On the other hand it had also to be considered that these gentlemen were not moved by
mere human benevolence or friendly feeling in paying visits to defending counsel — only to experienced counsel, of course; they were in a certain sense actually dependent on the
Defense. They could not help feeling the disadvantages of a judiciary system which
insisted on secrecy from the start. Their remoteness kept the officials from being in touch
with the populace; for the average case they were excellently equipped, such a case
proceeded almost mechanically and only needed a push now and then; yet confronted with
quite simple cases, or particularly difficult cases, they were often utterly at a loss, they did
not have any right understanding of human relations, since they were confined day and
night to the workings of their judicial system, whereas in such cases a knowledge of
human nature itself was indispensable. Then it was that they came to the lawyers for
advice, with a servant behind them carrying the papers that were usually kept so secret. In
that window over there many a gentleman one would never have expected to encounter
had sat gazing out hopelessly into the street, while the lawyer at his desk examined his
papers in order to give him good advice. And it was on such occasions as these that one
could perceive how seriously these gentlemen took their vocation and how deeply they
were plunged into despair when they came upon obstacles which the nature of things kept
them from overcoming. In other ways, too, their position was not easy, and one must not
do them an injustice by regarding it as easy. The ranks of officials in this judiciary system
mounted endlessly, so that not even the initiated could survey the hierarchy as a whole.
And the proceedings of the Courts were generally kept secret from subordinate officials,
consequently they could hardly ever quite follow in their further progress the cases on
which they had worked; any particular case thus appeared in their circle of jurisdiction
often without their knowing whence it came, and passed from it they knew not whither.
Thus the knowledge derived from a study of the various single stages of the case, the final
verdict and the reasons for that verdict lay beyond the reach of these officials. They were
forced to restrict themselves to that stage of the case which was prescribed for them by the
Law, and as for what followed, in other words the results of their own work, they generally
knew less about it than the Defense, which as a rule remained in touch with the accused
almost to the end of the case. So in that respect, too, they could learn much that was worth
knowing from the Defense. Should it surprise K., then, keeping all this in mind, to find that
the officials lived in a state of irritability which sometimes expressed itself in offensive
ways when they dealt with their clients? That was the universal experience. All the
officials were in a constant state of irritation, even when they appeared calm. Naturally the
petty lawyers were most liable to suffer from it. The following story, for example, was
current, and it had all the appearance of truth. An old official, a well-meaning, quiet man,
had a difficult case in hand which had been greatly complicated by the lawyer’s petitions,
and he had studied it continuously for a whole day and night — the officials were really
more conscientious than anyone else. Well, toward morning, after twenty-four hours of
work with probably very little result, he went to the entrance door, hid himself behind it,
and flung down the stairs every lawyer who tried to enter. The lawyers gathered down
below on the landing and took counsel what they should do; on the one hand they had no
real claim to be admitted and consequently could hardly take any legal action against the
official, and also, as already mentioned, they had to guard against antagonizing the body of
officials. But on the other hand every day they spent away from the Court was a day lost to them, and so a great deal depended on their getting in. At last they all agreed that the best