– but could not. In the capital of a European republic with an oppressive government and an active revolutionary movement, Mr Louis sits in the central square and entertains all and sundry. His identity is a well-kept secret, but Pond guesses it. Ring of Lovers This story centres on Captain Gahagan, described by Mr. Pond as "a very truthful man... [who] tells wanton and unnecessary lies". The captain tells a (true) story of a dreadful dinner party which ended in death, and explains how it induced him to propose to the woman he loves. The Terrible Troubadour The paradox, "In Nature you must go very low to find things that go so high", in this case is not Mr. Pond's, but his friend Dr. Paul Green's. Green introduces the Vicar of Hanging Burgess, who accuses Captain Gahagan of having, many years ago, shot a rival in love, dumped the body and then run away to the war. From the Vicar's eyewitness description of the incident, Pond divines the truth. A Tall Story Mr Pond, Sir Henry Wotton, Captain Gahagan and his new wife Joan are discussing the treatment of Jews in Germany, and Pond recalls an incident in the last war when a Jew who had adopted a German name was suspected of being a spy. He describes the persecution of officials by "spy-maniacs" who reported all sorts of "suspicious behaviour", while the real spies passed unnoticed—including the spy who was "too tall to be seen". Radio 5 of the 8 stories (1,2,4,6,7 of the list above) were produced as 15 minute radio stories for BBC Radio 4 Extra, read by Martin Jarvis. Broadcast 13-17 May 2014. References 1936 short story collections Short stories by G. K. Chesterton Books by G. K. Chesterton Mystery short story collections Paradoxes Cassell (publisher) books