At this moment, while walking through the Hay Market, Raskolnikov overhears a conversation saying that Lizaveta, the pawnbroker's stepsister, will be out visiting a peddler and his wife at seven o'clock. He goes into a restaurant and happens to overhear a conversation between a young officer and a student. They were arguing, in a philosophical sense, about whether it would be morally wrong to murder the old woman, since she was such a vile and despicable person. They described how the pawnbroker abused Lizaveta. Raskolnikov was shocked to hear his own ideas being discussed. Again, his superstition suggested that this was some kind of sign. After recalling this conversation, Raskolnikov lies down for a while and then makes preparations for the murder. .
He attaches a sling to the inside of his coat, wraps up a phony pledge that the pawnbroker will have to fumble with to untie and goes to the kitchen to get an ax, but the ax was not there so he got one from the porter's room. He arrives at the pawnbroker's apartment. The old woman cautiously opens the door to him, but seems suspicious. As planned, he gives her the pledge to untie and she turns her back to him. He withdraws the ax and strikes her with the blunt side killing her. He then removes her key ring from her pockets and takes a purse and goes to search under her bed for a strongbox. While he is looking through the chest, he finds some jewelry and begins to pocket these pieces as well but suddenly there is the sound of someone walking in the room where the body is. He waits for a moment and then suddenly springs up and rushes into the adjoining room where he sees Lizaveta staring in horror. He immediately murders her with a single blow from the sharp edge of his ax. He goes to clean the ax in the kitchen and then is preparing to leave when he hears the sound of people climbing the stairs. Sensing that they are headed for the apartment, Raskolnikov latches the door and crouches behind it, waiting.