the midnight visitor question answer | class 10 English ch 3 | ncert solutions for class 10 english midnight visitor

13. Where was the balcony?

(a) outside the window of the room 

(b) outside the back door of the room 

(c) on the roof of the room 

(d) none of these

Ans. (a) Outside the window of the room.

                                                                                                 Short Questions

1. How is Ausable different from other secret agents?

Ans: Ausable was different from other secret agents because he lived in a small room in the musty corridor of a gloomy French hotel on the sixth and top floor. Nothing was thrilling or adventurous about it. On top of that, he was extremely fat.

2. Who is Fowler and what is his authentic thrill of the day?

Ans: Fowler is a young and romantic writer, he had come to meet Ausable as he wanted to experience some time with a secret agent. 

Fowler’s first authentic thrill of the day came when he saw a man in Ausable’s room pointing a pistol toward Ausable and himself.

3. How has Max got in?

Ans: Max has got in with the help of a passkey.

4. How does Ausable say he got in?

Ans: Ausable says that Max has got in through the balcony.

2. How does Ausable manage to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room? Look back at his detailed description of it. What makes it a convincing story?

Ans: When Ausable saw Max standing in the middle of his room with a pistol pointed at him, he was not surprised. Instead he hatched a secret plan to get rid of him. Ausable starts by expressing his frustration at someone getting into his room for the second time in a month through the balcony.

Ausable, paid no attention to Max, instead he goes on to give a description of the balcony and how it could reach from two floors down to get a convenient passage into his room. While this talk was going on someone was continuously knocking at the door. Ausable said that the police who were at the door came to check him and his room on a regular basis.

Ausable presented the entire story about the balcony as if it was completely natural. His attitude, manner of speaking and confidence in relating to the balcony all go towards making Max believe that there is a balcony attached to Ausable’s room. 

Additional Questions & Answers

1. Between Ausable and Max, Who do you think is more intelligent and why?

Ans:- Between Ausable and Max, absolutely Ausable is more intelligent.

Ausable was a clever secret agent. When Ausable and Fowler followed Ausable’s room, they found Max inside the room with a small automatic pistol in his hand.He is also a secret agent, he came to take a report concerning some new missiles. But Ausable didn’t lose his calm. He didn’t express any excitement or he had entered his room through the window. But Max said that he had entered the room through the main door with the help of a passkey. But, Ausable didn’t listen to Max , instead he gave a description of that imaginary balcony and added that twice in a month somebody has entered.

Just then there was a knock at the door, finding this a right change Ausable gave a false statement that it was the police whom he called for his protection. Hearing the words, Max’s face was black with anger. He swiftly backed towards the windows and ordered Ausable to send them away or he would shoot and take his chances. The knocking at the door became louder and a voice was raised Mr Ausable. Then Max jumped from the window to the balcony but there was no balcony. Thus Ausable defeated Max’s scheme to take away the report.

Therefore Ausable is more intelligent than Max.

2. Who is fowler? Describe his meeting with Ausable.

Ans:- Fowler is a young and romantic writer, he had come to meet Ausable as he wanted to experience some time with a secret agent. Fowler was very disappointed in meeting Ausable because he was expecting some dangerous situations from Ausable’s surroundings. In fact Ausable was very cool and calm and was completely different from other secret agents.

When they reached the room of Ausable’s on the top sixth floor of the hotel, Ausable told him to cheer as he saw an important report, for which several men and women had risked their lives. Ausable opened the door, asked Fowler to enter, and closed the door behind him. As soon as he switched on the light they saw Max inside the room holding an automatic pistol. That time Fowler experienced a feeling of fear with excitement.

Thereafter Fowler faced another strange situation when Ausable outwitted Max by talking about a non-existent balcony. For a few moments, Fowler stammered. But instantly he understood how Ausable outwitted Max and saved the important papers from Max.

Overall, Fowler’s meeting with Ausable was full of thrill and excitement.

3. Give a description of Max’s Conversation with Ausable.

Or

Describe the meeting between Ausable and Max.

Or 

Briefly describe how Ausable defeated Max’s scheme to take away the report.

Ans:- Ausable was a clever secret agent. When Ausable and Fowler followed Ausable’s room, they found Max inside the room with a small automatic pistol in his hand.He is also a secret agent, he came to take a report concerning some new missiles. But Ausable didn’t lose his calm. He didn’t express any excitement. He non- challantly told a lie that he would raise hell to the authorities concerned about someone’s intrusion into his room for the second time in a month through the balcony.Max explained that he entered his room using the pass key, he concocted a details story and managed to convince Max of the presence of an attached balcony under the window oh his room.

Just then there was a knock at the door, finding this a right change Ausable gave a false statement that it was the police whom he called for his protection. Hearing the words, Max’s face was black with anger. He swiftly backed towards the windows and ordered Ausable to send them away or he would shoot and take his chances. The knocking at the door became louder and a voice was raised, Mr Ausable. Then Max jumped from the window to the balcony but there was no balcony. Thus Ausable defeated Max’s scheme to take away the report.

4. Give a character sketch of Ausable.

Ans:- Ausable is a detective. He is one such secret agent, who expects to get some sensitive papers in his hotel room. But one of his rivals Max attacked him at gunpoint, and he demanded the papers. But, Ausable showed remarkable common sense and he came out of this situation.

Ausable was different from other secret agents because he lived in a small room in the musty corridor of a gloomy French hotel which was on the sixth and top floor. There was nothing thrilling or adventurous about it. On top of that, he was extremely fat.

A. Choose the correct options for the following:- 

1. Ausable spoke with an ____ accent.

(i) French

(ii) German

(iii) American

(iv) Indian

Ans:- (iii) American.

2. Where did Ausable think Max was?

(i) Boston

(ii) Paris

(iii) Berline

(iv) London

Ans:- (iii) Berline.

3. Ausable’s hotel room was situated on the:

(i) fifth and top floor

(ii) sixth and top floor

(iii) third floor

(iv) ground floor

Ans:- (ii) sixth and top floor

4. Ausable could passably speak:

(i) German & French

(ii) Italian & French

(iii) German & Latin

(iv) English and Italian

Ans:- (i) German & French

5. What was there in Max’s hand?

(i) rifle 

(ii) documents 

(iii) knife

(iv) pistol

Ans:- (iv) pistol

6. Who is Max?

(i) Ausable’s friend

(ii) waiter

(iii) secret agent

(iv) police

Ans:- (iii) secret agent

7. Who is Henry?

(i) secret agent

(ii) waiter

(iii) writer

(iv) Fowler’s friend

Ans:- (ii) waiter.

8. How did Fowler feel after meeting Ausable?

(i) angry 

(ii) excited 

(iii) happy

(iv) disappointed 

Ans:- (iv) disappointed.