6

Chapter Six K.'s uncle - Leni

六 Ｋ的叔叔－莱妮

One afternoon - K. was very busy at the time, getting the post ready - K.'s Uncle Karl, a small country land owner, came into the room, pushing his way between two of the staff who were bringing in some papers. K. had long expected his uncle to appear, but the sight of him now shocked K. far less than the prospect of it had done a long time before. His uncle was bound to come, K. had been sure of that for about a month. He already thought at the time he could see how his uncle would arrive, slightly bowed, his battered panama hat in his left hand, his right hand already stretched out over the desk long before he was close enough as he rushed carelessly towards K. knocking over everything that was in his way. K.'s uncle was always in a hurry, as he suffered from the unfortunate belief that he had a number of things to do while he was in the big city and had to settle all of them in one day - his visits were only ever for one day - and at the same time thought he could not forgo any conversation or piece of business or pleasure that might arise by chance. Uncle Karl was K.'s former guardian, and so K. was duty-bound to help him in all of this as well as to offer him a bed for the night. 'I'm haunted by a ghost from the country', he would say.

一天下午，当天的函件即将送走，Ｋ忙得不亦乐乎。两个职员拿来几份文件，请他签字；他们被粗暴地推到一边，原来Ｋ的叔叔卡尔——一个从农村里来的小地主，大步走进了屋。叔叔的到来并不使Ｋ感到奇怪，因为Ｋ早就担心他会来。叔叔肯定会来的，差不多一个月之前Ｋ就对此深信不疑。他常常想像叔叔的模样，现在出现在面前的叔叔和他想像中的毫无区别：背略微有点驼，左手拿着一顶巴拿马式草帽。叔叔一进门就伸出右手：这只手鲁莽地越过桌面，伸到Ｋ跟前，碰翻了桌上的每一样东西。叔叔老是匆匆忙忙的，因为脑子里总有一个可悲的想法：不管什么时候进城，原定计划中的所有事情都得当天办完；另外，还不能放过任何一个跟人交谈、办事和娱乐的机会。Ｋ必须竭尽全力，帮他办妥所有这些事，有时还得给他安排住处，因为以前他是Ｋ的监护人，Ｋ对他特别感激。“一个属于过去的幽灵，”Ｋ习惯于这么称呼他。

As soon as they had greeted each other - K. had invited him to sit in the armchair but Uncle Karl had no time for that - he said he wanted to speak briefly with K. in private. "It is necessary," he said with a tired gulp, "it is necessary for my peace of mind." K. immediately sent the junior staff from the room and told them to let no-one in. "What's this that I've been hearing, Josef?" cried K.'s uncle when they were alone, as he sat on the table shoving various papers under himself without looking at them to make himself more comfortable. K. said nothing, he knew what was coming, but, suddenly relieved from the effort of the work he had been doing, he gave way to a pleasant lassitude and looked out the window at the other side of the street. From where he sat, he could see just a small, triangular section of it, part of the empty walls of houses between two shop windows. "You're staring out the window!" called out his uncle, raising his arms, "For God's sake, Josef, give me an answer! Is it true, can it really be true?" "Uncle Karl," said K., wrenching himself back from his daydreaming, "I really don't know what it is you want of me." "Josef," said his uncle in a warning tone, "as far as I know, you've always told the truth. Am I to take what you've just said as a bad sign?" "I think I know what it is you want," said K. obediently, "I expect you've heard about my trial." "That's right," answered his uncle with a slow nod, "I've heard about your trial." "Who did you hear it from, then?" asked K. "Erna wrote to me," said his uncle, "she doesn't have much contact with you, it's true, you don't pay very much attention to her, I'm afraid to say, but she learned about it nonetheless. I got her letter today and, of course, I came straight here. And for no other reason, but it seems to me that this is reason enough. I can read you out the part of the letter that concerns you." He drew the letter out from his wallet. "Here it is. She writes; 'I have not seen Josef for a long time, I was in the bank last week but Josef was so busy that they would not let me through; I waited there for nearly an hour but then I had to go home as I had my piano lesson. I would have liked to have spoken to him, maybe there will be a chance another time. He sent me a big box of chocolates for my name-day, that was very nice and attentive of him. I forgot to tell you about it when I wrote, and I only remember now that you ask me about it. Chocolate, as I am sure you are aware, disappears straight away in this lodging house, almost as soon as you know somebody has given you chocolate it is gone. But there is something else I wanted to tell you about Josef. Like I said, they would not let me through to see him at the bank because he was negotiating with some gentleman just then. After I had been waiting quietly for quite a long time I asked one of the staff whether his meeting would last much longer. He said it might well do, as it was probably about the legal proceedings, he said, that were being conducted against him. I asked what sort of legal proceedings it was that were being conducted against the chief clerk, and whether he was not making some mistake, but he said he was not making any mistake, there were legal proceedings underway and even that they were about something quite serious, but he did not know any more about it. He would have liked to have been of some help to the chief clerk himself, as the chief clerk was a gentleman, good and honest, but he did not know what it was he could do and merely hoped there would be some influential gentlemen who would take his side. I'm sure that is what will happen and that everything will turn out for the best in the end, but in the mean time things do not look at all good, and you can see that from the mood of the chief clerk himself. Of course, I did not place too much importance on this conversation, and even did my best to put the bank clerk's mind at rest, he was quite a simple man. I told him he was not to speak to anyone else about this, and I think it is all just a rumour, but I still think it might be good if you, Dear Father, if you looked into the matter the next time you visit. It will be easy for you to find out more detail and, if it is really necessary, to do something about it through the great and influential people you know. But if it is not necessary, and that is what seems most likely, then at least your daughter will soon have the chance to embrace you and I look forward to it.' - She's a good child," said K.'s uncle when he had finished reading, and wiped a few tears from his eyes. K. nodded. With all the different disruptions he had had recently he had completely forgotten about Erna, even her birthday, and the story of the chocolates had clearly just been invented so that he wouldn't get in trouble with his aunt and uncle. It was very touching, and even the theatre tickets, which he would regularly send her from then on, would not be enough to repay her, but he really did not feel, now, that it was right for him to visit her in her lodgings and hold conversations with a little, eighteen year old schoolgirl. "And what do you have to say about that?" asked his uncle, who had forgotten all his rush and excitement as he read the letter, and seemed to be about to read it again. "Yes, Uncle," said K., "it is true." "True!" called out his uncle. "What is true? How can this be true? What sort of trial is it? Not a criminal trial, I hope?" "It's a criminal trial," answered K. "And you sit quietly here while you've got a criminal trial round your neck?" shouted his uncle, getting ever louder. "The more calm I am, the better it will be for the outcome," said K. in a tired voice, "don't worry." "How can I help worrying?!" shouted his uncle, "Josef, my Dear Josef, think about yourself, about your family, think about our good name! Up till now, you've always been our pride, don't now become our disgrace. I don't like the way you're behaving," he said, looking at K. with his head at an angle, "that's not how an innocent man behaves when he's accused of something, not if he's still got any strength in him. Just tell me what it's all about so that I can help you. It's something to do with the bank, I take it?" "No," said K. as he stood up, "and you're speaking too loud, Uncle, I expect one of the staff is listening at the door and I find that rather unpleasant. It's best if we go somewhere else, then I can answer all your questions, as far as I can. And I know very well that I have to account to the family for what I do." "You certainly do!" his uncle shouted, "Quite right, you do. Now just get a move on, Josef, hurry up now!" "I still have a few documents I need to prepare," said K., and, using the intercom, he summoned his deputy who entered a few moments later. K.'s uncle, still angry and excited, gestured with his hand to show that K. had summoned him, even though there was no need whatever to do so. K. stood in front of the desk and explained to the young man, who listened calm and attentive, what would need to be done that day in his absence, speaking in a calm voice and making use of various documents. The presence of K.'s uncle while this was going on was quite disturbing; he did not listen to what was being said, but at first he stood there with eyes wide open and nervously biting his lips. Then he began to walk up and down the room, stopped now and then at the window, or stood in front of a picture always making various exclamations such as, "That is totally incomprehensible to me!" or "Now just tell me, what are you supposed to make of that?!" The young man pretended to notice nothing of this and listened to K.'s instructions through to the end, he made a few notes, bowed to both K. and his uncle and then left the room. K.'s uncle had turned his back to him and was looking out the window, bunching up the curtains with his outstretched hands. The door had hardly closed when he called out, "At last! Now that he's stopped jumping about we can go too!" Once they were in the front hall of the bank, where several members of staff were standing about and where, just then, the deputy director was walking across, there was unfortunately no way of stopping K.'s uncle from continually asking questions about the trial. "Now then, Josef," he began, lightly acknowledging the bows from those around them as they passed, "tell me everything about this trial; what sort of trial is it?" K. made a few comments which conveyed little information, even laughed a little, and it was only when they reached the front steps that he explained to his uncle that he had not wanted to talk openly in front of those people. "Quite right," said his uncle, "but now start talking." With his head to one side, and smoking his cigar in short, impatient draughts, he listened. "First of all, Uncle," said K., "it's not a trial like you'd have in a normal courtroom." "So much the worse," said his uncle. "How's that?" asked K., looking at him. "What I mean is, that's for the worse," he repeated. They