things.” “So you’ve been working on your own behalf as well,” interrupted K., “that’s precisely what I wanted to ask you about.” “There’s not much to tell you,” said the
tradesman. “I did try my hand at it in the beginning, but I soon had to give it up. It’s too
exhausting, and the results are disappointing. Merely attending the Court to keep an eye on
things proved too much, for me, at least. It makes you feel limp even to sit about and wait
your turn. But you know yourself what the air’s like.” “How do you know I was ever up
there?” asked K. “I happened to be in the lobby when you were passing through.” “What a
coincidence 1” cried K., quite carried away and completely forgetting the ridiculous figure
the tradesman had cut in his estimation. “So you saw me! You were in the lobby when 31
passed through. Yes, I did pass through the lobby once.” “It’s not such a coincidence as all
that,” said the tradesman, “I’m up there nearly every day.” “I’m likely to be up there, too,
often enough after this,” said K., “only I can hardly expect to be received with such honor
as on that occasion. Everyone stood up. I suppose they took me for a Judge.” “No,” said
the tradesman, “it was the usher we stood up for. We knew you were an accused man.
News of that kind spreads rapidly.” “So you knew that already,” commented K., “then
perhaps you thought me somewhat high and mighty. Did no one comment on it?” “Not
unfavorably,” said the tradesman. “But it’s all nonsense.” “What’s nonsense ?” asked K.
“Why do you insist on asking?” said the tradesman, irritably. “Apparently you don’t know
the people there yet and you might take it up wrongly. You must remember that in these
proceedings things are always coming up for discussion that are simply beyond reason,
people are too tired and distracted to think and so they take refuge in superstition. I’m as
bad as anyone myself. And one of the superstitions is that you’re supposed to tell from a
man’s face, especially the line of his lips, how his case is going to turn out. Well, people
declared that judging from the expression of your lips you would be found guilty, and in
the near future too. I tell you, it’s a silly superstition and in most cases completely belied
by the facts, but if you live among these people it’s difficult to escape the prevailing
opinion. You can’t imagine what a strong effect such superstitions have. You spoke to a
man up there, didn’t you? And he could hardly utter a word in answer. Of course there’s
many a reason for being bewildered up there, but one of the reasons why he couldn’t bring
out an answer was the shock he got from looking at your lips. He said afterwards that he
saw on your lips the sign of his own condemnation.” “On my lips?” asked K., taking out a
pocket mirror and studying them. “I can’t see anything peculiar about my lips. Do you?” “I
don’t either,” said the tradesman, “not in the least.” “How superstitious these people are!”
cried K. “Didn’t I tell you so ?” asked the other. “Do they meet each other so frequently,
then, and exchange all these ideas?” queried K., “I’ve never had anything to do with them
myself.” “As a rule they don’t mix much,” said the tradesman, “it would be hardly possible,
there are too many of them. Besides, they have few interests in common. Occasionally a
group believes it has found a common interest, but it soon finds out its mistake. Combined
action against the Court is impossible. Each, case is judged on its own merits, the Court is
very conscientious about that, and so common action is out of the question. An individual
here and there may score a point in secret, but no one hears it until afterwards, no one
knows how it has been done. So there’s no real community, people come across each other
in the lobbies, but there’s not much conversation. The superstitious beliefs are an old
tradition and increase automatically.” “I saw all the people in the lobby,” remarked K., “and thought how pointless it was for them to be hanging about.” “It’s not pointless at all,”