3 The Midnight Visitor 10
AUSABLE did not fit any description of a secret agent Fowler had ever read. Following him down the musty corridor of the gloomy French hotel where Ausable had a room, Fowler felt let down. It was a small room, on the sixth and top floor, and scarcely a setting for a romantic adventure.
Ausable was, for one thing, fat. Very fat. And then there was his accent. Though he spoke French and German passably, he had never altogether lost the American accent he had brought to Paris from Boston twenty years ago.
| S.No | Words | Meanings |
1 | Description | Something that tells you what something or someone is like |
2 | Musty | Smelling unpleasantly old and slightly wet |
3 | Corridor | A long passage in a building, especially with rooms on either side |
4 | Gloomy | Dark in a way that is unpleasant and makes it difficult to see |
5 | Scarcely | Almost not |
6 | Accent | The way in which people in a particular area, country, or social group pronounce words |
7 | Passably | In a way that is satisfactory but not excellent |
“Instead, you have spent a dull evening in a French music hall with a sloppy fat man who, instead of having messages slipped into his hand by dark-eyed beauties, gets only a prosaic telephone call making an appointment in his room. You have been bored!” The fat man chuckled to himself as he unlocked the door of his room and stood aside to let his frustrated guest enter.
Ausable then said that Fowler might have imagined encountering several strange people in the middle of the night. Also, he visualised seeing shadowy creatures in the night, hearing gunshots, and using narcotics in the wine. On the contrary, Fowler had spent a dull evening at a French music hall with a chubby fat man.
Ausable then stated that Fowler would have expected Ausable to get communications from the dark-eyed beauties. Here the term "dark-eyed beauties" refer to beautiful ladies with dark eyes. In this context, dark-eyed beauties were used to describe the type of ladies Fowler hoped to see around Ausable. Fowler might have such thought because he was a romantic and young writer; he would expect how a secret agent would be. On the contrary, Ausable used to get ordinary telephonic calls, and people would phone him to schedule an appointment to meet him in his room. After telling that, Ausable said that Fowler might have felt bored of seeing him. He made the statement because Fowler had thought of meeting a different personality. But while seeing the fat man, Fowler would have felt bored.
Ausable then laughed quietly to himself when he opened his room. He stepped aside to allow his frustrated friend to enter his room. Ausable would have referred to Fowler as a "frustrated friend" because whatever Fowler had expected had not occurred. Fowler might have felt irritated on seeing the ambience of the room and him.
| S.No | Words | Meanings |
1 | Shoulder | The upper joint of each of a person's arms and the part of the body between this and the neck |
2 | Espionage | The practice of spying or the use of spies, often by governments to gather political and military information |
3 | Prosaic | Ordinary and not especially interesting or unusual |
4 | Frustrate | Feeling annoyed or less confident because you cannot achieve what you want |
5 | Chuckle | Laugh quietly or inwardly |
And as the light came on, Fowler had his first authentic thrill of the day. For halfway across the room, a small automatic pistol in his hand, stood a man.
Ausable blinked a few times.
“Max,” he wheezed, “you gave me quite a start. I thought you were in Berlin. What are you doing here in my room?”
“The report,” he murmured. “The report that is being brought to you tonight concerning some new missiles. I thought I would take it from you. It will be safer in my hands than in yours.”
Ausable also stated that the paper was something special, and many men and women have put their lives in danger for the sake of the report. He might have said that to create curiosity in Fowler. He then requested Fowler to come inside the room. Ausable then stated that the document had the potential to change the course of history at some point in the future. After telling that, he asked whether he didn't feel any suspense in what he said or it didn't feel like something serious. Here, Ausable attempted to arouse an interest in the documents and the importance of visiting him.
While speaking with Fowler, Ausable closed the door standing behind him. Later, he switched on his room light. Then the narrator said that when he switched on the light, Fowler had faced a thrilling experience of the day. The narrator made the statement because Fowler had visited Ausable to get some interesting stories. But when he met him, he felt disappointed. When the light was on, some thrilling experiences were waiting for Fowler. It was nothing, but they noticed a man standing half away across the room, holding a pistol in his hand.
After seeing the man, Ausable blinked his eyes a few times. After doing that, Ausable called out the man's name. It was Max. He asked Max what he was doing there and said he thought Max was in Berlin. Later, he asked him what he was doing in his room.
