The chapter presents the irony of the despicable, malicious Luzhin describing the depraved sensualist, Svidrigailov, in derogatory terms. It is questionable whether Svidrigailov is guilty of all these things, and when Dunya corrects him on a couple of matters, he perceives that she is defending him. It could not be further from the truth; Dunya is merely looking at the situation dispassionately and would be fair to anyone, even Svidrigailov whom she fears and detests. However, the prevailing stories of his rape of the blind and dumb girl and his involvement in the death of the servant does contribute to his depiction as the complete amoral sensualist.
Luzhin's nastiness comes when he reminds Dunya of his noble "resolve to take her in spite of evil rumors about her," and even though he is completely convinced that the stories are wrong, he taunts her with the rumors. Luzhin's total horror comes later when he so desperately tries to frame the innocent Sonya so as to prove himself superior to Raskolnikov.
