Raskolnikov considers what to do now that Katerina Ivanovna has died, Dunia wishes to spend more time with him, and Svidrigailov seems to know too much about his crimes. Razumikhin comes by and criticizes Raskolnikov for abandoning his family: Raskolnikov’s mother worries that her son has entirely forgotten about her. Raskolnikov’s behavior disgusts Razumikhin, though he mellows when Raskolnikov pleads with him to help his family if anything should happen. Razumikhin agrees and then reveals that Dunia received a mysterious, upsetting letter. Razumikhin also provides an update on Porfiry’s investigation: Porfiry has a complicated psychological explanation for the painter confessing. As that moment, Porfiry knocks on the door.

Porfiry enters Raskolnikov’s apartment and immediately launches into a speech about the dangers of cigarettes. Raskolnikov suspects that Porfiry’s odd behavior is a ruse to force him to confess, even though Porfiry apologizes for his behavior at their previous meeting. Porfiry praises Raskolnikov, and admits that all the little clues that led him to suspect Raskolnikov mean nothing next to the painter’s confession. Still, Porfiry knows that the painter could not have committed the murders—in truth, the painter is part of an old religious society that believes in the importance of suffering above everything else, so he has made himself suffer at the hands of the authorities.