were standing on the front steps of the bank; as the doorkeeper seemed to be listening to what they were saying K. drew his uncle down further, where they were absorbed into the bustle of the street. His uncle took K.'s arm and stopped asking questions with such urgency about the trial, they walked on for a while in silence. "But how did all this come about?" he eventually asked, stopping abruptly enough to startle the people walking behind, who had to avoid walking into him. "Things like this don't come all of a sudden, they start developing a long time beforehand, there must have been warning signs of it, why didn't you write to me? You know I'd do anything for you, to some extent I am still your guardian, and until today that's something I was proud of. I'll still help you, of course I will, only now, now that the trial is already underway, it makes it very difficult. But whatever; the best thing now is for you to take a short holiday staying with us in the country. You've lost weight, I can see that now. The country life will give you strength, that will be good, there's bound to be a lot of hard work ahead of you. But besides that it'll be a way of getting you away from the court, to some extent. Here they've got every means of showing the powers at their disposal and they're automatically bound to use them against you; in the country they'll either have to delegate authority to different bodies or just have to try and bother you by letter, telegram or telephone. And that's bound to weaken the effect, it won't release you from them but it'll give you room to breathe." "You could forbid me to leave," said K., who had been drawn slightly into his uncle's way of thinking by what he had been saying. "I didn't think you would do it," said his uncle thoughtfully, "you won't suffer too much loss of power by moving away." K. grasped his uncle under the arm to prevent him stopping still and said, "I thought you'd think all this is less important than I do, and now you're taking it so hard." "Josef," called his uncle trying to disentangle himself from him so that he could stop walking, but K. did not let go, "you've completely changed, you used to be so astute, are you losing it now? Do you want to lose the trial? Do you realise what that would mean? That would mean you would be simply destroyed. And that everyone you know would be pulled down with you or at the very least humiliated, disgraced right down to the ground. Josef, pull yourself together. The way you're so indifferent about it, it's driving me mad. Looking at you I can almost believe that old saying: 'Having a trial like that means losing a trial like that'." "My dear Uncle," said K., "it won't do any good to get excited, it's no good for you to do it and it'd be no good for me to do it. The case won't be won by getting excited, and please admit that my practical experience counts for something, just as I have always and still do respect your experience, even when it surprises me. You say that the family will also be affected by this trial; I really can't see how, but that's beside the point and I'm quite willing to follow your instructions in all of this. Only, I don't see any advantage in staying in the country, not even for you, as that would indicate flight and a sense of guilt. And besides, although I am more subject to persecution if I stay in the city I can also press the matter forward better here." "You're right," said his uncle in a tone that seemed to indicate they were finally coming closer to each other, "I just made the suggestion because, as I saw it, if you stay in the city the case will be put in danger by your indifference to it, and I thought it was better if I did the work for you. But will you push things forward yourself with all your strength, if so, that will naturally be far better." "We're agreed then," said K. "And do you have any suggestions for what I should do next?" "Well, naturally I'll have to think about it," said his uncle, "you must bear in mind that I've been living in the country for twenty years now, almost without a break, you lose your ability to deal with matters like this. But I do have some important connections with several people who, I expect, know their way around these things better than I do, and to contact them is a matter of course. Out there in the country I've been getting out of condition, I'm sure you're already aware of that. It's only at times like this that you notice it yourself. And this affair of yours came largely unexpected, although, oddly enough, I had expected something of the sort after I'd read Erna's letter, and today when I saw your face I knew it with almost total certainty. But all that is by the by, the important thing now is, we have no time to lose." Even while he was still speaking, K.'s uncle had stood on tiptoe to summon a taxi and now he pulled K. into the car behind himself as he called out an address to the driver. "We're going now to see Dr. Huld, the lawyer," he said, "we were at school together. I'm sure you know the name, don't you? No? Well that is odd. He's got a very good reputation as a defence barrister and for working with the poor. But I esteem him especially as someone you can trust." "It's alright with me, whatever you do," said K., although he was made uneasy by the rushed and urgent way his uncle was dealing with the matter. It was not very encouraging, as the accused, be to taken to a lawyer for poor people. "I didn't know," he said, "that you could take on a lawyer in matters like this." "Well of course you can," said his uncle, "that goes without saying. Why wouldn't you take on a lawyer? And now, so that I'm properly instructed in this matter, tell me what's been happening so far." K. instantly began telling his uncle about what had been happening, holding nothing back - being completely open with him was the only way that K. could protest at his uncle's belief that the trial was a great disgrace. He mentioned Miss Bürstner's name just once and in passing, but that did nothing to diminish his openness about the trial as Miss Bürstner had no connection with it. As he spoke, he looked out the window and saw how, just then, they were getting closer to the suburb where the court offices were. He drew this to his uncle's attention, but he did not find the coincidence especially remarkable. The taxi stopped in front of a dark building. K.'s uncle knocked at the very first door at ground level; while they waited he smiled, showing his big teeth, and whispered, "Eight o'clock; not the usual sort of time to be visiting a lawyer, but Huld won't mind it from me." Two large, black eyes appeared in the spy-hatch in the door, they stared at the two visitors for a while and then disappeared; the door, however, did not open. K. and his uncle confirmed to each other the fact that they had seen the two eyes. "A new maid, afraid of strangers," said K.'s uncle, and knocked again. The eyes appeared once more. This time they seemed almost sad, but the open gas flame that burned with a hiss close above their heads gave off little light and that may have merely created an illusion. "Open the door," called K.'s uncle, raising his fist against it, "we are friends of Dr. Huld, the lawyer!" "Dr. Huld is ill," whispered someone behind them. In a doorway at the far end of a narrow passage stood a man in his dressing gown, giving them this information in an extremely quiet voice. K.'s uncle, who had already been made very angry by the long wait, turned abruptly round and retorted, "Ill? You say he's ill?" and strode towards the gentleman in a way that seemed almost threatening, as if he were the illness himself. "They've opened the door for you, now," said the gentleman, pointing at the door of the lawyer. He pulled his dressing gown together and disappeared. The door had indeed been opened, a young girl - K. recognised the dark, slightly bulging eyes - stood in the hallway in a long white apron, holding a candle in her hand. "Next time, open up sooner!" said K.'s uncle instead of a greeting, while the girl made a slight curtsey. "Come along, Josef," he then said to K. who was slowly moving over towards the girl. "Dr. Huld is unwell," said the girl as K.'s uncle, without stopping, rushed towards one of the doors. K. continued to look at the girl in amazement as she turned round to block the way into the living room, she had a round face like a puppy's, not only the pale cheeks and the chin were round but the temples and the hairline were too. "Josef!" called his uncle once more, and he asked the girl, "It's trouble with his heart, is it?" "I think it is, sir," said the girl, who by now had found time to go ahead with the candle and open the door into the room. In one corner of the room, where the light of the candle did not reach, a face with a long beard looked up from the bed. "Leni, who's this coming in?" asked the lawyer, unable to recognise his guests because he was dazzled by the candle. "It's your old friend, Albert," said K.'s uncle. "Oh, Albert," said the lawyer, falling back onto his pillow as if this visit meant he would not need to keep up appearances. "Is it really as bad as that?" asked K.'s uncle, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I don't believe it is. It's a recurrence of your heart trouble and it'll pass over like the other times." "Maybe," said the lawyer quietly, "but it's just as much trouble as it's ever been. I can hardly breathe, I can't sleep at all and I'm getting weaker by the day." "I see," said K.'s uncle, pressing his panama hat firmly against his knee with his big hand. "That is bad news. But are you getting the right sort of care? And it's so depressing in here, it's so dark. It's a long time since I was last here, but it seemed to me friendlier then. Even your young lady here doesn't seem to have much life in her, unless she's just pretending." The maid was still standing by the door with the candle; as far as could be made out, she was watching K. more than she was watching his uncle even while the latter was still speaking about her. K. leant against a chair that he had pushed near to the girl. "When you're as ill as I am," said the lawyer, "you need to have peace. I don't find it depressing." After a short pause he added, "and Leni looks after me well, she's a good girl." But that was not enough to persuade K.'s uncle, he had visibly taken against his friend's carer and, even though he did not contradict the invalid, he persecuted her with his scowl as she went over to the bed, put the candle on the bedside table and, leaning over the bed, made a fuss of him by tidying the pillows. K.'s uncle nearly forgot the need to show any consideration for the man who