Court. Here they have all sorts of machinery which they will automatically set in motion
against you, depend on that; but if you were in the country they would have to appoint
agents or get at you by letter or telegram or telephone. That would naturally weaken the
effect, not that you would escape them altogether, but you’d have a breathing-space.” “Still, they might forbid me to go away,” said K., who was beginning to follow his uncle’s
line of thought. “I don’t think they would do that,” said his uncle reflectively, “after all,
they wouldn’t lose so much by your going away.” “I thought,” said K., taking his uncle’s
arm to keep him from standing still, “that you would attach even less importance to this
business than I do, and now you are taking it so seriously.” “Joseph !” cried his uncle,
trying to get his arm free so as to be able to stand still, only K. would not let him, “you’re
quite changed, you always used to have such a clear brain, and is it going to fail you now?
Do you want to lose this case? And do you know what that would mean? It would mean
that you would be absolutely ruined. And that all your relatives would be ruined too or at
least dragged in the dust. Joseph, pull yourself together. Your indifference drives me mad.
Looking at you, one would almost believe the old saying: `Cases of that kind are always
lost.’ ” “Dear Uncle,” said K., “it’s no use getting excited, it’s as useless on your part as it
would be on mine. No case is won by getting excited, you might let my practical
experience count for something, look how I respect yours, as I have always done, even
when you astonish me. Since you tell me that the family would be involved in any scandal
arising from the case — I don’t see myself how that could be so, but that’s beside the point —
I’ll submit willingly to your judgment. Only I think going to the country would he
inadvisable even from your point of view, for it would look like flight and therefore guilt.
Besides, though I’m more hard-pressed here, I can push the case on my own more
energetically.” “Quite right,” said his uncle in a tone of relief, as if he saw their minds
converging at last, “I only made the suggestion because I thought your indifference would
endanger the case while you stayed here, and that it might be better if I took it up for you
instead. But if you intend to push it energetically yourself, that of course would be far
better.” “We’re agreed on that, then,” said K. “And now can you suggest what my first step
should be?” “I’ll have to do a bit of thinking about it, naturally,” said his uncle, “you must
consider that I have lived in the country for twenty years almost without a break, and my
flair for such matters can’t be so good as it was. Various connections of mine with
influential persons who would probably know better than I how to tackle this affair have
slackened in the course of time. I’m a bit isolated in the country, as you know yourself.
Actually it’s only in emergencies like this that one becomes aware of it. Besides, this affair
of yours has come on me more or less unexpectedly, though strangely enough, after Erna’s
letter, I guessed at something of the kind, and as soon as I saw you today I was almost sure
of it. Still that doesn’t matter, the important thing now is to lose no time.” Before he had
finished speaking he was already on tiptoe waiting for a taxi, and now, shouting an address
to the driver, he dragged K. into the car after him. “We’ll drive straight to Huld, the
lawyer,” he said. “He was at school with me. You know his name, of course? You don’t?
That is really extraordinary. He has quite a considerable reputation as a defending counsel
and a poor man’s lawyer. But it’s as a human being that I’m prepared to pin my faith to
him.” “I’m willing to try anything you suggest,” said K., though the hasty headlong way in