The Midnight Visitor
-Robert Visitor

1. Choose the correct answer:

(i) Max was like a ____, according to the author of 'The Midnight Visitor'.

(a) deer

(b) hyena

(c) wolf

(d) fox

Ans:- (d) fox

(ii) Where was Ausable staying?

(a) Italian Hotel

(b) Polish Hotel

(c) British Hotel

(d) French Hotel

Ans:-(d) French Hotel

(iii) By profession, Ausable was a :

(a) secret agent

(b) journalist

(c) writer

(d) diplomat.

Ans:-(a) secret agent

(iv) Ausable's hotel room was situated on the:

(a) fifth and top floor

(b) sixth and top floor

(c) third floor

(d) ground floor

Ans:-(b) sixth and top floor

(v) Where did Ausable think Max was?

(a) Boston

(b) Paris

(c) Berlin

(d) London

Ans:-(c) Berlin

(vi) Ausable could passably speak:

(a) German & French

(b) Italian & French

(c) German & Latin

(d) English and Italian

Ans:-(a) German & French

(vii) What was there in Max's hand?

(a) rifle

(b) documents

(c) knife

(d) pistol

Ans:-(d) pistol

(vii) By profession, Fowler was a :

(a) secret agent

(b) journalist

(c) writer

(d) police

Ans:-(c) writer

(ix) How did Fowler feel after meeting Ausable?

(a) angry

(b) overwelmed

(c) excited

(d) disappointed

Ans:-(d) disappointed

(x) Who is Max?

(a) Ausable's friend

(b) waiter

(c) secret agent

(d) police

Ans:-(c) secret agent

(xi) Who is Henry?

(a) secret agent

(b) waiter

(c) writer

(d) Fowler's friend

Ans:- (b) waiter

(xii) Fowler had his first authentic ___ of the day.

(a) experience

(b) thrill

(c) fear

(d) scream

Ans:- (b) thrill

2. Who was following Ausable in the corridor of the French hotel? hslc-2023

Ans:- Fowler, a young writer was following Ausable in the corridor of the French hotel.

3. How does Ausable manage to outwit Max?
(or) Narrate Ausable's encounter with Max and its consequences.
(or) How does Ausable manage to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room? HSLC-2015
(or) Briefly describe how Ausable defeated Max's scheme to take away the report. HSLC-2016
Ans:- Being accompanied by a young and romantic writer named Fowler, Ausable goes to his small room on the sixth and top floor to encounter an untoward situation. To his surprise, he comes across a man intimidating him with a gun. He is none other than Max a secret agent who has encroached into his room to seize a paper concerning some new missiles. When Ausable comes to know how Max has entered his room, he fabricates a story about an imaginary balcony that can be used to enter his room. He says that his room used to be a part of a larger apartment including the adjacent room. Ausable seems to be exasperated at the Management's indifference to his plea for blocking that passage and says that there had been a similar case of intrusion earlier that month. At that moment a knocking is heard on the door and Ausable makes full use of this opportunity to hoodwink Max. He musters up his presence of mind to declare that the police have come as part of a routinely affair to ensure safety of that paper. Max is at his wit's end and jumps out of the window to embrace a horrifying death. Thus Ausable manages to make Max believe in the existence of a non-existent balcony and frustrates his attempt forever, to take possession of the report.

2. How is Ausable different from other secret agents?
Ans:- There are remarkable differences between Ausable and other secret agents. A small room in the musty corridor on the sixth and topmost floor of a gloomy French hotel does not seem to be the proper place for a romantic adventure. It is really difficult to believe that a fat and unfit man like Ausable can be a secret agent. A secret agent should know and speak fluently the language of the land. But Ausable happens to be a man who cannot get rid of his American accent in spite of living in Paris for over twenty years. His ability to speak French and German is moderate. He is not surrounded by dark eyed beautiful ladies to slip messages into his hands. Instead he receives only a telephone call making an appointment. Thus Ausable is different from the traditional secret agents seen in movies.

3. Give a description of Max's conversation with Ausable. HSLC-2017
Ans:- As soon as Ausable enters his room on the sixth floor, he is taken aback by Max's presence. Max is found threatening him with an automatic pistol. Ausable tells him that he has given him quite a start as he thought he was in Berlin. Ausable wants to know what he is doing in his room. Max speaks of a report concerning some new missiles and the report is being brought to Ausable that night. Max has come to take possession of the report because he thinks it will be safer in his hands than Ausable's. Thereafter Ausable goes on complaining about a balcony through which someone has entered his room for the second time. Max is surprised to hear of the existence of a balcony which could have been used to save him some trouble. Max claims to have entered his room with the help of a passkey. Then Max threatens them to sit down and wait as the report is expected to arrive within half an hour. Ausable wonders how Max came to learn about the report. Max however, expresses hope of getting back the report. Meanwhile a knocking is heard on the door and Max is shocked. Ausable lets him know that the police have arrived to ensure safety of the report because he asked for extra protection of the paper. Ausable asks him what he will do if the police break open the door and shoot at him. Swinging a leg over the sill, Max makes it clear that he will wait on the balcony until Ausable sends them back.

4. Between Ausable and Max, who do you think is more intelligent and why? HSLC-2020
Ans:- I think, Ausable is more intelligent than Max. Though Ausable is surprised at Max's presence in his room, yet he is not outwitted. He manages well to overcome his embarrassment by his great presence of mind. He engages Max in a conversation to misguide him through an incident of an imaginary balcony. Ausable remains calm and composed even on gunpoint. It is really interesting to see how a knocking on the door makes him speak confidently about the arrival of the police. He frustrates Max's plan by saying that he has already arranged for extra protection of the report and the persons knocking on the door are none other than the police who will break open the door and shoot at Max, if not responded. Max has already believed in Ausable's words that there is a balcony attached to his room and the window can be used as a passage to hide in the balcony. Max was successful in entering Ausable's room, but he has fallen a prey to Ausable's quick plan.

Syllabus of Class X English

1. A Letter to God

2. Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

3. A Tiger in the zoo by Leslie Norris

4. Amanda by Robin Klein

5. Animals by Walt Whitman

6. Coorg by Lokesh Abrol

7. Tea from Assam by Arup Kumar Datta

8. Madam Rides the Bus by Vallikkannan

9. The Tale of Custard the Dragon by Ogden Nash

Momemts Supplimentary Reader in Class X English

10. The Midnight visitor

11. A Question of Trust

12. Footprint without feet

13. The Hack Driver

Mr. Rupjyoti Goswami
Post Graduate Teacher (English)
Bhogeswar Hazarika Girls' Higher Secondary School, Bebejia, Nagaon, Assam.
Email: rupjyotigoswami983@gmail.com
Mobile: 9864425896.

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