Nastasya's unexpected arrival surprises Ganya and turns him "numb with fright" (89). He worries that she will use stories about his family to humiliate him. He formally introduces her to his family, who are taken aback by her forthright comments on the rundown nature of their apartment. After she mistakes Myshkin for a servant, she meets him formally. When General Ivolgin enters, she teasingly refers to him as "papa dear" (92) and listens as the old man tells a strange story about throwing a dog from a train because it annoyed him. After he has finished, she mentions that she has recently read "exactly the same story" (95) in a newspaper. Ganya's expression turns to loathing as he stares at Nastasya. As he tries to ushes his father from the room, he is interrupted by the sudden and unexpected arrival of a crowd of boisterous men.

Myshkin recognizes two faces in the crowd; Rogozhin and Lebedev, whom he met on the train. Also in the crowd are several "quite tipsy" (96) men who barge into the room. Rogozhin is taken aback by Nastasya's presence, as well as the surprising sight of the man he met on the morning train. Nevertheless, he approaches Nastasya and with "the boldness of a man condemned to death" (97) demands answers regarding her intentions toward Ganya.