Ashley Sterne

“ The Colonel continued—"I can say at once that what I am going to tell you is authentic, for the events actually happened to the man who told me—I daresay some of you know Bickerton?—or rather to an old friend of his, which, under the circumstances, is practically the same thing. Well, this friend of Bickerton's, whose name was—"
"Ings, Mullens, Doddridge, Finlayson," we all, except young Pitts, murmured sotto voce.
"... Petherby, lived at—"
"Ponders End, Woking, Cleckheaton, Norwich," we added in a similar manner.
"... Maidstone, and for some time had had in his employ a German governess." ”

“ However, the bona fides of the facts is absolutely unimpeachable. It appears that—"
And here followed another version of the governess episode, identical in all respects with those of Bolsover and Uncle Jasper, save only that the police found a loaded revolver and a plan of Chatham Dockyard, and that the woman had been deported.
That same evening I dined at old Colonel Jevers’, and when the ladies had withdrawn to the drawing-room our host began—
"Talking about the war reminds me of a most extraordinary spy story I heard today about a German governess." ”

“ It appears that the police called at the house one night recently and insisted on searching her room and her trunks. Mr. Ings protested; said they'd made a mistake, his word on her honour pledged and integrity, but all with no avail. ”