Epilogue

           Siberia.Onthebanksofabroadsolitaryriverstandsatown,oneoftheadministrativecentresofRussia;inthetownthereisafortress,inthefortressthereisaprison.Intheprisonthesecond-classconvictRodionRaskolnikovhasbeenconfinedforninemonths.Almostayearandahalfhaspassedsincehiscrime.

           Therehadbeenlittledifficultyabouthistrial.Thecriminaladheredexactly,firmly,andclearlytohisstatement.Hedidnotconfusenormisrepresentthefacts,norsoftentheminhisowninterest,noromitthesmallestdetail.Heexplainedeveryincidentofthemurder,thesecretofthepledge(thepieceofwoodwithastripofmetal)whichwasfoundinthemurderedwoman’shand.Hedescribedminutelyhowhehadtakenherkeys,whattheywerelike,aswellasthechestanditscontents;heexplainedthemysteryofLizaveta’smurder;describedhowKochand,afterhim,thestudentknocked,andrepeatedalltheyhadsaidtooneanother;howheafterwardshadrundownstairsandheardNikolayandDmitrishouting;howhehadhiddenintheemptyflatandafterwardsgonehome.HeendedbyindicatingthestoneintheyardofftheVoznesenskyProspectunderwhichthepurseandthetrinketswerefound.Thewholething,infact,wasperfectlyclear.Thelawyersandthejudgeswereverymuchstruck,amongotherthings,bythefactthathehadhiddenthetrinketsandthepurseunderastone,withoutmakinguseofthem,andthat,whatwasmore,hedidnotnowrememberwhatthetrinketswerelike,orevenhowmanytherewere.Thefactthathehadneveropenedthepurseanddidnotevenknowhowmuchwasinitseemedincredible.Thereturnedouttobeinthepursethreehundredandseventeenroublesandsixtycopecks.Frombeingsolongunderthestone,someofthemostvaluablenoteslyinguppermosthadsufferedfromthedamp.Theywerealongwhiletryingtodiscoverwhytheaccusedmanshouldtellalieaboutthis,whenabouteverythingelsehehadmadeatruthfulandstraightforwardconfession.Finallysomeofthelawyersmoreversedinpsychologyadmittedthatitwaspossiblehehadreallynotlookedintothepurse,andsodidn’tknowwhatwasinitwhenhehiditunderthestone.