lay ill in bed, he stood up, walked up and down behind the carer, and K. would not have been surprised if he had grabbed hold of her skirts behind her and dragged her away from the bed. K. himself looked on calmly, he was not even disappointed at finding the lawyer unwell, he had been able to do nothing to oppose the enthusiasm his uncle had developed for the matter, he was glad that this enthusiasm had now been distracted without his having to do anything about it. His uncle, probably simply wishing to be offensive to the lawyer's attendant, then said, "Young lady, now please leave us alone for a while, I have some personal matters to discuss with my friend." Dr. Huld's carer was still leant far over the invalid's bed and smoothing out the cloth covering the wall next to it, she merely turned her head and then, in striking contrast with the anger that first stopped K.'s uncle from speaking and then let the words out in a gush, she said very quietly, "You can see that Dr. Huld is so ill that he can't discuss any matters at all." It was probably just for the sake of convenience that she had repeated the words spoken by K.'s uncle, but an onlooker might even have perceived it as mocking him and he, of course, jumped up as if he had just been stabbed. "You damned …," in the first gurglings of his excitement his words could hardly be understood, K. was startled even though he had been expecting something of the sort and ran to his uncle with the intention, no doubt, of closing his mouth with both his hands. Fortunately, though, behind the girl, the invalid raised himself up, K.'s uncle made an ugly face as if swallowing something disgusting and then, somewhat calmer, said, "We have naturally not lost our senses, not yet; if what I am asking for were not possible I would not be asking for it. Now please, go!" The carer stood up straight by the bed directly facing K.'s uncle, K. thought he noticed that with one hand she was stroking the lawyer's hand. "You can say anything in front of Leni," said the invalid, in a tone that was unmistakably imploring. "It's not my business," said K.'s uncle, "and it's not my secrets." And he twisted himself round as if wanting to go into no more negotiations but giving himself a little more time to think. "Whose business is it then?" asked the lawyer in an exhausted voice as he leant back again. "My nephew's," said K.'s uncle, "and I've brought him along with me." And he introduced him, "Chief Clerk Josef K." "Oh!" said the invalid, now with much more life in him, and reached out his hand towards K. "Do forgive me, I didn't notice you there at all." Then he then said to his carer, "Leni, go," stretching his hand out to her as if this were a farewell that would have to last for a long time. This time the girl offered no resistance. "So you," he finally said to K.'s uncle, who had also calmed down and stepped closer, "you haven't come to visit me because I'm ill but you've come on business." The lawyer now looked so much stronger that it seemed the idea of being visited because he was ill had somehow made him weak, he remained supporting himself of one elbow, which must have been rather tiring, and continually pulled at a lock of hair in the middle of his beard. "You already look much better," said K.'s uncle, "now that that witch has gone outside." He interrupted himself, whispered, "I bet you she's listening!" and sprang over to the door. But behind the door there was no-one, K.'s uncle came back not disappointed, as her not listening seemed to him worse than if she had been, but probably somewhat embittered. "You're mistaken about her," said the lawyer, but did nothing more to defend her; perhaps that was his way of indicating that she did not need defending. But in a tone that was much more committed he went on, "As far as your nephew's affairs are concerned, this will be an extremely difficult undertaking and I'd count myself lucky if my strength lasted out long enough for it; I'm greatly afraid it won't do, but anyway I don't want to leave anything untried; if I don't last out you can always get somebody else. To be honest, this matter interests me too much, and I can't bring myself to give up the chance of taking some part in it. If my heart does totally give out then at least it will have found a worthy affair to fail in." K. believed he understood not a word of this entire speech, he looked at his uncle for an explanation but his uncle sat on the bedside table with the candle in his hand, a medicine bottle had rolled off the table onto the floor, he nodded to everything the lawyer said, agreed to everything, and now and then looked at K. urging him to show the same compliance. Maybe K.'s uncle had already told the lawyer about the trial. But that was impossible, everything that had happened so far spoke against it. So he said, "I don't understand …" "Well, maybe I've misunderstood what you've been saying," said the lawyer, just as astonished and embarrassed as K. "Perhaps I've been going too fast. What was it you wanted to speak to me about? I thought it was to do with your trial." "Of course it is," said K.'s uncle, who then asked K., "So what is it you want?" "Yes, but how is it that you know anything about me and my case?" asked K. "Oh, I see," said the lawyer with a smile. "I am a lawyer, I move in court circles, people talk about various different cases and the more interesting ones stay in your mind, especially when they concern the nephew of a friend. There's nothing very remarkable about that." "What is it you want, then?" asked K.'s uncle once more, "You seem so uneasy about it" "You move in this court's circles?" asked K. "Yes," said the lawyer. "You're asking questions like a child," said K.'s uncle. "What circles should I move in, then, if not with members of my own discipline?" the lawyer added. It sounded so indisputable that K. gave no answer at all. "But you work in the High Court, not that court in the attic," he had wanted to say but could not bring himself to actually utter it. "You have to realise," the lawyer continued, in a tone as if he were explaining something obvious, unnecessary and incidental, "you have to realise that I also derive great advantage for my clients from mixing with those people, and do so in many different ways, it's not something you can keep talking about all the time. I'm at a bit of a disadvantage now, of course, because of my illness, but I still get visits from some good friends of mine at the court and I learn one or two things. It might even be that I learn more than many of those who are in the best of health and spend all day in court. And I'm receiving a very welcome visit right now, for instance." And he pointed into a dark corner of the room. "Where?" asked K., almost uncouth in his surprise. He looked round uneasily; the little candle gave off far too little light to reach as far as the wall opposite. And then, something did indeed begin to move there in the corner. In the light of the candle held up by K.'s uncle an elderly gentleman could be seen sitting beside a small table. He had been sitting there for so long without being noticed that he could hardly have been breathing. Now he stood up with a great deal of fuss, clearly unhappy that attention had been drawn to him. It was as if, by flapping his hands about like short wings, he hoped to deflect any introductions and greetings, as if he wanted on no account to disturb the others by his presence and seemed to be exhorting them to leave him back in the dark and forget about his being there. That, however, was something that could no longer be granted him. "You took us by surprise, you see," said the lawyer in explanation, cheerfully indicating to the gentleman that he should come closer, which, slowly, hesitatingly, looking all around him, but with a certain dignity, he did. "The office director - oh, yes, forgive me, I haven't introduced you - this is my friend Albert K., this is his nephew, the chief clerk Josef K., and this is the office director - so, the office director was kind enough to pay me a visit. It's only possible to appreciate just how valuable a visit like this is if you've been let into the secret of what a pile of work the office director has heaped over him. Well, he came anyway, we were having a peaceful chat, as far as I was able when I'm so weak, and although we hadn't told Leni she mustn't let anyone in as we weren't expecting anyone, we still would rather have remained alone, but then along came you, Albert, thumping your fists on the door, the office director moved over into the corner pulling his table and chair with him, but now it turns out we might have, that is, if that's what you wish, we might have something to discuss with each other and it would be good if we can all come back together again. - Office director …," he said with his head on one side, pointing with a humble smile to an armchair near the bed. "I'm afraid I'll only be able to stay a few minutes more," smiled the office director as he spread himself out in the armchair and looked at the clock. "Business calls. But I wouldn't want to miss the chance of meeting a friend of my friend." He inclined his head slightly toward K.'s uncle, who seemed very happy with his new acquaintance, but he was not the sort of person to express his feelings of deference and responded to the office director's words with embarrassed, but loud, laughter. A horrible sight! K. was able to quietly watch everything as nobody paid any attention to him, the office director took over as leader of the conversation as seemed to be his habit once he had been called forward, the lawyer listened attentively with his hand to his ear, his initial weakness having perhaps only had the function of driving away his new visitors, K.'s uncle served as candle-bearer - balancing the candle on his thigh while the office director frequently glanced nervously at it - and was soon free of his embarrassment and was quickly enchanted not only by the office director's speaking manner but also by the gentle, waving hand-movements with which he accompanied it. K., leaning against the bedpost, was totally ignored by the office director, perhaps deliberately, and served the old man only as audience. And besides, he had hardly any idea what the conversation was about and his thoughts soon turned to the care assistant and the ill treatment she had suffered from his uncle. Soon after, he began to wonder whether he had not seen the office director somewhere before, perhaps among the people who were at his first hearing. He may have been mistaken, but thought the office director might well have been among the old gentlemen with the thin beards in the first row.

