- Coming back to Count de Villeforte and his family, we get a taste of all the scenery they've encountered on their little trip. They've had a nice visit with the Baron St. Foix and now they're heading back home.
- Young St. Foix is tagging along for the ride, too, since he's smitten with Blanche.
- But it's getting dark, and the group seems to have lost their way.
- The group stumbles across a fortress in the middle of the woods and decides to rest up for the night.
- Blanche is worried that some bad guys live there, and the Count admits it's a definite possibility.
- He says these types of fortresses are often inhabited by French and Spanish smugglers. Then he goes and knocks on the door.
- A man armed with a hunting spear answers, and the Count convinces him to grudgingly let them all in for the night. This plan is looking better and better.
- Some other guys who look like they could be hunters are hanging around the fortress, too.
- Hunter-Guy #1 offers to show the de Villefortes to their rooms, but Blanche takes a wrong turn and gets lost.
- Good thing she does, 'cause she overhears the "hunters" talking about overthrowing their guests. They're discussing how many of the group they'll need to kill.
- The Hunter-Guys shall henceforth be known as the Smugglers, since it seems to be their noble occupation. They also dabble in murder and robbery.
- Blanche tries to sneak away all casual-like, but the Smugglers catch up with her. She conveniently faints.
- When she wakes up, the whole battle between the de Villefortes and the Smugglers is totally over (good going, Blanche).
- It looks like they would have been outnumbered had Ludovico not shown up at the last second to help them out.
- That's right, you read correctly. Ludovico, the one who disappeared in the haunted chamber a while back.
- We're definitely going to get an explanation from him, but the group needs to skedaddle before more Smugglers arrive.