Without knowledge of Ellena’s predicament, Vivaldi decides to visit the fortress Paluzzi with his servant, Paulo, that very night. A distinct favorite of Vivaldi’s, Paulo is shrewd and inquisitive, while endowed with a spirit of intrigue and a sense of humor. Sometime after arriving at the fortress, they light a torch but conceal it in the hollow of a cliff bordering the road before proceeding to the arch, near the spot where Vivaldi had watched with Bonarmo. 

The sound of the midnight chime leads Vivaldi to recall Schedoni’s remarks on the vicinity of the convent of the Black Penitents. When asked if the chime is coming from the Black Penitents, Paulo confirms that it is and begins to tell him of a story involving a member of the convent.

As Paulo tells his story, Vivaldi recognizes the voice of the monk who has been following him. Vivaldi is informed that Ellena has already left. Springing up to seize the monk, he fails, before leaping to the area from where the voice emanated and failing to grasp him yet again. In the meantime, Paulo fires a pistol before grasping the torch. Moments later, he sees the monk ascending to the terrace. Paulo and Vivaldi follow him up the stairs but lose track of him even as Paulo thinks the monk has disappeared through the arches. They pass through a door to a building where the monk may have entered, but not without mixed feelings. 

Upon entering a stone passage, Paulo notices that the walls seem to be stained with blood. They discern a staircase at a distance leading to the vaults below before noticing a figure by the staircase. As Vivaldi rushes there, the figure disappears. The two men notice the figure opening a door in the wall. While Vivaldi examines the vaults, they suddenly hear a door shut. Paulo and Vivaldi try to open the door but to no avail. In one corner, Vivaldi finds some bloodied garments. 

That night, as they try to rest, Vivaldi reflects on the monk’s words, not knowing if his remarks on Ellena’s departure imply that she has died. Paulo begins to resume his tale of the convent of the Black Penitents, describing an incident at the confessional during the vigil of Santo Marco when the grand penitentiary, Ansaldo, heard loud groans before encouraging the penitent to confess. As the penitent left, Ansaldo remained in a state of shock before deciding to have the penitent pursued. The monks, however, were unable to find him.