ENGLISH CLASS- 10
CHAPTER-3
(The Midnight Visitor)
The Midnight Visitor
1. “Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent Fowler had ever read.” What do secret agents in books and films look like, in your opinion? Compare their appearance with that of Ausable.
Secret agents in books and films are usually shown as smart, young, handsome, athletic, and adventurous. They are often dressed stylishly, move quickly, and perform daring actions. Famous fictional secret agents such as James Bond are portrayed as confident, physically fit, and glamorous personalities.
Ausable was completely different from this popular image. He was a large, fat man who spoke with a strong American accent. Instead of looking energetic and heroic, he appeared ordinary and somewhat clumsy. Fowler was surprised because Ausable did not resemble the secret agents he had read about. However, despite his appearance, Ausable proved to be highly intelligent, calm, and resourceful. The story shows that true success in espionage depends more on intelligence and presence of mind than on physical appearance.
2. How does Ausable manage to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room? Look back at his detailed description of it. What makes it a convincing story?
Ausable manages to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room by confidently inventing a detailed story about it. He tells Max that the balcony is outside the window and explains that it was built as part of the next apartment. He also claims that people have entered his room through it before.
The story becomes convincing because Ausable provides specific details and speaks with complete confidence. He mentions previous incidents involving the balcony and behaves as though its existence is an established fact. Since Max is already nervous and under pressure, he accepts Ausable's explanation without questioning it. Ausable's calm manner and realistic description make the false story believable.
3. Looking back at the story, when do you think Ausable thought up his plan for getting rid of Max? Do you think he had worked out his plan in detail right from the beginning? Or did he make up a plan taking advantage of events as they happened?
Ausable did not appear to have planned everything in advance. Instead, he seems to have created the plan as the situation developed. When he entered the room and discovered Max waiting with a gun, he quickly assessed the danger and used his intelligence to find a way out.
He first invented the story about the balcony to create doubt in Max's mind. Later, when there was a knock at the door, he cleverly claimed that it was the police. This increased Max's fear and forced him to look for an escape route. Believing that the balcony existed, Max jumped out of the window and fell. Thus, Ausable made use of circumstances as they occurred and successfully turned the situation to his advantage. His quick thinking, presence of mind, and ability to remain calm helped him defeat Max without using force.