- Father and son travel at a good pace and take two weeks to reach Toulon. They fail to hear any mention of D'Artagnan, and believe their friend is trying to remain incognito.
- Raoul begins assembling a fleet, but one fisherman says that his ship is currently in the shop.
- Athos, convinced the man is lying, asks for details.
- Six days earlier, a man had come in the night looking to hire a boat to take him to the island of St. Honorat.
- The gentleman carried with him an immense carriage case, which he insisted on taking on board.
- This was not part of the initial agreement, but the gentleman won out by using force.
- On the way to the island of St. Honorat, the gentleman changed his mind. He asked to be landed at Ste. Marguerite. The fisherman disagreed, and the gentleman again tried to use force.
- They have a bit of a fight when the gentleman drew his sword. Then the carriage case opened and a phantom with his head covered by a black helmet emerged and threatened the fishermen.
- The two fishermen, jumped out of the boat, and swam for shore.
- Eventually the men recovered the boat, but there was no trace of the travelers.
- Raoul exempts the man from service.
- Father and son decide to go to Ste. Marguerite, convinced that the gentleman in question is D'Artagnan.
- When they land, they are struck by the beauty of the island.
- Athos and Raoul wander around the garden of the garrison, encountering no one. Eventually they see a soldier return from evidently serving dinner to a prisoner.
- The two men hear a shout and then a silver missile hurtling from a window.
- It turns out to be a silver plate with a message inscribed on the bottom.
- It's from Philippe, and details his plight.
- In the next instant, someone is firing at them. One of their attackers orders the attack to halt, and soon D'Artagnan is calling their names.
- He explains to them hurriedly that they must pretend to be Spanish. The governor of the castle will kill them if he believes they read the inscription on the plate.
- D'Artagnan introduces them as Spanish naval captains to the governor of the fortress.
- D'Artagnan takes the silver plate and erases the inscription.
- The governor invites them into the fortress.