Процес

           ThenhepulledouthiswatchandquicklylookedoveratK."Youshouldhavebeenhereonehourandfiveminutesago,"hesaid.K.wasgoingtogivehimareplybuthadnotimetodoso,ashardlyhadthemanspokenthanageneralmutteringaroseallovertherighthandsideofthehall."Youshouldhavebeenhereonehourandfiveminutesago,"themannowrepeated,raisinghisvoicethistime,andquicklylookedroundthehallbeneathhim.Themutteringalsobecameimmediatelylouderand,asthemansaidnothingmore,diedawayonlygradually.NowthehallwasmuchquieterthanwhenK.hadentered.Onlythepeopleupinthegalleryhadnotstoppedpassingremarks.Asfarascouldbedistinguished,upinthehalf-darkness,dustandhaze,theyseemedtobelesswelldressedthanthosebelow.Manyofthemhadbroughtpillowsthattheyhadputbetweentheirheadsandtheceilingsothattheywouldnothurtthemselvespressedagainstit.

           K.haddecidedhewoulddomorewatchingthantalking,sohedidnotdefendhimselfforsupposedlyhavingcomelate,andsimplysaid,"WellmaybeIhavearrivedlate,I’mherenow."Therefollowedloudapplause,oncemorefromtherighthandsideofthehall.Easypeopletogetonyourside,thoughtK.,andwasbotheredonlybythequietfromthelefthandsidewhichwasdirectlybehindhimandfromwhichtherewasapplausefromonlyafewindividuals.Hewonderedwhathecouldsaytogetallofthemtosupporthimtogetheror,ifthatwerenotpossible,toatleastgetthesupportoftheothersforawhile.