The narrator then describes the character of Max to his readers. Max was a thin guy. He doesn't look very tall. While looking at the features of Max, he had the resemblance of a fox. The narrator might have described Max as a fox because of his cunningness. Then the narrator says that while looking at him, he had only a gun in his hand. Apart from the gun, there was nothing that seemed strange or panicking. The narrator might have made the statement because, as it was Max, Ausable thought he would not harm them.
After hearing Ausable's statement, Max murmured, "The report". He said that he knew that Ausable would get a report regarding some new missiles tonight. He also said that he would take it from him. Moreover, he stated that the report would be safe in his hand compared to him. This was the reason Max came to Ausable's room.
Meanings of the difficult words:
| S.No | Words | Meanings |
1 | Disillusion | Disappointed and unhappy because of discovering the truth about something or someone that you liked or respected |
2 | Authentic | Being what it is claimed to be; genuine |
3 | Blink | To close and open the eyes quickly, once or several times |
4 | Pistol | A small gun that is held in and fired from one hand |
5 | Automatic | A machine or device can operate independently of human control |
6 | Slender | Thin or delicate |
7 | Menacing | Suggesting the presence of danger; threatening |
8 | Countenance | A person's face or facial expression |
9 | Missile | A flying weapon that has its own engine and can travel a long distance before exploding at the place at which it has been aimed |
“Balcony?” Max said, with a rising inflection. “No, a passkey. I did not know about the balcony. It might have saved me some trouble had I known.”
“It’s not my balcony,” Ausable said with extreme irritation. “It belongs to the next apartment.” He glanced explanatorily at Fowler. “You see,” he said, “this room used to be part of a large unit, and the next room — through that door there — used to be the living room. It had the balcony, which extends under my window now. You can get onto it from the empty room two doors down — and somebody did, last month. The management promised to block it off. But they haven’t.”
After hearing that, Fowler, the writer, saw the room's single window. According to him, the room had a normal window; if someone saw it from there at night, it would feel extreme darkness.
Max then said "Balcony" with a rising tone. He then claimed that he did not enter through the balcony. He entered Ausable's room using a passkey (a key to the door of a prohibited area, given only to those who are officially permitted access). Furthermore, he stated that he was unaware of the balcony. He further stated that if he had known earlier, he would not have waited for the passkey and would have attempted to enter the room through the balcony.
Ausable became enraged when he heard this and yelled that it was not his balcony. He said that the balcony belonged to the next apartment. Then Ausable glanced at Fowler and explained that the room he was using as part of a larger unit. He also stated that the adjacent room, next to the entrance, was utilised as a living room.
In addition, Ausable said that a balcony extended beneath his window in that room. Ausable then said that anyone could get into his room from that empty room. Also, he said that somebody entered his room through that window. Moreover, he said that he informed the management earlier, and they told him that they would block the way. But till now, they haven't blocked that way.
| S.No | Words | Meanings |
1 | Management | The group of people responsible for controlling and organising a company |
2 | Nuisance | Something or someone that annoys you or causes trouble for you |
3 | Irritation | The feeling of being angry or annoyed, or something that makes you feel like this |
4 | Passkey | A key to the door of a restricted area, given only to those who are officially allowed access |
5 | Balcony | An area with a wall or bars around it that is joined to the outside wall of a building on an upper level |
“Thirty-one minutes,” Ausable said moodily. “The appointment was for twelve-thirty. I wish I knew how you learned about the report, Max.
Fowler jumped at the sudden knocking at the door. Ausable just smiled. “That will be the police,” he said. “I thought that such an important paper as the one we are waiting for should have a little extra protection. I told them to check on me to make sure everything was all right.”
After hearing that, Ausable said they had to wait for thirty-one minutes because the appointment was only at twelve-thirty. Then Ausable said he was curious about how Max learnt about the report. Max then smiled in a wicked manner. Here the narrator portrays Max as a "little spy" because the term "spy" reveals the profession of Max. As he was a spy, he came to know how Ausable got the report and where it was.
Max then said that they (Max and the team) wanted to know how Ausable and his people received the report. After telling that, he said that nothing harm had happened, and he would get the report back tonight. Then Max asked Ausable what that noise was and who was knocking at the door. After hearing that, Fowler jumped because of the sudden knocking sound.
| S.No | Words | Meanings |
1 | Gesture | A movement of the hands, arms, or head, etc. to express an idea or feeling |
2 | Knock | To repeatedly hit something, producing a noise |
“What will you do now, Max?” Ausable asked. “If I do not answer the door, they will enter anyway. The door is unlocked. And they will not hesitate to shoot.”
