Процес
Lawyer - Manufacturer - Painter
Upattheheadofthelineofgirls,whonow,laughing,begantocloseinaroundK.,wasthehunchbackwhohadtakenontheroleofleader.ItwasthankstoherthatK.foundtherightdirectionwithoutdelay-hewouldhavecontinuedupthestairsstraightinfrontofhim,butsheshowedhimthattoreachTitorellihewouldneedtoturnofftooneside.Thestepsthatleduptothepainterwereespeciallynarrow,verylongwithoutanyturning,thewholelengthcouldbeseeninoneglanceand,atthetop,atTitorelli’scloseddoor,itcametoitsend.Thisdoorwasmuchbetterilluminatedthantherestofthestairwaybythelightfromasmallskylightsetobliquelyaboveit,ithadbeenputtogetherfromunpaintedplanksofwoodandthename"Titorelli"waspaintedonitinbroad,redbrushstrokes.K.wasnomorethanhalfwayupthesteps,accompaniedbyhisretinueofgirls,when,clearlytheresultofthenoiseofallthosefootsteps,thedooropenedslightlyandinthecrackamanwhoseemedtobedressedinjusthisnightshirtappeared."Oh!"hecried,whenhesawtheapproachingcrowd,andvanished.ThehunchbackedgirlclappedherhandsingleeandtheothergirlscrowdedinbehindK.topushhimfasterforward.
Theystillhadnotarrivedatthetop,however,whenthepainterupabovethemsuddenlypulledthedoorwideopenand,withadeepbow,invitedK.toenter.