他刚打完招呼，就请Ｋ和他私下里谈一谈；他没有时间在Ｋ端给他的椅子上坐下。“很有必要谈谈，”他气喘吁吁地说，“很有必要谈谈，这样我才能放心。”Ｋ马上吩咐两位职员出去，并让他们别放任何人进来。“我听到的消息是怎么回事，约瑟夫？”当屋里只剩下他们两个人时，Ｋ的叔叔大声问道；他一屁股坐在办公桌上，拿过几份文件，连看也没看一眼，就垫在屁股下面，以便坐得舒服点。Ｋ一言不发，心里明白是怎么回事；刚从紧张、繁杂的工作中解脱出来，得让自己舒舒服服地清闲一会儿。于是，他透过窗子，眺望着马路对面。从他坐着的地方，只能看见马路对面一个小小的三角地带，这是夹在两个商店橱窗中间的一所住宅的正墙，上面什么也没有。“你坐在这儿看着窗外！”Ｋ的叔叔挥动双臂嚷道：“看在上帝的面上，约瑟夫，请你回答我。是真的吗？这可能是真的吗？”“亲爱的叔叔，”Ｋ说，他已从遐想中回到现实，“我一点也不明白，你说的是什么意思。”“约瑟夫，”叔叔忧虑地说，“据我所知，你一直是说实话的。我应该把你刚才讲的这些话当作是一个坏兆头吗？”“我肯定能猜出，你想知道什么，”Ｋ随和地说：“你大概听见了一些关于审判我的事。”“是这么回事，”叔叔回答道，他心情沉重地点点头，“我听见了关于审判你的事。”“你是从谁那儿听说的？”“是艾尔娜写信告诉我的，”叔叔说，“她和你不常见面，这我明白；你对她不大关心，我很遗憾，不得不这么说。可是她还是听说了。今天上午我收到信后，便立即乘上头班火车，赶到这儿来。我来这儿没有别的原因，不过光是这个原因看来就已经足够了。我可以把她信中提到你的部分念给你听听。”他从皮包里拿出信。“就在这儿。她写道：‘我好久没看见约瑟夫了；上星期我到银行里去找他，可是他很忙，我见不到他；我等了差不多一个钟头，后来不得不离开那儿，因为我得去上钢琴课。我真想跟他谈谈，说不定很快就会有机会的。他寄给我上大盒巧克力，祝贺我的生日；他真好，考虑得多周到。我当时给你写信时，忘了提这件事，只是当你这次问起我时，我才想起来。原因嘛，我可以告诉你：巧克力在寄宿学校里不翼而飞了，礼物丢失后，你是很难想起有人给你送过东西的。关于约瑟夫，还有件事情我想应该告诉你。刚才我说过，我那天无法见到他，因为他被一位先生缠住了。我老老实实地等了一会儿以后，问一位侍从，他俩的谈话是不是还要延续很久。他说很可能这样，因为这或许与牵涉到襄理的一件案子有关。我问是什么案子，他是否搞错了。他说他没搞错，是有一件案子，案情还很严重；然而除此之外，他也一无所知。他自己倒很愿意帮助Ｋ先生，因为Ｋ先生心地善良、为人正直，可是他不知道从何处着手，只好盼着某个有影响的人物会站在襄理这一边。当然，事情是会顺利的，最后结果一定是百事如意。不过据他从Ｋ先生的心情推测，目前情况似乎颇为不妙。我当然不把这件事看得过于严重，因此劝那个头脑简单的家伙放心，同时也请他别把这事告诉任何其他人。我深信，他讲的话只是无稽之谈而已。不管怎么说，亲爱的父亲，如果你下次进城的时候能去了解一下，那就太好了。你会轻而易举地查明事实真相，如果需要的话，也可以请你的一些有影响的朋友进行干预。即使你认为不必要这样做——这是很可能的——至少你也可以给你女儿一个提前用亲吻来欢迎你的机会，她想到这种可能性，顿觉心花怒放。’真是个好孩子，”Ｋ的叔叔念完信后说道，随即拭干眼中的泪水。Ｋ点点头。近来他遇到许多麻烦事，已经把艾尔娜撇在脑后了；至于巧克力的事，显然是她瞎编的，只是为了给他在叔叔婶婶面前留点面子，这真令人感动。他本想定期给她送戏票，以示回报，但看来这是很不够的；到寄宿学校里去找她，和这么一个不太懂事的十八岁少女聊天，目前也不合适。“你现在有什么要说的？”Ｋ的叔叔问；女儿的信使他忘了自己的匆忙和不安，看来他在重读这封信。“是的，叔叔，”Ｋ说，“全是真的。”“真的？”Ｋ的叔叔嚷了起来，“怎么会是真的？怎么可能是真的？是一件什么案子？肯定不是一桩刑事案件吧？”“是一桩刑事案件，”Ｋ回答道。“既然一件牵涉到你的刑事案件至今悬而未决，你怎么能安安稳稳地坐在这儿呢？”Ｋ的叔叔大声问道，他的嗓门越来越高。“我越冷静，结果就会越好，”Ｋ不耐烦地说，“你别担心。”“你向我提的这个要求可真妙，”叔叔嚷了起来。“约瑟夫，我亲爱的约瑟夫，为你自己想想吧，为你的亲戚们想想吧，为我们家的名誉想想吧。到目前为止，你一直为我们争了光，你可不能给这个家带来不幸啊。你的态度，”他稍稍抬起头，看着Ｋ，“使我很不高兴，一个无辜的人如果还有理智的话，是不会采取这种态度的。快告诉我，到底是怎么回事，我好帮你的忙。准是和银行有关吧？”“不对，”Ｋ一面说，一面站了起来，“你讲话的声音大大，叔叔。我敢肯定，侍从在门口听着呢，我不喜欢这样。咱们最好还是到外面找个地方吧。我将尽量回答你的一切问题。我很清楚，我应该对全家作出解释。”“好，”叔叔大声说道，“很好，不过请你动作迅速点，约瑟夫，快走！”“我还需要向他们交代几件事，”Ｋ说；他打电话请他的主要助手来；几分钟后助手就到了。Ｋ的叔叔很激动，朝助手摆摆手，说明是Ｋ请他来的，这其实用不着说也能明白。Ｋ站在办公桌旁边，拿起几份文件，开始低声向助手解释；助手冷静而专注地听着，当Ｋ不在的时候自己应该做些什么。叔叔圆睁着眼睛，神经质地咬着嘴唇，站在Ｋ身旁，使Ｋ觉得很不自在；叔叔并没有听Ｋ在说些什么，但他那一副似乎在听的样子就足以使Ｋ心烦了。后来他开始在屋里走来走去，常常在窗口或者某幅画前停一会儿，猛地迸出一句话，比如“我一点也不明白，”或者“天晓得这事会怎么样”。助手好像什么也没觉察到，聚精会神地听着Ｋ的指示，边听边记下要点。Ｋ讲完后，助手向Ｋ和Ｋ的叔叔点点头，离开他们走了。Ｋ的叔叔这时正好背对着他，双手拿住窗帘，瞧着窗外。门刚关上，他就嚷道：“这个笨蛋总算走了，现在我们出去吧，总算可以走了！”他们来到正厅，这里站着几个职员和侍从，副经理刚好迎面走来。Ｋ的叔叔在这里就想了解案子的情况，倒霉的Ｋ没法让他住口。“现在是时候了，约瑟夫，”叔叔开口说，门厅里恭候着的职员们向他鞠躬致意，他点点头表示回答，“坦率地告诉我，到底是一桩什么案件。”Ｋ似是而非地说了几句，笑了笑，直到下楼的时候才向叔叔说明，他不愿意当着职员们的面说这些事。“不错，”叔叔说，“可是现在你有什么事就全说出来吧。”他低头静听，不停地抽着雪茄。“首先要说明的是，叔叔，”Ｋ说，“这不是一桩由普通法院受理的案子。”“这很糟，”叔叔说。“你这话是什么意思？”Ｋ看着叔叔问道。“我说的是，这很糟，”叔叔又说了一遍。他们站在银行门外的台阶上，看门人好像在听他们讲话，Ｋ急忙拉着叔叔走开，他们马上汇人街上的人流之中了。叔叔挎着Ｋ的胳膊，不再急于打听案情了，他们默默无言地走了一阵。“但是，这事是怎么发生的？”叔叔突然停下脚步，向Ｋ提了一个问题；走在他后面的行人赶紧避开，“这类事情不会突如其来的，有一个日积月累的过程，事前肯定有征兆。你为什么不写信告诉我？你知道，我可以为你做任何事情；在某种意义上说，我仍然是你的监护人，直到今天我还为此感到自豪。我当然会尽自己的力量帮助你；不过，现在由于案子已经开始审理，就很难帮上忙了。不管怎么说，最好的办法是你请几天假，到我们乡下来住一段时间。我发现这些日子你瘦多了。在乡下你能恢复元气，对你会有好处的，因为这次审判一定把你折磨得够呛了。可是，咱们抛开这点不说，从一种意思上讲，你得避一避法院的淫威。他们在这儿拥有各种机器，可以随心所欲地在任何时候把它们开动起来对付你；但是如果你在乡下，他们要找你就得派人来，或者发信、拍电报、打电话来。这么一来，效果自然就差了；你并不能彻底摆脱他们，但至少能得到一点喘息的时间。”“不过他们可能会禁止我离开这儿，”Ｋ说，他已经准备接叔叔的想法做了。“我并不认为他们会这样做，”叔叔胸有成竹地说，“何况你的离开并不会给他们带来多大损失。”“我本来以为，”Ｋ说，同时挽起叔叔的胳臂，让他别站着不动，“你会比我更不在乎这件事，现在看来你把它看得很严重。”“约瑟夫！”叔叔嚷道，他想挣脱胳臂，以便继续站在原地不动，可是Ｋ不让，“你变得很厉害，你的头脑向来很清醒，现在怎么糊涂了？你想输掉这场官司吗？你知道这意味着什么吗？这意味着你会彻底毁掉。你的所有亲戚也会跟着倒霉，至少会蒙上奇耻大辱。约瑟夫，鼓起劲来。你这种无所谓的样子会使我发疯的。人们看着你，几乎会相信那句老话：‘这种官司，一打准输。’”“亲爱的叔叔，”Ｋ说，“激动是没有用处的，对你没用处，对我也没用处。靠感情冲动是打不赢官司的，你稍许考虑一下我的亲身经验吧。你看，我是很尊敬你的，即使你让我感到很惊讶的时候，我也照样尊敬你。既然你告诉我说，全家都会卷入由这件案子所引起的丑闻中——我其实看不出怎么会这样，不过这是题外话一那我就服从你的决定。我只是觉得，即使从你的观点来看，到乡下去这件事也是不可取的，因为会被人认为是畏罪潜逃，换句话说，等于承认自己有罪。此外，虽然我在这里受的压力较大，但我也可以凭自己的力量，更使劲地为我的案子奋争。”“这话说得很对，”叔叔说，他的语调变得较为轻松，好像他已发现他俩终于想到一块了，“我只不过提个建议而已，因为我认为，如果你留在此地的话，你的无所谓态度会危及案子，还不如我来为你奔走更好。但是，如果你愿意自己使劲为案子奋争，这当然要好得多。”“这么说来，在这一点上我们的意见是一致的，”Ｋ说，“现在请你给我出个主意：我第一步该怎么走？”“我得好好思考一下，”叔叔说，“你要考虑到这个事实：我在乡下已经住了二十年，几乎从未离开过；我在这种事情上的眼光不会像从前那么敏锐了。有几位有影响的人在处理这类事情上或许比我内行，可是年长日久，我和他们的关系已经渐渐疏远。我在乡下几乎不和人来往，这点你是知道的。只是在发生像眼下这样的紧急情况时，我才认识到这样做的坏处。何况你这事多多少少是出乎我意料之外的；很奇怪的是，收到艾尔娜的信后，我猜到了某种类似的事情，而今天一见到你，我几乎就确信了。不过，这些都无关紧要，重要的是现在别浪费时间啦。”他还没讲完，便踮起脚尖，叫来一辆出租汽车。他大声地把地址告诉司机后，就钻进车内，并把Ｋ也拽了进去。“我们直接去找霍尔德律师，”他说，“他是我的同学。你当然知道他的名字，对不对？你不知道？这真奇怪。作为辩护人，作为穷人的律师，他享有很高的声望。他是富于人情味的，我准备把这件案子全部委托给他。”“我愿意试着全按你的意思去办，”Ｋ说，尽管叔叔处理事情的仓促和轻率方式使他颇为不安。他作为一个有求于人的人，被带到一个穷人的律师那儿去，觉得心里很不是滋味。“我原先不知道，”他说，“在这种案件中可以聘请律师。”“当然可以，”叔叔说，“这是用不着说的。为什么不能呢？现在，你把迄今为止发生的事情全部告诉我，好让我心中有数，知道我们的情况到底如何。”Ｋ立即讲起这件事的前后经过，一个细节也没遗漏，因为只有绝对坦率，才能使叔叔不再认为这桩案子会带来令人心寒的耻辱。布尔斯特纳小姐的名字Ｋ只是捎带着提过一次，这并不说明他的不坦率，因为布尔斯特纳小姐与案件没有关系。他一面讲，一面透过车窗，看着外面；他发现他们已经驰近办公室设在阁楼上的法院所在的那个郊区了；他请叔叔注意这个事实，可是叔叔似乎不大理会这个巧合。出租汽车在一座深色的房子前停下。叔叔按响底层第一家的门铃；当他们等人开门的时候，叔叔露齿而笑，低声说道：“现在是八点钟，委托人很少在这种时候来找他，但霍尔德不会见怪的。”门上有个警窗，一双黑色的大眼睛在窗口出现，盯着两个来客看了一会儿后，又消失了；然而门还是没开。Ｋ和叔叔互相证实，他们的确看见了一双眼睛。“一个新来的女仆，大概害怕陌生人，”Ｋ的叔叔说，他又敲敲门。那双眼睛再次出现，这回的眼神似乎很忧伤，但也许是煤气灯造成的错觉；煤气灯没有灯罩，正好在他们上方点着，发出刺耳的“嘶嘶”声，但光线却甚为暗淡。“开门！”Ｋ的叔叔喊道，他开始用拳头擂门，“我们是霍尔德先生的朋友。”“霍尔德先生病了，”一个微弱的声音从他们背后传来。位于这条短门廊另一边的那扇门打开了，一个穿着睡衣的男人在门口出现，他压低嗓门把这个消息告诉了他们。Ｋ的叔叔因为等得过久而怒气冲冲，他转过身来嚷道：“病了？你说他病了？”他气势汹汹地走到那人跟前，好像那人就是所谓疾病的化身。“门已经开了，”那人蓦地指着律师的门说，接着裹紧身上的睡衣，进了屋。