sleep here really, he's often said so." She went over to a little door
and shoved it open. "Do you want to see his bedroom?" she asked. K.
went over to the low, windowless room and looked in from the doorway.
The room contained a narrow bed which filled it completely, so that to
get into the bed you would need to climb over the bedpost. At the head
of the bed there was a niche in the wall where, fastidiously tidy, stood
a candle, a bottle of ink, and a pen with a bundle of papers which were
probably to do with the trial. "You sleep in the maid's room?" asked
K., as he went back to the businessman. "Leni's let me have it,"
answered the businessman, "it has many advantages." K. looked long at
him; his first impression of the businessman had perhaps not been right;
he had experience as his trial had already lasted a long time, but he
had paid a heavy price for this experience. K. was suddenly unable to
bear the sight of the businessman any longer. "Bring him to bed, then!"
he called out to Leni, who seemed to understand him. For himself, he
wanted to go to the lawyer and, by dismissing him, free himself from not
only the lawyer but also from Leni and the businessman. But before he
had reached the door the businessman spoke to him gently. "Excuse me,
sir," he said, and K. looked round crossly. "You've forgotten your
promise," said the businessman, stretching his hand out to K.
imploringly from where he sat. "You were going to tell me a secret."
"That is true," said K., as he glanced at Leni, who was watching him
carefully, to check on her. "So listen; it's hardly a secret now anyway.
I'm going to see the lawyer now to sack him." "He's sacking him!" yelled
the businessman, and he jumped up from his chair and ran around the
kitchen with his arms in the air. He kept on shouting, "He's sacking his
lawyer!" Leni tried to rush at K. but the businessman got in her way so
that she shoved him away with her fists. Then, still with her hands
balled into fists, she ran after K. who, however, had been given a long
start. He was already inside the lawyer's room by the time Leni caught
up with him. He had almost closed the door behind himself, but Leni held
the door open with her foot, grabbed his arm and tried to pull him back.
But he put such pressure on her wrist that, with a sigh, she was forced
to release him. She did not dare go into the room straight away, and K.
locked the door with the key.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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