Crime and Punishment — Part I — Chapter VII

Raskolnikov forces his way into Alyona Ivanovna’s flat under the pretext of pawning a cigarette case. Overwhelmed yet driven by his plan, he pulls the axe from under his coat and strikes the bareheaded old woman on the skull, killing her. Regaining focus, he takes her keys, checks her body, and cuts a blood-soaked string to seize a purse and crosses.

He searches the bedroom, identifies a strongbox under the bed, and stuffs his pockets with unredeemed pledges—watches, jewelry, and parcels—before a faint cry startles him. Raskolnikov rushes out to find Lizaveta in shock over her sister’s corpse. Panicking, he splits her skull with a single blow, then reels in horror at this unplanned second murder.

Loathing and confusion mount. He washes his hands and the axe in the kitchen, wipes away stains, and examines his clothes. Discovering the outer door hooked but unbolted, he listens as heavy steps approach. A visitor, Koch, rings and tugs the door; soon a young law student joins him. They deduce someone is inside and go to fetch the porter while Koch briefly keeps watch.

Seizing the chance, Raskolnikov unhooks the door, slips into the stairwell, but hears men returning. He ducks into an empty, freshly painted flat left open by painters, hides as the men pass to the fourth floor, then tiptoes out and descends. Blending into the street crowd, he takes a roundabout route to avoid notice.

Back at his building, barely conscious, Raskolnikov remembers the axe and manages to return it under the porter’s bench unnoticed. He reaches his room without encountering anyone and collapses onto the sofa, mind buzzing with fragmented thoughts and terror.