In which the astute and crafty Glossin seizes a notorious seafarer, known as Captain Dirk Hatteraick, whose unruly presence and dark past compel a wary confinement in the strong room of an ancient castle. Amidst the snow-covered desolation, the night is charged with suspense as Glossin wrestles with his guilty conscience while the prisoner daringly executes a desperate escape by moonlight, setting the stage for the tangled web of intrigue that envelopes Ellangowan.