In which the modest yet prosperous General Epanchin and his accomplished family are introduced with a delicate portrait of their social standing and dispositions, and Prince Muishkin arrives at their home bearing an air of quiet curiosity and sincere openness, intriguingly out of step with the formalities and suspicions of the household servants. Their ensuing conversation—ranging from whispered doubts to the prince’s reflective discourse on justice and mercy—gently unveils the currents of impression and expectation that accompany this unexpected visitor.