"My father, and mother, the children, and servants, and indeed all of the people in the Castle, came into the garden to see it fall. As soon as it was cut down, my two little brothers ran immediately towards a magpie's nest in the tree, which had for a long time been a coveted object, but had hitherto been out of their reach. Now they seized upon the nest and busied themselves examining its contents. "'Look, Albert!' said Augustus, 'what is that shining among the twigs? How bright it is!' "'It sparkles like gold,' said Albert. "My maid, Juliette, ran forward to look at it, and immediately uttered a scream. "'Oh,' she cried, 'it is the ring!' and became as pale as death. "The children extricated the ring from among the twigs, and carried it in great glee to my mother. "'Yes, indeed it is my ring,' said my mother, with deep emotion. 'Oh, good and honest James! oh, poor Mary, what injustice we have done you! I am glad enough to find my ring again, but if I could find James and Mary, I would gladly sacrifice the ring to repair the wrong which we have done them.' "I was curious to know by what chance the ring was carried into the magpie's nest at the top of the tree, and the old huntsman, Anthony, gave a ready explanation. "'Neither the gardener James nor his daughter could have hidden the ring in this place, that is very clear,' said he. 'The tree was too high, and it would have been impossible to climb up so far. Besides which, they had not time to do so. Mary had scarcely returned to the house when she and her father were both arrested. Magpies are greatly attracted by anything that shines, and if they can find anything sparkling, they carry it off immediately to their nests. One of these birds must have stolen the ring, and carried it to the tree. That is all the mystery. The only thing that astonishes me is that an old hunter, as I am, should not have thought sooner of this explanation.' "The old man spoke with deep feeling and with tears in his eyes, but they were tears of joy at seeing your innocence proved. "'Anthony,' said my mother, 'I believe you are perfectly right, and now I remember quite distinctly that very often these birds came from the top of this tree to my window, that the sash was open when the ring disappeared, that the table on which I put the ring was close to the window, and that, after having shut the door and bolted it, I went into the next room, where I stayed for some time. No doubt one of these mischievous birds saw the ring from his nest, and, while I was in the other room, he must have darted in and carried it off.' "My father was deeply troubled at the conviction, which he could not resist, that you and your father had been unjustly condemned. "'My heart is almost broken,' said he, 'for having done these good people so much injury. My only consolation is that it was not done from ill-will, but in ignorance and error.'