Max’s face was black with anger as he backed swiftly towards the window. He swung a leg over the sill. “Send them away!” he warned. “I will wait on the balcony. Send them away or I’ll shoot and take my chances!”
The knocking at the door became louder and a voice was raised. “Mr Ausable! Mr Ausable!”
The door opened and a waiter stood there with a tray, a bottle and two glasses. “Here is the drink you ordered for when you returned,” he said, and set the tray on the table, deftly uncorked the bottle, and left the room.
White-faced, Fowler stared after him. “But...” he stammered, “the police...”
“There were no police.” Ausable sighed. “Only Henry, whom I was expecting.”
“But won’t that man out on the balcony...?” Fowler began.
Max grew tense due to the scenario and bit his lip. The reason behind his behaviour was that if the police came inside the room, he would catch him. Also, his plan of taking the report will not be accomplished. After that, the knocking on the door continued. Ausable then inquired of Max what he intended to do next. After questioning him, Ausable stated that if the door was unlocked and he did not allow him to open it, the police would enter anyhow and would surely fire if they saw him with a gun.
After hearing Ausable's statements, Max was enraged by the circumstances and walked quickly towards the window. He then put his leg over the window sill and told Ausable to send the individuals standing outside the door. He also stated that he would wait on the balcony to see if they were moving or not. Furthermore, he stated that if Ausable did not send them away, he would shoot them and seize the reports.
The knocking on the door became louder as time passed, and someone from outside called for Mr Ausable twice. Max sat on the window sill, looking inside, so his rifle could still be directed at Mr Ausable and Fowler. Max then perched on the window sill with both legs outside, holding the window ledge.
The doorknob slowly moved, and Max assumed that the cops were on their way in, so he leapt from the window sill and fell vertically down the balcony. When he collapsed, he let out a harsh cry. When the door opened, a waiter was standing there with a tray, a bottle of wine, and two glasses. He walked in, kept everything on the table, and claimed it was the bottle Ausable had requested. He carefully removed the cork from the bottle and walked away.
Fowler had no idea what had occurred and mumbled about where the cops were, to which Ausable answered that there were no cops and that he knew it was Henry, the waiter, and that he was simply awaiting him. Then Fowler inquired about the guy outside the window, to which Ausable answered that he would never return since there was no balcony and Max had fallen to the earth from the building's top floor.
Through this story, one can understand that appearance doesn't matter. Whether Ausable is thin or fat doesn't portray his character; his cleverness and handling of the situation showed him as a talented secret agent. His witty plan had made him save his important report from Max. As Ausable knew there was no other balcony in the apartment, he cooked up stories to confuse him. As a result of that confusion, Max lost his life. So the moral of the story is 'appearance can be deceptive'. So, don't judge people simply by their looks.
| S.No | Words | Meanings |
1 | Doorknob | A handle on a door that is turned to release the latch |
2 | Stammer | Speak with sudden involuntary pauses and a tendency to repeat the initial letters of words |
3 | Hesitate | Pause in indecision before saying or doing something |
Q1. How is Ausable different from other secret agents?
[2–3 Marks]
Answer:
Ausable is quite different from the other secret agent. Unlike other agents who are fit, bold, and action-oriented, Ausable is fat, slow-moving, and calm in nature. He does not carry a weapon or show any physical strength. Instead, he uses his intelligence, presence of mind, and smart talking to handle dangerous situations. Despite his ordinary appearance, he proves to be an efficient and clever secret agent.
Q2. Who is Fowler and what is his first authentic thrill of the day?
[2 Marks]
Answer:
Fowler is a young writer who wants to write about the life of secret agents. He meets Ausable expecting adventure and excitement. Initially, he feels disappointed by Ausable’s dull appearance and behavior. However, when Max enters Ausable’s room with a gun, Fowler experiences real danger for the first time. This moment becomes his first authentic thrill of the day, as he finally sees the real risks in a spy’s life.
Q3. How has Max got in?
[1 Mark]
Answer:
Max entered Ausable’s room using a passkey, which allowed him to open the door without being noticed. He entered quietly and hid inside the room before Ausable and Fowler arrived.
Q4. How does Ausable say he got in? [1 Mark]
Answer:
Ausable deliberately lies and says that Max must have entered through the balcony outside the window. He also adds that he had complained to the hotel management about it earlier. This was a trick to mislead Max.
Q5. Why did Max scream and run? [2 Marks]
Answer:
Max screamed and tried to escape because Ausable told him that the police were on their way. Ausable also mentioned the balcony as a possible escape route. Max, believing the story, panicked and jumped out of the window to avoid being caught. However, there was no balcony, so he likely fell down and was injured or killed.