门真的开了，一位年轻姑娘——Ｋ认出了那双有点向外凸的黑眼睛——系着一条白色长围裙，手上拿着蜡烛，站在前厅里。“下次开门请你麻利点，”Ｋ的叔叔没有跟她寒暄，而是教训了她一句；她行了个屈膝礼。“来吧，约瑟夫，”他对Ｋ说，Ｋ正向姑娘暗递秋波。“霍尔德先生病了，”Ｋ的叔叔径直朝里屋走去时，姑娘说，Ｋ还在打量着姑娘，她转身把门插上；她长着一张圆圆的娃娃脸，苍白的双颊、下巴，连她的太阳穴和前额也是圆的。“约瑟夫！”Ｋ的叔叔又喊了一次，接着他问那姑娘：“是心脏病吗？”“我想是的，”姑娘说；她端着蜡烛，走到他前面，把里屋的房门打开。在烛光照不到的一个屋角里，一张蓄着长胡子的脸从枕头上抬起来。“莱妮，谁来啦？”律师问，他被烛光照花了眼，看不清来客。“是你的老朋友阿尔伯特，”Ｋ的叔叔说。“噢，阿尔伯特，”律师说，他又躺倒在枕头上，好像没有必要在这个客人面前强打精神似的。“你真的很不舒服吗？”Ｋ的叔叔在床沿上坐下后问律师，“我简直不相信。不过，这只是心脏病再次发作而已，像前几次一样，很快就会过去的。”“也许吧，”律师说，他的声音微弱，“不过这次比以前任何一次都厉害。连呼吸都困难，睡不着觉，浑身一天比一天没劲。”“我明白了，”Ｋ的叔叔说，他的那只粗壮的手使劲把巴拿马草帽压在膝头上。“这真糟糕。不过，佣人对你的照料周到吗？这儿光线很暗，阴沉沉的。我最后一次到这里来，是很久以前的事了，那时这儿的气氛要欢快得多。另外，你现在的这个年轻女佣人好像不怎么伶俐，也许是装成这样。”那姑娘拿着蜡烛，还站在门口；从她那扑朔迷离的目光推测，她好像在看着Ｋ，而不是在看Ｋ的叔叔；即便后者在谈起她的时候，她也不看他一眼。Ｋ推过一张椅子，放在她身边，自己靠在椅子背上。“一个人得了病，像我现在这样，”律师说，“就需要安静。我并不觉得这儿是阴沉沉的。”他略微停顿了一下，又补充一句：“莱妮对我照料得很好，她是个好姑娘。”但是Ｋ的叔叔并不相信，他显然对女看护有成见；他没有回答病人的话，只是用严厉的目光注视着那姑娘；她走到床前，把蜡烛放在床头柜上，朝病人俯下身去，一边摆好枕头，一边对他轻声说话。Ｋ的叔叔几乎忘记了自己是在病人的房间里，猛地站起身来，在姑娘身后踱来踱去；如果这时他去执姑娘的裙子，把她从床边拖开，Ｋ也不会觉得奇怪的。Ｋ以旁观者的态度看着这一切。律师生了病，Ｋ倒并非完全不满意：叔叔对他的案子的关心越来越热切，他没有办法遏制这种热情；现在，谢天谢地，出现了这种情况，用不着他插手，叔叔的热情就会受挫。不久，他叔叔大概想惹女看护生气，大声叫道：“小姐，劳驾让我们单独呆一会儿；我有些私事要和我的朋友商量。”姑娘还俯着身，正在把靠着墙的那部分床单抚平；她听了这话，侧转头，心平气和地说：“你要知道，我的主人病了；不能跟他商量任何事。”这和Ｋ的叔叔的暴躁、结巴和唾沫四溅形成了鲜明对比。她还不由自主地重复了一遍。尽管如此，即使是一个没有成见的局外人也会认为她是在冷言相讥。Ｋ的叔叔好像被黄蜂螫了一下，顿时暴跳如雷。“他妈的，你——”他破口大骂起来，由于愤怒过分，他的话很难使人听懂。Ｋ虽然预料到叔叔会突然爆发，但听了这话后仍然惊讶不已地站了起来，朝叔叔奔去，决定伸出双手堵住叔叔的嘴，使他平静下来。幸好姑娘身后的病人这时从床上直起了腰；Ｋ的叔叔赶忙做了个鬼脸，好像吞了一瓶令人恶心的药水，接着用较为温和的口气说道：“我请你相信，我们并没有完全失去理智；如果我请求的事情没有办得到的可能，我是决不会开口的。现在请你走吧。”姑娘在床边挺直身子，转身正对着Ｋ的叔叔，不过她的一只手仍然在轻轻拍着律师的手，至少Ｋ是这么臆想的。“你可以当着莱妮的面跟我商谈任何事情，”律师用恳求的语调说。“这事与我无关，”Ｋ的叔叔说，“不是我的秘密。”他转过身去，好像不想再过问这件事似的，不过他是想让律师有时间再斟酌一下。“那么是关于谁的？”律师重新躺下，有气无力地问道。“与我侄子有关，”Ｋ的叔叔说，“我把他带到这儿来了。”他开始介绍他的侄子：约瑟夫·Ｋ，襄理。“噢，”病人说，他活跃多了，并朝Ｋ伸出手来，“请你原谅，刚才我没有看见你。现在你走吧，莱妮，”他对女看护说，紧接着便久久地握住她的手，好像在跟她告别似的；莱妮顺从地走了。“这么说，你到这儿来，”他对Ｋ的叔叔说；Ｋ的叔叔已经息了怒，重新来到床前，“不是因为我有病而来看我的，你是有事来的。”他好像一想起别人把他当病人来探望，就浑身动弹不得，从现在开始才好些。于是他支着胳膊坐起来，显得年青多了，当然这么做要花费很大力气，他把手指伸进胡须中，持着。缠绕着。“自从那个小妖精走后，”Ｋ的叔叔说，“你看上去已经好多了。”他突然住了嘴，低声说道：“我敢打赌，她在偷听，”他奔到门口看了看，门后没有任何人，他又走回来，并不觉得很难堪，因为他觉得，她不想偷听也完全是出于恶意，出于怨恨。“你对她不公道，”律师说，不过没有多为女看护再辩解；他大概认为，自己的缄默就意味着她根本不用别人为她辩解。接着他用十分友好的口气说下去：“过问你侄子的这件案子是一项极为艰巨的任务，如果我的力量能够胜任，我将认为自己是十分幸运的。我很担心我的力量不够；不过，不管怎么样，我将竭尽全力；如果我一个人不能成功，你还可以去请别人来助我一臂之力。老实说，这件案子使我深感兴趣，我不能放弃过问这件案子的机会。即使我心有余而力不足，在这个障碍面前受阻也是值得的。”这番话Ｋ连一个字也没有听懂，他瞅了瞅叔叔，希望能得到解释3然而叔叔手里拿着蜡烛，坐在床头柜上。一个药瓶从床头柜上滚了下来，掉到地毯上，不管律师说什么，叔叔都点头，显然完全同意律师说的一切；他有时还瞥Ｋ一眼，似乎要求Ｋ也表示赞同。难道叔叔已经把和这件案子有关的一切情况都告诉津师了吗？但这不可能，事情的进展排除了这种可能性。“我不明白——”于是他开口说。“噢，我大概误解了你的意思？”律师问，他和Ｋ一样惊奇和困惑。“也许我太急躁了。那么，你到底要跟我商讨什么事呢？我原以为是关于你的案子的事呢。”“当然是这事，”Ｋ的叔叔说，然后转过头去问Ｋ：“你担心些什么？”“嗯，可是，你是怎么知道有关我和我的案子的情况的？”Ｋ问道。“噢，是这么回事，”律师笑着说，“我是一个律师，你知道，我经常出入辩论各种案件的司法界，其中最堪注意的案子肯定会深深印在我的脑子里，更不必说是一桩有关我的一个老朋友的侄子的案件了。这事并不十分蹊跷。”“你到底担心些什么？”Ｋ的叔叔又问了一遍，“你太神经过敏了。”“这么说来你经常出入司法界？”Ｋ问，“是的，”律师回答道。“你问起问题来像个小孩子，”Ｋ的叔叔说。“我如果不和我的同行交往，那该跟谁交往呢？”律师补充说。这话听起来是无可非议的，Ｋ无以置答。“不过，你准是和位于司法大厦中的那个法院有联系，而不是和设在阁楼上的法院有联系，”他本想这么说，可是没有说出来。“你要知道，”律师接着说，他讲话的口气像是在草草解释一件不言自明的事，“你应该知道，这种交往使我能够通过各种途径为我的委托人办妥事情，其中有的途径甚至不便公开说明。当然，由于现在我病了，所以出现了一些不利条件；但是这也不要紧，因为我在法院里的好朋友常常来看我，我可以从他们那儿了解到很多情况，也许比很多身体健康，整天呆在法院里的人知道的情况还要多。例如，现在就有我的一个好朋友在这儿。”他朝屋里一个黑洞洞的角落摆摆手。“在哪儿？”Ｋ问，他吃了一惊，因此问得很唐突。他半信半疑地环视着四周。小蜡烛的亮光几乎照不到对面的墙，那个黑洞洞的屋角里隐隐约约出现了一个身影。Ｋ的叔叔把蜡烛举过头，Ｋ借助烛光看见一位年事已高的先生坐在屋角的一张小桌旁。他坐在那里大概连气都没有透，以至于呆了这么久居然没有被人发现。他急忙站起来，显然因为自己让人发现而感到不快。他的双手像小鸟的翅膀一样摆动着，似乎想表明他不赞成任何形式的介绍和寒暄，似乎想让人家知道，他不愿意打扰别的先生，只希望重新进入黑暗中，别人最好忘掉他的存在。但他无法再享有这种特权了。“我可以说，你使他们吃了一惊，”律师解释道，他招手请那位先生走上前来；那位先生慢慢挪动脚步，犹豫不决地看着四周，然而举止很有风度。“法院书记官——啊，请原谅，我还没有给你们介绍——这是我的朋友阿尔伯特·Ｋ，这是他的侄子约瑟夫·Ｋ，这是法院书记官——我再说一遍，蒙他热忱相待，今天来看我。这种探望的价值只有在法院中混迹多年的人才能真正认识到，因为他们知道，书记宫的工作忙得要命。尽管这样，他还是来看我了，在我的病体尚能坚持下来的情况下，我们愉快地谈论着。我们没有禁止莱妮引进来客，确实如此，因为我们没想到会有人来，我们当然以为我们不会被人打扰的；可是，阿尔伯特，后来传来了你的暴躁的敲门声，法院书记宫于是带着他的桌椅退到屋角里去了。不过现在我觉得，如果你愿意的话，咱们总算有机会一块谈谈了，因为这件案子和咱们大家都有关系，咱们可以聚在一起聊聊。请，亲爱的书记官先生，”他朝书记官鞠了一躬，带着彬彬有礼的微笑，指指床边的一把扶手椅说。“遗憾的是我只能再呆几分钟，”法院的书记官客气地说，他坐到扶手椅上，看了看表，“我还有公事。不过我不愿意放过一个在这里认识我的朋友的朋友的机会。”他朝Ｋ的叔叔微微弓了弓身；Ｋ的叔叔看来由于结识了这个人而感到很荣幸，但是他生来不善于表示自己的崇敬心情，而是用一阵令人莫名其妙的大笑来回答法院书记官的这番话。真滑稽！Ｋ可以自由自在地观察一切，因为谁也没有注意他。法院书记官既然已经处于突出地位，便当仁不让地首先发表意见，这好像已成了他的习惯。律师当初装作身体虚弱，大概只是为了谢绝来客；现在他伸出手，拢在耳朵边，聚精会神地听着。Ｋ的叔叔作为执烛人——他把蜡烛放在大腿上保持平衡，律师经常向他投射一瞥不安的目光——很快就脱离了尴尬局面，现在正兴致盎然地听着法院书记官的妙语连珠的演讲，欣赏着书记官讲话时一只手附带作出的波浪式动作。Ｋ靠在床架上，法院书记官完全把他忘了，也许是故意怠慢他；结果他只能成为另一个老人的听众。Ｋ本身也没有心思听他们讲话，脑子里先是想起了女看护，想起了叔叔对她的粗暴态度，后来则自问以前是否见过法院的书记官：大约初审的时候书记宫在听众当中吧？Ｋ可能猜错了，不过法院书记宫——这个胡子硬撅撅的老先生——坐在第一排听众中倒是非常合适的。

There was then a noise that everyone heard from the hallway as if something of porcelain were being broken. "I'll go and see what's happened," said K., who slowly left the room as if giving the others the chance to stop him. He had hardly stepped into the hallway, finding his bearings in the darkness with his hand still firmly holding the door, when another small hand, much smaller than K.'s own, placed itself on his and gently shut the door. It was the carer who had been waiting there. "Nothing has happened," she whispered to him, "I just threw a plate against the wall to get you out of there." "I was thinking about you, as well," replied K. uneasily. "So much the better," said the carer. "Come with me". A few steps along, they came to a frosted glass door which the carer opened for him. "Come in here," she said. It was clearly the lawyer's office, fitted