Part 2, Chapter 6: As soon as he is left alone, he dresses in his new clothes and goes out. He ends up in a tavern, where he asks the waiter for tea and the last five days' worth of newspapers. He spots an officer, named Zamiotov, who was at the police station when he fainted. Zamiotov sits down next to him and strikes up conversation. Raskolnikov cannot resist taunting him, hinting that he may know something of the murder, that he may even be the murderer. Zamiotov grows increasingly uncomfortable and finally Raskolnikov asks And what if it was I who murdered the old woman and Lizaveta? Zamiotov turns white and asks if it is possible. At this, Raskolnikov responds, You believed me, didn't you? He leaves Zamiotov who is now deep in thought.
On the way out of the tavern, he runs into Razumikhin, who has come looking for him. Razumikhin tries to persuade Raskolnikov to come to a party that is going on at his house (he is extremely worried about Raskolnikov). Raskolnikov protests, telling him to stop bothering him and leave him alone, that he does not want Razumikhin's favors. Raskolnikov then proceeds straight to a bridge, where he sees a woman throw herself into the water. He understands that he had been contemplating the same act. After witnessing her rescue, he wanders off and finds himself at the pawnbroker's apartment. It is empty and being repainted and he asks the painters about the blood stains from the murder. He also rings the doorbell. His questions cause a stir and when they ask him what he wants, he suggests they come with him to the police station and they'll find out. No one follows him and when he reaches the crossroads, there is a crowd standing around. At this point, he makes a definite decision to go to the police.
Part 2, Chapter 7: The crowd is gathered around a man who has been run over by a carriage and is gravely injured. He recognizes the stranger as Marmeladov and pays to have him carried home. When the crowd enters with the dying man, Katherine Ivanovna is frail and sick from consumption and the children are in rags. Katherine is stricken with grief and Raskolnikov goes to comfort her, telling her he'll pay Marmeladov's expenses. He then finds a towel and begins wiping the blood from the dying man's face. One of the children, Polia, is sent to bring Sonia, who lives elsewhere since she became a prostitute. A doctor and priest are sent for. When Sonia arrives, her father sees her and cries out for her to forgive him. He dies in her arms. Raskolnikov gives Katherine his last twenty rubles and promises to come back later. On his way out, the girl Polia runs up to thank him. He asks her to remember him in her prayers.
At this point he tells himself that my life didn't go out with the old woman's and decides not to turn himself in. He goes to Razumikhin's party after all, but elects not to stay. Razumikhin, who is drunk, walks him home and on the way confides that Zosimov believes him to be mad, or nearly so. He also reveals that Zamiotov had told him about their conversation in the tavern and says that he is glad Raskolnikov had taught him a lesson that day, meaning that Raskolnikov had shamed him for suspecting him. When they arrive at the apartment, Raskolnikov's mother and sister are waiting for him, worried about his illness.
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