The midnight visitor
How did Ausable different from other secret agents?
Ausable was different from other agents in many ways. He is different from the other secret agents in his appearance and behavior. While secret agents are thought to be fit, suave, and mysterious, Ausable was fat, spoke French and German passably, and had an American accent, though he lived in Paris for over twenty years. Instead of getting a message slipped into his hands by dark-eyed beauties, he got only a telephone call making an appointment. In this way, he is different from the conventional notion of a spy.
Who is Fowler and what was his first authentic thrill of the day?
Fowler is a writer and he had come to meet Ausable.
Fowler's first authentic thrill of the day comes when he sees a man in Ausable’s room pointing a pistol towards Ausable and himself.
How has Max got in?
Max got in by using a pass key to open the door.
How does Ausable say he (Max) got in?
Ausable said Max had gotten in using the adjacent balcony. He said that it was the second time in the month that someone had gotten into his room using the balcony.
“ Ausable did not fit any description of secret agents Fowler had ever read” what do secret agents in books and films look like, in your opinion. Discuss in groups or in class some of the stories or movies featuring spies, and detectives and compare them with that of Ausable.
Secrets agents in the books and films are shown as tall, muscular, and smart. They have eyes that twinkle with wit and intelligence. They are very swift in their reaction.
If we consider James Bond, we can imagine a person with a person with great personality, great memory, and observing power. He is very fit and active and can adapt to any condition. Or situation. On the other hand, Ausable was very fat and completely opposite to our imagination but had shown the power of his presence of mind, which is expected from a secret agent.
How does Ausable manage to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room?
Ausable created a convincing story about the presence of a balcony. He said it was the second time in the month someone has entered his room through the balcony. On being questioned by Max about the balcony, he replied with extreme irritation that it is not his balcony. This reaction was natural and convinced Max. He further explained to Max that his room was earlier a part of a larger unit and the adjoining room was one that had a balcony. He said it extends under his window. His manner of description and speaking convinced Max that there was indeed a balcony under his window.
Looking back at the story when do you think Ausable thought up his plan to get 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 to take advantage as they happened?
Ausable was a very smart, intelligent, and quick-secret agent. Though taken by surprise by Max’s presence in his room, he knew he had to get him out of there, having already ordered a drink and knowing that the waiter would be coming within a few minutes. Ausable used that to think up a plan to get rid of Max. So he probably worked the outline of the plan between entering the room and seeing Max there to the time he sat down on the sofa. He then took advantage of the events as they happened and using his quick wit and the easy stance he successfully got rid of Max
Who is Fowler? Give a description of his meeting with Ausable.
Fowler is a young and romantic writer.
Fowler was very disappointed when he first met with Ausable, as Ausable doesn't fit the idea of a secret agent that fowler had ever read in books. First of all, Ausable was fat, very fat whereas we assume a secret agent to be fit and muscular. Moreover, he lives on the sixth floor of a French hotel which is musty and gloomy. Ausable can passably speak french and german but with the influence of his American accent, even though he has been living in Paris for the last twenty years.
Fowler was also disappointed because he envisioned Ausable to deal with espionage and danger. Instead, he had to spend a dull evening in a French music hall, where all Ausable did was made an appointment in his room over a prosaic telephone.
Fowler had his first authentic thrill of the day when he met with a gun pointing at them and he witnessed how smartly Ausable got rid of him. Just by his presence of mind and his story-making skill.
Why did Fowler let down by Ausable?
Fowler was a writer and he came to Ausable expecting a thrilling and interesting secret agent’s story but he felt let down by Ausable’s appearance and actions. Whereas secret agents are thought to be mysterious, fit, and suave Ausable was completely the opposite.
Who was Ausable? Give a brief description of Ausable?
Ausable was a secret agent, who had been living in Paris for twenty years.
Ausable was very fat. Though he could speak German and French passably but with the influence of his American accent.
What does the phrase ‘raise the devil’ imply? Why does Ausable say that he would ‘rise the devil’ with the management? Does he really intend to do so?
‘To raise the devil’ means to confront someone or complain about something very strongly and emphatically.
When Ausable Sees Max has broken into the room he says that he will raise the devil with the management to make them answer how his room has been broken into twice a month. He said that a balcony outside that had made it possible but the management was supposed to block it off.
No, he does not really intend to confront the management because he had made the whole story and there was no balcony outside.
Briefly describe how Ausable defeated Max’s scheme to take away the report.
Ausable was a very smart and intelligent secret agent.
When he saw ‘Max’ in his room he was taken by surprise. But he managed to get rid of him by dint of his presence of mind. Ausable knew that Max had broken into his room. Only for the important report which contained information about some important
Missiles that will be brought to Ausable by someone.
Ausable knew that his room is on the sixth floor and he decided to bluff Max by making a story. So he stated to Max, who has broken into his room by a passkey that there is a balcony which is a part of the next building and this is the second time in the month that someone had broken into his room using this balcony, and management had promised to block it off, but they didn’t. So he will ‘raise a devil’ with the management. By his way of speaking, he convinced Max that there was a balcony indeed. Ausable was anticipating Henry with a drink, When henry knocked on the door, Ausable convinced max that it was the police. In order to hide in the non-existing balcony, he fell down from the sixth floor and died. In this way, Ausable defeated Max’s scheme to take away the report.
Give a description of Max’s conversation with Ausable
When Ausable and Fowler reached the sixth floor and Ausable switched on the light, they found Max already present there. Ausable was surprised to find max in his room as he thought to be in Berlin, so he asked Max what he was doing in his room.
Max replied that he had come here to take the reports containing important information about the missile, that Ausable will receive tonight. Then Ausable moved to the armchair and said irritatingly that he would raise a devil with the management as it was the second time someone had broken into his room using the balcony that belongs to the next apartment. Max was surprised to know that there was a balcony and he said that it would have saved him some trouble if he would have known about the balcony. Ausable further explained that it was not his balcony rather it belongs to the next apartment. By his way of speaking Ausable made Max believe that there was a balcony under his window. When the waiter knocked on the door Ausable told max that it was the police whom he had asked to check on him for extra protection. Ausable warned Max that if he did not answer the door the police will enter anyway, and they will not hesitate to shoot Max. Mas also warned Ausable that if he did not send the police away he will shoot and take the chances.
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