The dramatic return of Ludovico, who was at the center of one of the novel’s biggest mysteries, seems to confirm the ultimate lack of supernatural elements in the story. Instead of ghosts, it was smugglers who took Ludovico. On the one hand, this seems to be a hopeful message, confirming St. Aubert’s faith in a rational world. But on the other hand, it’s possible to take a darker interpretation, suggesting that the evil things normal humans do appear to be the work of ghosts.