Q. What great qualities made Ausable a successful secret agent?
Ans. Ausable was a secret agent in an organization. He was alert and resourceful. He was a cool-headed person and had a lot of presence of mind. He was an American and could also speak German and French.
Q. Why was Fowler disappointed on seeing Ausable?
Ans. Fowler was disappointed on seeing Ausable who was unlike other secret agents. He was fat and sloppy with heavy American accent. He was not at all flashy or romantic like other agents.
Q. Who was Max? How did Ausable get rid of him?
Ans. Max was a secret agent who came for secret papers on missiles. Ausable outwitted him by making a false story that the police might have come to provide him security for the important paper and also a story about the balcony. Max tried to escape through it and died.
Q. Why did Max Jump out of the window of Ausable’s room? Why did he scream loudly?
Ans. Max was frightened of police. Besides he was convinced about the balcony outside the window. So to escape from the person, he jumped out of the window as there was no balcony there, he fell down suddenly to the ground. That’s why he screamed loudly.
Q. How did Max try to escape? What happened to him?
Ans. Max wanted to hide himself on the balcony. He put his leg over the window and jumped on to the balcony. He dropped to the balcony, screamed loudly and died, because in reality there was no balcony.
Q. Why did Ausable frame the story of the balcony?
Ans. Ausable knew that Max was scared and he used his ignorance and foolishness in his own favour. He framed the story of the balcony to convince Max about the balcony which was actually non-existent. It helped Ausable to get out of a dangerous and critical situation.
Q. Why did Max enter Ausable’s room? How did he do so?
Ans. Max entered Ausable’s room to take a ‘report’ regarding the new missiles. It was the report that was to be delivered to Ausable that night. He did so by using a pass key to enter in Ausable’s absence.
Q. What was Fowler’s perception about a secret agent?
Ans. Fowler had a romantic perception about a secret agent. He used to think that a secret agent should be tall and handsome. He should deal with a dangerous situation. His life should be full of thrill and action. He should receive messages from mysterious beautiful woman and be surrounded by mysterious figures.
Q. The balcony plays a significant role in the story ‘The Midnight Visitor’, How?
or
How did the role of the balcony become significant in the story, “The Midnight Visitor”?
Ans. The significance of the balcony is quite clear in the story. Actually, there is no balcony. It is just a clever strategy used by Ausable to outwit Max. Ausable created the balcony which did not exist so as to dupe Max and the police. Max thought balcony as a means to escape from the police.
Q. How do you know that Ausable was an intelligent secret agent?
Ans. Ausable was intelligent secret agent, as he could easily fabricate stories and befoot his enemies and kill them without using any weapon. He is very fat and short but he is much alert in the mind. Actually he uses his mind to the maximum. He did not get nervous when Max entered the room with an automatic pistol. Rather he was easily able to outwit Max.
Q. Presence of mind and intelligence is more powerful than a gun.’ How far is it true in case of Ausable, the secret agent?
Ans. A good spy need not be handsome, attractive and smart. Physical strength can be additional advantage but certainly not the essential one. Secret agents have to face critical situations at every step. One night, Ausable found Max in his room. There was an automatic pistol in his hand. He had come there to take the report from Ausable. Max was also a secret agent of another organisation. Ausable was not the least afraid of Max’s presence. He thought of a clever trick. He convinced Max about a balcony outside the window. Just then there was a loud knock at the door. Ausable told Max that it was police to provide him security. Max had no time to think. Max rushed towards the window and dropped to the non-existent balcony and met his tragic end. Ausable did not use physical strength. He won over the critical situation by his sheer presence of mind.