The Midnight Visitor: ncert solution Class 10

Think about It: Page- 18

Read and find out.

How is Ausable different from other secret agents?

Ans: Ausable is completely different from other secret agents. It is because he lives like an ordinary man. Fowler expected Ausable to be an extraordinary secret agent, but when he met him in a dark French hotel with an ordinary telephone, he does not believe his eyes. Ausable looks like an ordinary fat man who speaks French and German with a slight American accent. He does not have a cap and costumes which can differ him from the general folks.

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

Ans: Of course, Fowler is a writer. He wanted to get some pieces of information about the smart espionage of Ausable to write for his publication. Fowler during the conversation, witnessed Ausable outwitting a criminal in a very simple way. So he got what he wanted to get for his writing. The very that was his first thrill of the day.

1.“Ausable did not fit any description for a secret agent Fowler had ever read.” What do secret agents in books and films look like, in your opinion? Discuss in groups or in class some stories or film featuring spies, detectives, and secret agents, and compare their appearance with that of Ausable in this story.(You may mention characters from fiction in languages other than English. In English fiction, you may have come across Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, or Miss Marple. Have you watched any film featuring James Bond?

Ans: In my opinion, secret agents in books and film are costumed differently which differs them from ordinary people. But in real life, the secret agents try to be secret. This is the reason why they want to look like ordinary people. They sometimes change their uniform according to the situation that suits them to detect something. In this way, they don’t let their work be affected.

I know one of the stories concerned with a CID officer. He was informed that a girl was driving to Nepal with 4 kg of gold. She was stopped on the Gandhi Setu near Hazipur. The CID officer searched for the gold but got nothing. Again, he was informed that she had 4 kg of gold with her. On the way to Jogbani, near Nepal, she was stopped by the police. The Police Inspector of that area took the Name Plate of her Ambassador Car and burnt it on fire. Now the gold was detected. It really weighed four kg.

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: As Ausable sees Max with an automatic pistol, he crafts an idea to outwit him. He says that he will complain to the management about the misuse of the balcony attached to his room. He wants to blame Max for entering through the balcony.

In the meantime when the waiter started knocking on the door, Ausable crafted another idea by saying said that he had informed the police to verify the important paper which some important people wanted to get. Max is afraid of the police and wants to take shelter on the balcony (which was not made at all). In this way, Ausable manages to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room.

3. Looking back at the story, when do you think Ausable thought up his plan for getting 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 taking advantage of events as they happened?

Ans: When Ausable saw Max with an automatic pistol in his hand, he thought up his plan for getting rid of him. I think he had not worked out his plan in detail right from the beginning. It was just his presence of mind. He planned then and there taking advantage of the events as they happened.

Talk about It:

1. In this story, Ausable shows great ‘presence of mind’, or the ability to think quickly and act calmly and wisely, in a situation of danger and surprise. Give examples from your own experience, or narrate a story, which shows someone’s presence of mind.

Ans:  I have experience of using the presence of mind. There was a mad man. He used to stay the whole day with a large bamboo stick in his hand, at the temple situated in my village. He used to say that he was on police duty and forgot that he was a retired teacher of a Primary School. One day, I along with my cousins was playing at the campus of the temple. All of a sudden he came to me and told me that I was under custody. Everybody ran away from the campus, but I was caught by the mad man. I was afraid of his bamboo stick. Forcefully by holding my hand he brought me to my grandfather complaining that I was playing at the campus of the temple which is not made for playing. During his useless conversation, I fled from there and got rid of the man.

2. Discuss what would you do in the situations described below. Remember that presence of mind comes out of a state of mental preparedness. If you have thought about possible problems or dangers, and about how to act in such situations, you have a better chance of dealing with such situations if they do arise.

(i)  A small fire starts in your kitchen.

Ans: If a small fire starts in my kitchen I must try to use the extinguisher.

(ii)  A child starts to chock on a piece of food.

Ans: If a child starts to chock on a piece of food, his back should slowly be thumped so that the food should be thrown out from his throat.

(iii)  An electrical appliance starts to hiss and gives out sparks.

Ans: If an electrical appliance starts to hiss and gives out sparks, the circuit should be taken out to stop the current. And then appliances should be changed.

(iv)  A bicycle knocks down a pedestrian.

Ans: If a bicycle knocks down a pedestrian, he should be looked after carefully and if the case rises serious, he should soon be taken to the doctor for his proper treatment.

(v)  It rains continuously for more than twenty-four hours.

Ans: If it rains continuously for more than twenty-four hours, we should leave the ground floor. Necessary foods and medicines must be kept in a safe place which may be useful in case of a flood.

(vi)  A member of your family does not return home at the usual or expected time.

Ans: If a member of my family does not return home at the usual or expected time, he should be talked to over the phone. If there is no reply, his friends, or his colleagues must be contacted immediately. At last, police should be informed to look into the matter.