the scene shifts back in time to the palace of a polish nobleman, where a ball is being held for the engagement of maria, the daughter of the house, to the young noble vaslav. suddenly lurking tartars led by khan girey scale the walls and attack the guests. after a vicious fight in which the khan kills vaslav, the palace is looted and torched and the women carried away as part of the booty. maria hides her face, but the khan tears away her scarf and is mesmerized by her beauty.