Ch.-3. The Midnight Visitor (Robert Arthur)
1. Who is the writer of the story?
Ans. Robert Arthur
2. Who was the midnight visitor?
Ans. Max
3. What was Ausable’s profession?
Ans. He was a secret agent
4. Where was Ausable staying?
Ans. In a French hotel (Paris)
5. Who came to meet Ausable?
Ans. Fowler
6. What was Fowler’s profession?
Ans. He was a romantic writer
7. Who is the guest in the story?
Ans. Fowler
8. Who was Max?
Ans. Another secret agent
9. Where was Ausable’s room situated in the hotel?
Ans. On the 6th (top) floor
10. Who knocked at Ausable’s door?
Ans. The waiter
11. What was Max holding in his hand?
Ans. A pistol
12. What story Ausable cocked up (invented) to Max?
Ans. About a balcony
13. Where was the balcony?
Ans. Outside the window of the room
14. Who fell down from the top floor of the hotel?
Ans. Max
15. Was there a balcony outside the window?
Ans. No, there was no balcony outside the window
16. How did Max die?
Ans. He jumped out of the window
17. Why did Max enter Ausable’s room?
Ans. To take a secret report about new missiles
*3. The Midnight Visitor (Robert Arthur)*
Textual Questions
*1. How is Ausable different from other secret agents?*
Ans. Ausable was different from other secret agents. He lived in a small room in a French hotel. It was on the top (sixth) floor. There was nothing thrilling or adventurous about it. Furthermore, he was also extremely fat.
*2. Who came to meet Ausable? What was his profession?*
Ans. One evening a young writer named Fowler came to meet Ausable. He had come to gather necessary material for his book on secret agents.
*3. Why did Fowler want to meet Ausable? Why was he disillusioned? *
Ans. Fowler wanted to meet Ausable to know how he tackles his tasks as a secret agent. Fowler was disillusioned by seeing the appearance of Ausable. As Ausable was a fat secret agent with an American accent.
*4. How did Max enter Ausable’s room? Why did he do so?*
Ans. Max had come into the room using a passkey. He had come to get the secret report about some new missiles which, he was sure, was with Ausable.
*5. Was there any balcony outside the window? How can you say that?*
Ans. No, there wasn't any balcony outside the window, we come to know of it when Max jumps out of the window and he gives a loud scream. Ausable had falsely told Max about the balcony. But there was no balcony.
*6. How did Ausable get rid of Max?*
Ans. Ausable was a clever secret agent. When he found Max in his room with a pistol, he did not lose his courage. When the waiter arrived, Ausable told Max that it was the police. Max, in a panic, jumped out of the window and dropped himself from the sixth floor and died. Thus Ausable got rid of Max.
Long Answers
*1. Write a character sketch of the secret agent, Ausable.*
OR
*Describe the incident leading to the death of Max in ‘The Midnight Visitor’.*
Ans. Ausable was a secret agent. He was very fat. He came to Paris from Boston twenty years ago. He could speak French and German. He had an American accent also. He is very intelligent. He had a great presence of mind. He did not lose heart in difficult situations, when he found Max in his room with a pistol, he did not lose courage. When the waiter arrived, Ausable told Max that it was the police. Max, in panic, jumped out of the window and dropped himself from the sixth floor and died. But in reality there was no balcony. Thus we see that Ausable's mind is very sharp.