out with old, heavy furniture, as far as could be seen in the moonlight which now illuminated just a small, rectangular section of the floor by each of the three big windows. "This way," said the carer, pointing to a dark trunk with a carved, wooden backrest. When he had sat down, K. continued to look round the room, it was a large room with a high ceiling, the clients of this lawyer for the poor must have felt quite lost in it. K. thought he could see the little steps with which visitors would approach the massive desk. But then he forgot about all of this and had eyes only for the carer who sat very close beside him, almost pressing him against the armrest. "I did think," she said "you would come out here to me by yourself without me having to call you first. It was odd. First you stare at me as soon as you come in, and then you keep me waiting. And you ought to call me Leni, too," she added quickly and suddenly, as if no moment of this conversation should be lost. "Gladly," said K. "But as for its being odd, Leni, that's easy to explain. Firstly, I had to listen to what the old men were saying and couldn't leave without a good reason, but secondly I'm not a bold person, if anything I'm quite shy, and you, Leni, you didn't really look like you could be won over in one stroke, either." "That's not it," said Leni, laying one arm on the armrest and looking at K., "you didn't like me, and I don't suppose you like me now, either." "Liking wouldn't be very much," said K., evasively. "Oh!" she exclaimed with a smile, thus making use of K.'s comment to gain an advantage over him. So K. remained silent for a while. By now, he had become used to the darkness in the room and was able to make out various fixtures and fittings. He was especially impressed by a large picture hanging to the right of the door, he leant forward in order to see it better. It depicted a man wearing a judge's robes; he was sitting on a lofty throne gilded in a way that shone forth from the picture. The odd thing about the picture was that this judge was not sitting there in dignified calm but had his left arm pressed against the back and armrest, his right arm, however, was completely free and only grasped the armrest with his hand, as if about to jump up any moment in vigorous outrage and make some decisive comment or even to pass sentence. The accused was probably meant to be imagined at the foot of the steps, the top one of which could be seen in the picture, covered with a yellow carpet. "That might be my judge," said K., pointing to the picture with one finger. "I know him," said Leni looking up at the picture, "he comes here quite often. That picture is from when he was young, but he can never have looked anything like it, as he's tiny, minute almost. But despite that, he had himself made to look bigger in the picture as he's madly vain, just like everyone round here. But even I'm vain and that makes me very unhappy that you don't like me." K. replied to that last comment merely by embracing Leni and drawing her towards him, she lay her head quietly on his shoulder. To the rest of it, though, he said, "What rank is he?" "He's an examining judge," she said, taking hold of the hand with which K. held her and playing with his fingers. "Just an examining judge once again," said K. in disappointment, "the senior officials keep themselves hidden. But here he is sitting on a throne." "That's all just made up," said Leni with her face bent over K.'s hand, "really he's sitting on a kitchen chair with an old horse blanket folded over it. But do you have to be always thinking about your trial?" she added slowly. "No, not at all," said K., "I probably even think too little about it." "That's not the mistake you're making," said Leni, "you're too unyielding, that's what I've heard." "Who said that?" asked K., he felt her body against his chest and looked down on her rich, dark, tightly-bound hair. "I'd be saying too much if I told you that," answered Leni. "Please don't ask for names, but do stop making these mistakes of yours, stop being so unyielding, there's nothing you can do to defend yourself from this court, you have to confess. So confess to them as soon as you get the chance. It's only then that they give you the chance to get away, not till then. Only, without help from outside even that's impossible, but you needn't worry about getting this help as I want to help you myself." "You understand a lot about this court and what sort of tricks are needed," said K. as he lifted her, since she was pressing in much too close to him, onto his lap. "That's alright, then," she said, and made herself comfortable on his lap by smoothing out her skirt and adjusting her blouse. Then she hung both her arms around his neck, leant back and took a long look at him. "And what if I don't confess, could you not help me then?" asked K. to test her out. I'm accumulating women to help me, he thought to himself almost in amazement, first Miss Bürstner, then the court usher's wife, and now this little care assistant who seems to have some