Q6. Why did Fowler find the episode interesting?
[2 Marks]
Answer:
Fowler initially found Ausable dull and unexciting. However, when he witnessed Ausable handle a dangerous situation calmly and intelligently, without any violence, he was highly impressed. Ausable tricked an armed enemy and saved both his life and the secret document using only his presence of mind. This unexpected incident made the episode exciting and thrilling for Fowler.
1. Ausable – Character Sketch
Ausable is a secret agent — but not the kind you'd imagine from movies. He’s not tall, handsome, or dressed in black suits. Instead, he’s a chubby man who lives in a small hotel room in Paris, speaks with an American accent, and looks like someone who works in an office, not a spy.
But don’t be fooled by how he looks. Ausable is incredibly smart, calm, and quick-thinking. When a man enters his room with a gun, most people would panic — but Ausable stays cool. He makes up a story about a balcony and the police and tricks the enemy without lifting a finger.
He teaches us that you don’t need muscles to be a hero — sometimes, all you need is a clever brain and confidence.
Key Traits: Calm, smart, confident, clever, witty
Special Quality: Uses words and intelligence to defeat enemies
2. Max – Character Sketch
Max is another secret agent, but he works for the enemy. He thinks he can scare Ausable and steal secret papers by showing a gun. He sneaks into the hotel room, acts confident, and thinks he has the upper hand.
But Max makes a big mistake — he underestimates Ausable. He believes everything Ausable says, even a made-up story about a balcony. In fear of getting caught, Max tries to escape… and jumps out of a window, not knowing there’s no balcony there.
Max shows us that even if you have power or weapons, it’s useless without intelligence.
Key Traits: Armed, serious, aggressive, not clever
Mistake: Believes Ausable's lies and panics
3. Fowler – Character Sketch
Fowler is a young writer who wants to write exciting stories about spies. He expects action, adventure, and danger when he meets Ausable. But when he first sees him, he feels disappointed. Ausable looks too ordinary — not like a spy at all.
However, Fowler’s opinion changes completely when he sees how Ausable handles a dangerous situation so calmly and cleverly. No fights, no shouting — just smart thinking. Fowler is surprised and deeply impressed.
Through his eyes, the reader also learns that real intelligence is quiet but powerful.
Key Traits: Curious, imaginative, young, observant
Change: From disappointed to impressed by Ausable
Summary of All Three:
| Character | Role | Nature | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ausable | Secret agent | Calm and clever | Smart mind | None shown |
| Max | Enemy spy | Aggressive but foolish | Has a gun | Easily fooled |
| Fowler | Writer | Curious and young | Learns from others | Quick to judge |
1. Word Meanings – The Midnight Visitor
| Word / Phrase | Meaning (in simple English) |
|---|---|
| Secret agent | A spy; someone who works secretly for the government |
| Unusual | Not normal or common |
| Midnight visitor | Someone who comes secretly at night |
| Passkey | A master key that opens many locks |
| Balcony | A platform outside a window or door, usually with a railing |
| Cliché | An overused idea or expression |
| Sloppy | Careless or untidy |
| Disappointed | Feeling sad because something didn’t go as expected |
| Presence of mind | Staying calm and thinking quickly in a difficult moment |
| Pistol | A small gun |
| Crafty | Clever in a tricky way |
| Manner | Way of behaving |
Questions & Answers
Q1. How is Ausable different from other secret agents?
Answer:
Ausable is very different from the image of a typical secret agent. He is fat, speaks with an American accent, and lives in a simple hotel room in Paris. Unlike other agents, he does not look strong or dangerous. However, he is very intelligent, calm, and clever, which helps him handle difficult situations smartly.
Q2. Who is Fowler and what is his first authentic thrill of the day?
Answer:
Fowler is a young writer who wants to write about the lives of secret agents. He visits Ausable hoping to see something exciting. At first, he is disappointed by how ordinary Ausable seems. But later, when a man named Max enters with a gun, Fowler experiences real danger for the first time. This becomes his first true thrill of the day.
Q3. How has Max got in?
Answer:
Max used a passkey (a master key) to enter Ausable’s hotel room quietly before Ausable and Fowler came in. He waited inside to surprise and threaten Ausable.
Q4. How does Ausable say he got in?
Answer:
Ausable pretends that Max entered through a balcony outside the window. He says he has complained to the hotel many times about that balcony. This was a lie — there was no balcony at all. Ausable said it to fool Max.
