the other apartment the key was being hastily turned in the lock. Therefore, when the door before him finally opened, he stormed straight into the anteroom and still saw how, through the passage leading between the rooms, Leni, at whom the warner's cry had been directed, ran off in her shift. He watched her for a while and then looked around for the door opener. He was a small, thin man with a full beard; he held a candle in his hand. "Are you employed here?" asked K. "No," answered the man, "I am a stranger here; the lawyer is only my representative; I am here on account of a legal matter." "Without a coat?" asked K. and indicated with a gesture the man's deficient clothing. "Oh, forgive me," said the man and lit himself with the candle, as if he himself saw his condition for the first time. "Is Leni your mistress?" asked K. shortly. He had his legs slightly spread, his hands, in which he held his hat, clasped behind him. Already through the possession of a strong overcoat he felt himself very superior to the lean little fellow. "O God," said the man and raised one hand in frightened defense before his face, "no, no, what do you think?" "You look credible," said K. smiling, "nevertheless—come along." He beckoned him with the hat and let him go ahead. "What is your name?" asked K. on the way. "Block, Merchant Block," said the little man and turned toward K. at this introduction, but K. did not let him stop. "Is that your real name?" asked K. "Certainly," was the answer, "why do you doubt?" "I thought you might have reason to conceal your name," said K. He felt as free as one otherwise is only when, abroad, one speaks with low people, keeping to oneself everything that concerns oneself, speaking indifferently only of the others' interests, thereby elevating them above oneself, yet able to drop them at will. At the door of the lawyer's study K. stopped, opened it, and called to the merchant, who had obediently gone on: "Not so hasty, light up here." K. thought Leni might have hidden herself here; he had the merchant search all corners, but the room was empty. Before the picture of the judge K. held the merchant back by the suspenders from behind. "Do you know him?" he asked and pointed upward with his index finger. The merchant raised the candle, looked up blinking, and said: "It is a judge." "A high judge?" asked K. and placed himself sideways before the merchant to observe the impression the picture made on him. The merchant looked up admiringly. "It is a high judge," he said. "You have little insight," said K. "Among the low examining judges he is the lowest." "Now I remember," said the merchant and lowered the candle, "I have already heard that too." "But of course," cried K., "I forgot, of course you must already have heard it." "But why, why?" asked the merchant, while he, driven by K.'s hands, moved toward the door. Outside in the passage K. said: "You know where Leni has hidden?" "Hidden?" said the merchant, "no, but she is probably in the kitchen cooking the lawyer a soup." "Why didn't you say that at once?" asked K. "I wanted to lead you there, but you called me back," answered the merchant, confused by the contradictory orders. "You think yourself very clever, no doubt," said K., "then lead me!" In the kitchen K. had never been; it was surprisingly large and richly equipped. Alone the stove was three times as large as ordinary stoves; of the rest one saw no details, for the kitchen was now lit only by a small lamp hanging at the entrance. At the stove stood Leni in a white apron as always, emptying eggs into a pot standing on a spirit flame. "Good evening, Josef," she said with a sidelong glance. "Good evening," said K. and pointed with one hand to a chair standing apart, on which the merchant was to sit, which he did. But K. went quite close behind Leni, bent over her shoulder, and asked: "Who is the man?" Leni embraced K. with one hand, the other whisked the soup, drew him forward to her, and said: "He is a pitiable creature, a poor merchant, a certain Block. Just look at him." They both looked back. The merchant sat on the chair to which K. had directed him; he had blown out the candle, whose light was now unnecessary, and pressed the wick with his fingers to stop the smoke. "You were in your shift," said K. and turned her head back to the stove with his hand. She was silent. "Is he your lover?" asked K. She wanted to reach for the soup pot, but K. took both her hands and said: "Now, answer!" She said: "Come into the study, I will explain everything to you." "No," said K., "I want you to explain it here." She hung on him and wanted to kiss him. But K. warded her off and said: "I do not want you to kiss me now." "Josef," said Leni and looked K. in the eyes pleadingly yet openly, "you are not going to be jealous of Mr. Block." "Rudi," she then said, turning to the merchant, "do help me, you see I am being suspected, leave the candle alone." One might have thought he had not been paying attention, but he was completely in the know. "I would not know why you should be jealous," he said, somewhat slow of wit. "I don't really know either," said K. and looked at the merchant smiling. Leni laughed aloud, used K.'s inattention to hook herself into his arm and whispered: "Leave him now, you see what sort of person he is. I have taken a little care of him because he is a large customer of the lawyer's, for no other reason. And you? Do you still want to speak with the lawyer today? He is very ill today, but if you wish, I will announce you. But you will certainly stay overnight with me. You have also not been with us for so long, even the lawyer has asked after you. Do not neglect the trial! I too have various things to tell you that I have learned. But first take off your coat!" She helped him take it off, took his hat, ran with the things into the anteroom to hang them up, then ran back and looked at the soup. "Shall I announce you first or bring him the soup first?" "Announce me first," said K. He was annoyed; he had originally intended to discuss his affair with Leni in detail, especially the contemplated dismissal, but the presence of the merchant had taken away his inclination for it. Now, however, he still held his matter to be too important for this little merchant possibly to intervene decisively, and so he called Leni, who was already in the passage, back. "Bring him the soup first," he said, "he shall strengthen himself for the interview with me, he will need it." "You are also a client of the lawyer's," said the merchant quietly from his corner, as if by way of ascertainment. But it was ill received. "What is that to you?" said K., and Leni said: "Will you be quiet." "Then I will bring him the soup first," said Leni to K. and poured the soup onto a plate. "It is only to be feared that he will soon fall asleep; after eating he soon falls asleep." "What I will say to him will keep him awake," said K.; he wanted continually to let it be seen that he intended to negotiate something important with the lawyer; he wanted Leni to ask what it was, and then first ask her advice. But she punctually fulfilled only the expressed commands. As she passed him with the cup, she intentionally touched him gently and whispered: "By the time he has eaten the soup I will have announced you, so that I get you back as soon as possible." "Go on," said K., "go on." "Do be friendlier," she said and turned completely around in the door with the cup.

K. watched her go; now it was finally decided that the lawyer would be dismissed; it was probably also better that he could not speak of it further with Leni beforehand; she hardly had sufficient overview of the whole, would certainly have advised against it, might possibly even this time have really kept K. from the dismissal; he would have remained in doubt and unrest and finally, after some time, would have carried out his resolution anyway, for this resolution was too compelling. But the sooner it was carried out, the more damage was prevented. Perhaps, incidentally, the merchant had something to say about it.

“Stories of the world, in your language.”