incomprehensible need for me. The way she sits on my lap as if it were her proper place! "No," answered Leni, slowly shaking her head, "I couldn't help you then. But you don't want my help anyway, it means nothing to you, you're too stubborn and won't be persuaded." Then, after a while she asked, "Do you have a lover?" "No," said K. "Oh, you must have," she said. "Well, I have really," said K. "Just think, I've even betrayed her while I'm carrying her photograph with me." Leni insisted he show her a photograph of Elsa, and then, hunched on his lap, studied the picture closely. The photograph was not one that had been taken while Elsa was posing for it, it showed her just after she had been in a wild dance such as she liked to do in wine bars, her skirt was still flung out as she span round, she had placed her hands on her firm hips and, with her neck held taut, looked to one side with a laugh; you could not see from the picture whom her laugh was intended for. "She's very tightly laced," said Leni, pointing to the place where she thought this could be seen. "I don't like her, she's clumsy and crude. But maybe she's gentle and friendly towards you, that's the impression you get from the picture. Big, strong girls like that often don't know how to be anything but gentle and friendly. Would she be capable of sacrificing herself for you, though?" "No," said K., "she isn't gentle or friendly, and nor would she be capable of sacrificing herself for me. But I've never yet asked any of those things of her. I've never looked at this picture as closely as you." "You can't think much of her, then," said Leni. "She can't be your lover after all." "Yes she is," said K., "I'm not going to take my word back on that." "Well she might be your lover now, then," said Leni, "but you wouldn't miss her much if you lost her or if you exchanged her for somebody else, me for instance." "That is certainly conceivable," said K. with a smile, "but she does have one major advantage over you, she knows nothing about my trial, and even if she did she wouldn't think about it. She wouldn't try to persuade me to be less unyielding." "Well that's no advantage," said Leni. "If she's got no advantage other than that, I can keep on hoping. Has she got any bodily defects?" "'Bodily defects'?" asked K. "Yeah," said Leni, "as I do have a bodily defect, just a little one. Look." She spread the middle and ring fingers of her right hand apart from each other. Between those fingers the flap of skin connecting them reached up almost as far as the top joint of the little finger. In the darkness, K. did not see at first what it was she wanted to show him, so she led his hand to it so that he could feel. "What a freak of nature," said K., and when he had taken a look at the whole hand he added, "What a pretty claw!" Leni looked on with a kind of pride as K. repeatedly opened and closed her two fingers in amazement, until, finally, he briefly kissed them and let go. "Oh!" she immediately exclaimed, "you kissed me!" Hurriedly, and with her mouth open, she clambered up K.'s lap with her knees. He was almost aghast as he looked up at her, now that she was so close to him there was a bitter, irritating smell from her, like pepper, she grasped his head, leant out over him, and bit and kissed his neck, even biting into his hair. "I've taken her place!" she exclaimed from time to time. "Just look, now you've taken me instead of her!" Just then, her knee slipped out and, with a little cry, she nearly fell down onto the carpet, K. tried to hold her by putting his arms around her and was pulled down with her. "Now you're mine," she said.

门厅里突然传来一阵像是陶器打破的声音，大家都竖起了耳朵。“我去看看是怎么回事，”Ｋ说，他慢悠悠地走出去，想给其他人提供一个叫他回屋的机会。他刚走进门厅，伸出脚在黑暗中摸索时，一只比他的手小得多的手按在他那只仍然扶着门的手上，轻轻把门带上了。这是女看护，她在那儿等着呢。“没事，”她悄悄地说，“是我往墙上扔了个盘子，想把你引出来。”Ｋ扭。泥地说。“我当时也在想着你。”“那就更好了，”女看护说，“到这边来。”他们走了一两步，来到一扇厚玻璃门前，她把门打开。“进去吧！”她说。这间屋显然是律师的办公室；月光透过两扇大窗子照进屋来，照亮了窗前地板上的两个小方块；借着月光可以看见屋里摆满了古色古香的旧式家具。“到这儿来，”女看护指着一把椅背雕花的深色椅子说。Ｋ坐下后继续打量着这间屋子；办公室很大，天花板很高，这位“穷人的”律师的委托人来到这儿会有茫然若失的感觉。Ｋ给自己描绘了这么一幅图画：委托人个个局促不安，他们慢慢朝律师的大桌子走来。可是后来他把这些全抛在脑后，只望着女看护；她紧挨Ｋ坐着，差不多把他挤得靠在椅子的扶手上。“我本来想，”她说，“你自己会出来的，用不着等我来叫你。你的行为真古怪。你一进门，眼睛就始终盯着我；可是你却让我等了好久。你就叫我莱妮吧！”她匆匆补充道，这句话突如其来，好像她没有时间可以浪费似的。“我很高兴这样称呼你，”Ｋ说，“至于说我的行为古怪，莱妮，这很容易解释。首先，我必须听那几个老头唠叨。我不能没有任何借口就离开他们走出来。其次，我不是一个在女人面前胆大妄为的小伙子，说实话我很害臊；而你，莱妮，看样子也不像是个一说就愿意的姑娘。”“不对，”莱妮说，她的手臂搭在椅子背上，眼睛看着Ｋ。“而是你开始时不喜欢我，现在没准仍然不喜欢我。”“喜欢这个字眼太没有力量。”Ｋ含糊其辞地说。“啊！”她微笑着说。Ｋ的话和这个短促的感叹使她略微占了上风，于是Ｋ一时什么也说不上来。他已经对这间黑暗的屋子习惯了，现在已能看清某些摆设的细节。给他留下特殊印象的是一幅挂在房门右侧的大型油画。他朝前倾着身子，想看清楚点。画面上是一个穿着法袍的人；那人坐在一个像宝座一样的高脚椅子上，这是一张镀金椅子，在整幅画里占据着一个突出地位。奇怪的是法官的坐姿看来并不威严，因为他的左臂搭在宝座的后背和扶手上，右臂却悬空吊着，手掌下垂，搁在另一个扶手上；法官似乎正要站起来，做一个激烈的、也许是忿怒的手势，发表一个带有决定性意义的看法，甚至作出判决。我们可以设想，被告站在通向法官宝座的最下面一级台阶上；最上面几级台阶上铺着的黄地毯已经画出来了。“或许他就是审理我这个案子的法官，”Ｋ伸出手指，指着那幅画说。“我认识他，”莱妮说，她也在看着画。“他常到这里来。这幅画是他年轻时请人画的，但一点也不像，既不像他年轻时，也不像他现在。因为他个子矮小，几乎是个侏儒；可是他却让别人把自己画成了这个样子，原因是他和这儿所有的人一样，爱虚荣爱到了发疯的程度。然而我也是一个爱虚荣的人，说话颠三倒四，你肯定不会喜欢我的。”Ｋ听了最后这句话没有回答，只是伸出两臂抱住她，把她搂到胸前；她默默地把头枕在他肩上。他对她说的其它话倒作出了反应：“他担任什么职务？”“他是一位预审法官，”她一面说，一面握住Ｋ搂着她的那只手，抚弄起他的手指来。“只是一位预审法官而已，”Ｋ失望地说，“高级官员们全藏得好好的。可是，他却坐在这样一个令人望而生畏的宝座上。”“全是瞎画的，”莱妮说，她把自己的脸伏在他手上。