Q5. Why did Max scream and run?
Answer:
Ausable told Max that the police were coming, and that Max could escape through the balcony. Max, believing the story, panicked and jumped out of the window, thinking there was a balcony — but there was none. He likely fell and got injured or worse.
Q6. Why did Fowler find the episode interesting?
Answer:
Fowler had expected Ausable’s life to be boring. But after seeing Ausable handle a man with a gun so cleverly, using only words and no violence, Fowler was shocked and impressed. The unexpected danger and smart thinking made the whole event very exciting for him.
Extra Notes for Board Students:Theme of the Story:
The story shows how intelligence, presence of mind, and calm behavior can solve even dangerous problems without violence.
Moral / Message:
Don't judge people by how they look — real strength lies in smart thinking, not physical power
Character Sketch of Ausable (Main Character)
Ausable is a secret agent, but he is very different from what we expect. He is not fit or strong like a movie spy. In fact, he is fat and lives in a small hotel room. But Ausable is very clever, calm, and confident. He doesn’t panic, even when someone points a gun at him. He uses his intelligence and quick thinking to trick the enemy. He tells a fake story about a balcony outside his window and a police officer waiting outside – and the criminal believes it! Ausable shows that being smart and using your brain is more important than looking strong. He is a great example of how cleverness can win in a dangerous situation.
Character Sketch of Fowler (Writer/Visitor)
Fowler is a young writer who wants to meet Ausable because he thinks spies live an exciting life. He expects danger, action, and adventure. But when he meets Ausable, he is surprised to see a fat, ordinary-looking man. At first, he is disappointed. But when he sees how Ausable handles a dangerous situation with calm and clever thinking, he is amazed. Fowler learns that real intelligence is more powerful than action. By the end of the story, he respects Ausable a lot. Fowler represents people who believe in outer appearances but learn to value inner qualities.
Character Sketch of Max (Enemy Spy)
Max is the enemy spy in the story. He comes into Ausable’s room with a gun, trying to steal some important papers. Max is smart but not as clever as Ausable. He is easily fooled by Ausable’s fake story about the balcony and the police. He gets scared and tries to escape through a balcony that doesn’t exist. In the end, he falls into Ausable’s trap. Max shows that overconfidence and lack of calm thinking can lead to failure.
1. What information did Ausable give about the imaginary balcony? Why did he do so?
Ausable told Max that there was a balcony outside his hotel room window. He said it was used by the staff of the next room and people had entered his room before using it. Actually, there was no balcony at all; Ausable made up the story. He wanted Max to believe that someone could easily climb into the room from there. When the waiter knocked at the door, Max thought it was the police and tried to escape through the “balcony.” This trick helped Ausable get rid of Max without any fight. Ausable invented the balcony only to confuse and mislead Max so that he could save the secret papers.
2. Ausable was a clever secret agent. Do you agree with the statement? Justify your answer.
Yes, Ausable was a very clever secret agent. Unlike the heroes in films, he was not strong or handsome. Instead, he used his intelligence and calmness. When Max pointed a gun at him, Ausable did not panic. He quickly made up a story about a balcony to trick Max. He also calmly told Fowler that the knocking at the door must be the police whom he had called for protection. Actually, it was only the waiter. Max believed both stories and, in fear, tried to escape. Ausable’s quick thinking and presence of mind made Max fall into his trap. This shows that Ausable was a clever and smart agent who used his brain instead of force.
3. Why did Max scream shrilly when he dropped to the balcony?
Max screamed shrilly because there was no balcony outside the window. Ausable had invented the story of the balcony only to fool him. When the waiter knocked at the door, Ausable told Max it was the police. In fear, Max decided to escape quickly through the “balcony.” He jumped out of the window, expecting to land on a balcony, but instead he fell straight down from the high floor of the hotel. His loud scream was the last sound heard from him. Thus, Max screamed because he realized too late that he had been tricked by Ausable and had fallen to his death.
4. A calm mind can help you tackle direst stress. Explain.
The story clearly shows that a calm mind is the best weapon in a stressful situation. Ausable was in great danger when Max pointed a gun at him. But instead of panicking, he stayed calm and thought of a clever plan. He invented the story of the balcony and also pretended that the police were at the door. Max believed both lies and fell into Ausable’s trap. If Ausable had been nervous, he might have made mistakes and lost the papers. But his calmness and presence of mind saved him. This teaches us that in real life too, staying calm during stress helps us think clearly and solve problems successfully.
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