The astonished secretary raised the jewel, and held it in suspense before the eyes of the judges.
"How is this ?" exclaimed he of the Three, who had oftenest interfered in the examination; "that seemeth the pledge of our nuptials!" "It is no other, illustrious senator: with this ring did the Doge wed the Adriatic, in the presence of the ambassadors and the people." "Hadst thou aught to do with this, also, Jacopo ?" sternly demanded the judge.
The Bravo turned his eye on the jewel with a look of interest, but his voice maintained its usual depth and steadiness as he answered-- "Signore, no--until now, I knew not the fortune of the fisherman." A sign to the secretary caused him to resume his questions.
"Thou must account and clearly account, Antonio," he said, "for the manner in which the sacred ring came into thy possession; hadst thou any one to aid thee in obtaining it ?" "Signore, I had." "Name him at once, that we take measures for his security." "'Twill be useless, Signore; he is far above the power of Venice." "What meanest thou, fellow?
None are superior to the right and the force of the Republic that dwell within her limits.

Answer without evasion, as thou valuest thy person." "I should prize that which is of little value, Signore, and be guilty of a great folly as well as of a great sin, were I to deceive you to save a body old and worthless as mine from stripes.

If your excellencies are willing to hear, you will find that I am no less willing to tell the manner in which I got the ring." "Speak, then, and trifle not." "I know not, Signori, whether you are used to hearing untruths, that you caution me so much not to deal with them; but we of the Lagunes are not afraid to say what we have seen and done, for most of our business is with the winds and waves, which take their orders from God himself.
There is a tradition, Signori, among us fishermen, that in times past, one of our body brought up from the bay the ring with which the Doge is accustomed to marry the Adriatic.

A jewel of that value was of little use to one who casts his nets daily for bread and oil, and he brought it to the Doge, as became a fisherman into whose hands the saints had thrown a prize to which he had no title, as it were to prove his honesty.

This act of our companion is much spoken of on the Lagunes and at the Lido, and it is said there is a noble painting done by some of our Venetian masters, in the halls of the palace, which tells the story as it happened, showing the prince on his throne, and the lucky fisherman with his naked legs rendering back to his highness that which had been lost.