“其实他是坐在一张厨房里用的椅子上，屁股下垫着一条叠成双层的旧马毯。可是，你干吗总是闷闷不乐地惦记着你的案子呀！”她慢条斯理地问道。“不，我一点也没惦记我的案子，”Ｋ说，“相反，我考虑得可能太少了。”“你这样做没错，”莱妮说，“你太倔强，这是我听说的。”“谁告诉你的？”Ｋ问；他能感到她的身体贴近了自己的胸部；他朝下凝视着她那头浓密、乌黑、梳得整整齐齐的头发。“如果我告诉你，我付出的代价就太大了，”莱妮回答道，“请别问我他们叫什么名字，记住我的忠告就行啦，以后别再那么倔强；你斗不过法院，你应该认罪。一有机会就认罪吧。你不认罪，就不可能逃出他们的魔爪，谁都无能为力。当然，即使认了罪，如果没有外来援助，你也达不到目的；不过你用不着为此煞费苦心了，我来想办法吧。”“你很熟悉法院和法院里的种种阴谋诡计！”Ｋ说；他把她抱起来，让她坐到自己的膝盖上，因为她紧紧靠着他，他觉得太重。“这样更舒服，”她一面说，一面在他的膝盖上坐好，抚平裙子，拉直上衣。然后她伸出双手，搂住他的脖子，身体向后微仰，久久端详着他。“如果我不认罪，你就不能帮助我吗？”Ｋ试探着问。“我好像一直在找女人帮忙，”他想道，几乎吃了一惊，“先是布尔斯特纳小姐，后来是门房的妻子，现在是这个小看护。她看来对我怀有一种莫名其妙的欲望。她坐在我的膝盖上，好像这是她惟一该坐的地方！”“不能，”莱妮慢慢摇着头说，“那我就无法帮助你。不过你一点也不想要我帮忙，你无所谓，你很傲慢，从来不听别人的话。”过了一会儿，她问道：“你有女朋友吗？”“没有，”Ｋ说。“嘿，不对，你有！”她说。“嗯，对，我有，”Ｋ说，“你瞧，我否认有女朋友，可是我兜里却明明揣着她的照片。”在她的恳求下，他把艾尔莎的照片拿给她看；她蜷缩在他膝上，久久凝视着照片。这是一张快相，拍的是艾尔莎在跳粉面舞的最后一场，她常在酒吧间里跳这种舞；她的裙子在飘拂，犹如一把扇子，她把双手按在结实的臀部上，扬起下巴，对某个没拍进照片的人笑着。“她的衣服紧紧裹在身上，”莱妮一面说，一面指着她认为衣服绷得过紧的部位。“我不喜欢她，她太粗犷，太俗气。不过，她也许对你很温柔体贴，从照片上可以猜得出来。像她那样高大健壮的姑娘往往不由自主地对人温柔体贴。但是她能够为你而牺牲自己吗？”“不能，”Ｋ说，“她既不温柔也不体贴，更不能为我而牺牲自己。到现在为止，我既没有要求她做到前者，也没有要求她做到后者。说实在的，我从来没有像你这样仔细端详过这张照片。”“这么说来，她在你心目中的位置并不很重要，”莱妮说，“她根本不是你的女朋友。”“噢，她是我的女朋友，”Ｋ反驳道，“我不想食言。”“好吧，就算她是你的女朋友吧，”莱妮说，“不管怎么说，如果你一旦失去她，或者换一个女朋友，比如说换上我吧，你不会太想念她的，对不对？”“当然对，”Ｋ笑着说，“这是可以理解的，不过她有一点比你强得多：她对我的案子一无所知，即使她知道了，也不会为此伤脑筋。她更不会设法让我变得随和点。”“这并不是她比我强的地方，”莱妮说，“如果她比我强的地方就是这一点，那我还有希望。她有什么生理缺陷吗？”“生理缺陷？”Ｋ问。“对，”莱妮说，“因为我有一个小小的生理缺陷。瞧。”她抬起右手，伸出当中两个手指，其间长着一层蹼状皮膜，一直连到指尖；皮膜和手指一样，很短。Ｋ在黑暗中一时没弄明白她想给他看什么；莱妮便抓过他的手，让他摸摸皮膜。“确实是只畸形的手！”Ｋ说，他仔细看了看整只手后又补充道：“但也确实是只美丽的小手！”莱妮颇为得意，她看着Ｋ不胜惊奇地把两个手指头掰开，然后又并拢，在放开它们之前还轻轻吻了一下。“啊！”她立刻嚷道，“你吻了我！”她匆匆欠起身子，张大嘴巴跪在他的双膝上。Ｋ抬眼看着她，惊讶得几乎目瞪口呆：她此时紧紧地挨着他，身上散发出一种胡椒粉似的很有刺激性的气味；她一把搂过他的头，俯下身去，咬着和吻着他的脖子，一直咬到他的头发根。“你已经用我代替她了，”她一次又一次地大声说，“瞧，你毕竟用我来代替她了！”她双膝发软，有气无力地喊了一声，几乎倒在地毯上；Ｋ伸手想把她抱起来，结果却被她拽倒在地。“你现在属于我了。”她说。

Her last words to him as he left were, "Here's the key to the door, come whenever you want", and she planted an undirected kiss on his back. When he stepped out the front door there was a light rain falling, he was about to go to the middle of the street to see if he could still glimpse Leni at the window when K.'s uncle leapt out of a car that K., thinking of other things, had not seen waiting outside the building. He took hold of K. by both arms and shoved him against the door as if he wanted to nail him to it. "Young man," he shouted, "how could you do a thing like that?! Things were going well with this business of yours, now you've caused it terrible damage. You slip off with some dirty, little thing who, moreover, is obviously the lawyer's beloved, and stay away for hours. You don't even try to find an excuse, don't try to hide anything, no, you're quite open about it, you run off with her and stay there. And meanwhile we're sitting there, your uncle who's going to such effort for you, the lawyer who needs to be won over to your side, and above all the office director, a very important gentleman who is in direct command of your affair in its present stage. We wanted to discuss how best to help you, I had to handle the lawyer very carefully, he had to handle the office director carefully, and you had most reason of all to at least give me some support. Instead of which you stay away. Eventually we couldn't keep up the pretence any longer, but these are polite and highly capable men, they didn't say anything about it so as to spare my feelings but in the end not even they could continue to force themselves and, as they couldn't speak about the matter in hand, they became silent. We sat there for several minutes, listening to see whether you wouldn't finally come back. All in vain. In the end the office director stood up, as he had stayed far longer than he had originally intended, made his farewell, looked at me in sympathy without being able to help, he waited at the door for a long time although it's more than I can understand why he was being so good, and then he went. I, of course, was glad he'd gone, I'd been holding my breath all this time. All this had even more affect on the lawyer lying there ill, when I took my leave of him, the good man, he was quite unable to speak. You have probably contributed to his total collapse and so brought the very man who you are dependent on closer to his death. And me, your own uncle, you leave me here in the rain - just feel this, I'm wet right through - waiting here for hours, sick with worry."

“这是门钥匙，你什么时候想来都可以，”这是她讲的最后一句话；他向她告别时，她无目的地在他肩上亲了最后一下。他走出门，来到马路上；外面正下着小雨。他朝街心走去，希望能最后看一眼也许正站在窗旁的莱妮；但是他的叔叔突然从一辆停在房子前面的汽车里走了出来，心不在焉的Ｋ刚才没有发现这辆汽车。叔叔抓住他的双臂，把他朝门口推去，好像要把他钉在门上似的。“约瑟夫！”叔叔嚷道，“你怎么能这样！你的案子本来有了点眉目，现在又被你搞糟了。你偷偷和一个不要脸的小荡妇溜走了，一呆就是几个钟头，何况她显然是律师的情妇。你连一个借口也不找，什么也不回避，便明目张胆地跑到她那儿去，呆在她身边。我们三个人在这段时间里一直坐在那儿，一个是你的叔叔，正在为你尽力奔走的叔叔；一个是应该努力争取过来的律师；特别是还有法院书记官，一个目前正在审理你的案子的重要人物。我们三个人坐在那里商量怎么帮助你，我不得不小心翼翼地和律师打交道，律师又谨小慎微地和法院书记官打交道。我原想你起码该助我一臂之力，可是你却溜走了。你离开了这么长的时间，谁都瞒不住；当然，这两位先生老于世故，没提起你不在的事，他们要照顾我的情绪。最后，连他们也不能再无视事实了，只是因为此事不便提起，他们才一句话也没说。有好几分钟之久，我们坐在那儿静听着，希望你能回来，但一切都白搭了。法院书记官在这儿呆的时间已经大大超过原定计划。最后他只好站起身来，道了夜安；他显然为我感到十分遗憾，因为他没能帮助我；他的热情确实是数一数二的。临走前，他在门口又等了一会儿。老实告诉你吧，他走后，我倒觉得宽心了；在那以前，我简直喘不过气来。身体欠佳的可怜的律师情况更糟，我和他告别时，这位好心人居然一句话也讲不出来。你很可能会促使他的身体完全垮掉，很可能会催他早日走进坟墓；而你却有赖于他的善意斡旋。你让我——你的叔叔——在雨中站了好几个钟头。我真为你发愁；你摸摸，我浑身都湿透了！”