“Well look at you two sat huddled together!” called Leni as she came back with the dish and stood in the doorway. They were indeed sat close together, if either of them turned his head even slightly it would have knocked against the other’s, the businessman was not only very small but also sat hunched down, so that K. was also forced to bend down low if he wanted to hear everything. “Not quite yet!” called out K., to turn Leni away, his hand, still resting on the businessman’s hand, twitching with impatience. “He wanted me to tell him about my trial,” said the businessman to Leni. “Carry on, then, carry on,” she said. She spoke to the businessman with affection but, at the same time, with condescension. K. did not like that, he had begun to learn that the man was of some value after all, he had experience at least, and he was willing to share it. Leni was probably wrong about him. He watched her in irritation as Leni now took the candle from the businessman’s hand—which he had been holding on to all this time—wiped his hand with her apron and then knelt beside him to scratch off some wax that had dripped from the candle onto his trousers. “You were about to tell me about the petty lawyers,” said K., shoving Leni’s hand away with no further comment. “What’s wrong with you today?” asked Leni, tapped him gently and carried on with what she had been doing. “Yes, the petty lawyers,” said the businessman, putting his hand to his brow as if thinking hard. K. wanted to help him and said, “You wanted immediate results and so went to the petty lawyers.” “Yes, that’s right,” said the businessman, but did not continue with what he’d been saying. “Maybe he doesn’t want to speak about it in front of Leni,” thought K., suppressing his impatience to hear the rest straight away, and stopped trying to press him.