“It’s no use, Your Honor,” K. continued, “even your little notebook confirms what I’m saying.” Pleased that his own calm words alone were to be heard in that strange assembly, K. even dared to snatch the notebook from the magistrate’s hands and lift it in his fingertips by a single center page, as if he were repelled by it, so that the foxed and spotted leaves filled with closely spaced script hung down on both sides. “These are the records of the examining magistrate,” he said, letting the notebook drop to the table. “Just keep reading through them, Your Honor, I really have nothing to fear from this account book, although it’s closed to me, since I can barely stand to touch it with the tips of two fingers.” It could only be a sign of deep humiliation, or at least so it seemed, that the examining magistrate took the notebook from where it had fallen on the table, tried to put it to rights somewhat, and lifted it to read again.

while his ordinarily inconspicuous eyebrows contracted bushy black and large above his eyes.

You’re a house painter?” “No,” said K., “I’m the chief financial officer of a large bank.” This reply was followed by such hearty laughter from the right-hand party below that K. had to join in.

wasn’t worried about th

standing

while his ordinarily inconspicuous eyebrows contracted bushy black and large above his eyes.

the notebook

take

What he had said was harsh, harsher than he had intended, but still true. It deserved a scattering of applause, but all was silence, t

This answer was followed by laughterfrom the right-hand group, that was so hearty K. had to join i

“That won’t help you much,” K. continued, “your very notebook, Sir, confirms what I say.” Emboldened by the mere sound of his own cool words in that strange assembly, K. simply snatched the notebook from the Examining Magistrate and held it up with the tips of his fingers, as if it might soil his hands, by one of the middle pages, so that the closely written, blotted, yellow-edged leaves hung down on either side. “These are the Examining Magistrate’s rec­ords,” he said, letting it fall on the table again. “You can continue reading it at your ease, Herr Examining Magis­trate, I really don’t fear this ledger of yours though it is a closed book to me, for I would not touch it except with my finger tips and cannot even take it in my hand.” It could only be a sign of deep humiliation, or must at least be interpreted as such, that the Examining Magistrate now took up the notebook where it had fallen on the table, tried to put it to rights again, and once more began to read it.

you are a house painter?” “No,” said K., “I’m the chief clerk of a large Bank.” This answer evoked such a hearty outburst of laughter from the right party that K. had to laugh too.

The Examining Magistrate, now indignant, and having apparently no au­thority to control the people in the body of the hall, pro­ceeded to vent his displeasure on those in the gallery, springing up and scowling at them till his eyebrows, hitherto inconspicuous, contracted in great black bushesabove his eyes.

did not seem to worry,

crushed