"I'vebeenwaitingforyouaverylongtime," , , "I'llbeleavingagainsoon." , andreplied, "Iwon'tletyouinthislateagainnexttime." "Ifindthatquiteacceptable," ."Sitdown," hesaid."Asyouwish," saidK., drawingachairuptothebedsidetableandsittingdown."Itseemedtomethatyoulockedthedoor," saidthelawyer."Yes," saidK., "itwasbecauseofLeni." , "Wasshebeingimportunateagain?" "Importunate?" askedK."Yes," saidthelawyer, laughingashedidso, hadafitofcoughingandthen, onceithadpassed, begantolaughagain."I'msureyoumusthavenoticedhowimportunateshecanbesometimes," hesaid, andpattedK.'."Youdon'tattachmuchimportancetoit, then," , "'s.I'velongsinceforgivenherforit, andIwouldn'tbetalkingofitnow, ifyouhadn', perhapsIshouldatleastexplainthispeculiarityofherstoyou, butyouseemratherdisturbed, thewayyou'relookingatme, andsothat'swhyI'lldoit, thispeculiarityofhersconsistsinthis; , loveseachofthem, evenseemstobelovedbyeachofthem; , , preciselydefinablechangeinaperson'sappearance, 'snotlikewithotherlegalmatters, mostofthemremainintheirusualwayoflifeand, iftheyhaveagoodlawyerlookingafterthem, thetrialdoesn', howeverbig, , - atleastthat'swhatI, asalawyer, havetosay - andnorcanitbetheproperpunishmentthathasmadethemattractiveasnotallofthemarepunished, , , evenBlock, pitifulwormthatheis." Asthelawyerfinishedwhathewassaying, , hehadevennoddedconspicuouslyathislastfewwordsinordertoconfirmtohimselftheviewhehadalreadyformed; thatthelawyerwastryingtoconfusehim, ashealwaysdid, bymakinggeneralandirrelevantobservations, andthusdistracthimfromthemainquestionofwhathewasactuallydoingforK.', ashebecamesilent, , andthen, , heasked, "Didyouhaveaparticularreasonforcomingtoseemetoday?" "Yes," saidK., puttinghishanduptoslightlyshadehiseyesfromthelightofthecandlesothathecouldseethelawyerbetter, "IwantedtotellyouthatI'mwithdrawingmyrepresentationfromyou, withimmediateeffect." "DoIunderstandyourightly?" askedthelawyerashehalfraisedhimselfinhisbedandsupportedhimselfwithonehandonthepillow."Ithinkyoudo," saidK., sittingstifflyuprightasifwaitinginambush."Wellwecancertainlydiscussthisplanofyours," saidthelawyerafterapause."It'snotaplananymore," saidK."Thatmaybe," saidthelawyer, "butwestillmustn'trushanything." Heusedtheword 'we', , andasif, evenifhecouldnolongerrepresenthim, hecouldstillatleastcontinueashisadviser."Nothingisbeingrushed," saidK., standingslowlyupandgoingbehindhischair, "." "Thenallowmetosayafewwords," saidthelawyer, , , "Youarerunningtheriskofcatchingcoldfornoreason." "Thecircumstancesareimportantenough," saidthelawyerashewrappedthebedcoveraroundthetophalfofhisbodyandthentheblanketaroundhislegs."YouruncleismyfriendandinthecourseoftimeI''snothinginthatformetobeashamedof." , asitforcedhimtoexplainhimselfmorefully, whichhewouldratherhaveavoided, andhewasawarethatitalsoconfusedhimeventhoughitcouldnevermakehimreversehisdecision."Thankyouforfeelingsofriendlytowardme," hesaid, "andIalsorealisehowdeeplyinvolvedyou'vebeeninmycase, , , consideringthatyouaresomucholderandmoreexperiencedthanIam, toconvinceyouofmyopinion; ifIhaveeverunintentionallydonesothenIbegyourforgiveness, but, asyouhavejustsaidyourself, thecircumstancesareimportantenoughanditismybeliefthatmytrialneedstobeapproachedwithmuchmorevigourthanhassofarbeenthecase." "Isee," saidthelawyer, "you'vebecomeimpatient." "Iamnotimpatient," saidK., withsomeirritationandhestoppedpayingsomuchattentiontohischoiceofwords."WhenIfirstcameherewithmyuncleyouprobablynoticedIwasn'tgreatlyconcernedaboutmycase, andifIwasn'tremindedofitbyforce, asitwere, , , thetrialwasneversuchaworryformeasithasbeensinceyou', Iwashardlyawareofit, butthen, oncetherewassomeonerepresentingme, everythingwassetforsomethingtohappen, Iwasalways, withoutcease, waitingforyoutodosomething, gettingmoreandmoretense, , butthatcan'tbeenoughwhenthetrial, supposedlyinsecret, isgettingcloserandclosertome." , hishandsinthepocketsofhisfrockcoat."Afteracertainpointintheproceedings," saidthelawyerquietlyandcalmly, ", atthesamestageintheirtrials, havestoodbeforemejustlikeyouarenowandspokeninthesameway." "Thentheseotherlitigants," saidK., "haveallbeenright, 'mnot." "Iwasn'ttryingtoshowthatyouweremistaken," saidthelawyer, "butIwantedtoaddthatIexpectedbetterjudgementfromyouthanfromtheothers, especiallyasI''mforcedtoacceptthat, despiteeverything, 'tmakeiteasyforme." HowthelawyerwashumiliatinghimselftoK.! Hewasshowingnoregardforthedignityofhisposition, whichonthispoint, ? Hedidseemtobeverybusyasalawyeraswellarichman, ? Wasitsomethingpersonalforhisuncle'ssake, ordidhereallyseeK.'scaseasonethatwasexceptionalandhopedtobeabletodistinguishhimselfwithit, eitherforK.'ssakeor - andthispossibilitycouldneverbeexcluded - forhisfriendsatthecourt? Itwasnotpossibletolearnanythingbylookingathim, .'ssilencetobefavourableforhimselfandhecontinued, "Youwillhavenoticedthesizeofmyoffice, butthatIdon', , inthatIconcentratenowadaysmoreandmoreonmatterssuchasyourowncase, : IwasforcedtoturnalmosteveryoneawaywhoaskedmetorepresentthemandcouldonlyacceptthoseIwasespeciallyinterestedin - wellthereareenoughcreatureswholeapateverycrumbIthrowdown, andthey', 'tregretmydecision, quitepossiblyIshouldhaveturnedmorecasesawaythanIdid, butitdidturnouttobeentirelynecessaryformetodevotemyselffullytothecasesIdidtakeon, , : somelawyersleadtheirclientsonathreaduntiljudgementispassed, ', asinyourcase, theyaresofullymisunderstood, well, thenIcomeveryclosetoregrettingit." , , thedelaysandexcuseswouldbeginagain, reportsofhowthedocumentswereprogressing, howthemoodofthecourtofficialshadimproved, aswellasalltheenormousdifficulties - inshortallthathehadheardsomanytimesbeforewouldbebroughtoutagainevenmorefully, , sohesaid, "Whatwillyouundertakeonmybehalfifyoucontinuetorepresentme?" Thelawyerquietlyacceptedeventhisinsultingquestion, andanswered, "IshouldcontinuewithwhatI'vealreadybeendoingforyou." "That'sjustwhatIthought," saidK., "andnowyoudon'tneedtosayanotherword." "Iwillmakeonemoreattempt," ."Yousee, IhavetheimpressionthatyouhavenotonlymisjudgedthelegalassistanceIhavegivenyoubutalsothatthatmisjudgementhasledyoutobehaveinthisway, youseem, althoughyouaretheaccused, tohavebeentreatedtoowellor, toputitabetterway, handledwithneglect, ; , , unlockthedoorandsitdownherebesidethebedsidetable." "Begladto," saidK., anddidasthelawyersuggested; , "butyoudorealisethatyouarenolongertobemylawyer, don'tyou?" "Yes," saidthelawyer."Butyoucanstillchangeyourmindtodayifyouwantto." Helaybackdowninthebed, .