Chapter 3 – The Midnight Visitor (Long Summary in English)
“The Midnight Visitor” by Robert Arthur is an interesting and suspenseful story centered around a secret agent named Ausable. Unlike the typical image of a spy—fit, glamorous, and highly alert—Ausable is described as fat, slow, and very ordinary. Yet, his intelligence and calm nature make him a brilliant agent.
The story takes place in a hotel room where Ausable lives. One night, he returns to his room with a young writer named Fowler, who wants to interview him. Fowler expects exciting adventures, mysterious missions, and danger-filled stories. However, he is disappointed by Ausable’s dull, quiet lifestyle.
As soon as they enter Ausable’s room, they are shocked to find a man with a pistol standing inside. This man is Max, another secret agent who has come to steal an important report that Ausable is supposed to receive. Max threatens Ausable, claiming that he will take the report by force.
Ausable, instead of panicking, remains perfectly calm. He cleverly uses his intelligence to create a situation that frightens Max. Ausable invents a story about a non-existent balcony outside his window. He says that this balcony was connected to the next room and that someone might use it to enter the room. Ausable says this so confidently that Max begins to worry.
At that moment, there is a loud knock on the door. Ausable immediately says that it must be the police—he had asked them to come for extra security for the report. In reality, these are just the hotel staff bringing a drink, but Max does not know this.
Fearing the police and believing Ausable’s balcony story, Max decides to escape through the window. He climbs out quickly, thinking he will land safely on the balcony. But there is no balcony at all. Max falls to his doom, tricked entirely by Ausable’s calm intelligence.
Finally, the waiter Henry enters the room with the drinks. Fowler stands shocked by the cleverness and quick thinking of Ausable. The story proves that real intelligence is not about appearance or physical strength, but about presence of mind, confidence, and smart thinking.
Chapter 3 – The Midnight Visitor (लंबा सारांश – हिंदी में)
“द मिडनाइट विज़िटर” रॉबर्ट आर्थर द्वारा लिखी गई एक रोमांचक और बुद्धिमत्ता से भरपूर कहानी है, जिसमें एक गुप्त एजेंट ऑसेबल के चरित्र को दिखाया गया है। सामान्यतः लोग जासूसों को ताकतवर, आकर्षक और बेहद सक्रिय मानते हैं, लेकिन ऑसेबल बिलकुल विपरीत है—वह मोटा, धीमा और आम इंसान जैसा दिखता है। फिर भी उसकी समझदारी और शांत स्वभाव उसे एक बेहतरीन जासूस बनाती है।
कहानी एक होटल के कमरे में घटती है जहाँ ऑसेबल रहता है। एक रात वह एक लेखक फाउलर के साथ अपने कमरे में लौटता है। फाउलर को उम्मीद है कि वह ऑसेबल जैसे जासूस के साथ रोमांचकारी और खतरनाक घटनाएँ देखेगा, लेकिन अब तक उसे केवल साधारण और उबाऊ जीवन दिखाई देता है।
जैसे ही वे कमरे में प्रवेश करते हैं, वे चौंक जाते हैं। कमरे में एक आदमी पिस्तौल लेकर खड़ा है—वह है मैक्स, जो एक अन्य जासूस है। मैक्स ऑसेबल से वह महत्वपूर्ण रिपोर्ट छीनने आया है, जो जल्द ही ऑसेबल को मिलने वाली है।
इस स्थिति में भी ऑसेबल बिलकुल नहीं घबराता। वह बहुत शांत रहकर एक शानदार योजना बनाता है। वह झूठी कहानी गढ़ता है कि उसके कमरे की खिड़की के बाहर एक बालकनी है, जिसका इस्तेमाल किसी ने पहले भी कमरे में घुसने के लिए किया था। उसकी बातों पर विश्वास करते हुए मैक्स डरने लगता है।
तभी दरवाजे पर जोर से दस्तक होती है। ऑसेबल फौरन कहता है कि यह पुलिस है—उसे रिपोर्ट की सुरक्षा के लिए बुलाया गया था। वास्तव में, यह सिर्फ वेटर हेनरी है, जो पेय लाने आया है, लेकिन मैक्स को यह नहीं पता।
पुलिस के डर से और बालकनी की कहानी पर भरोसा करते हुए मैक्स खिड़की से बाहर कूद जाता है, यह सोचकर कि वह बालकनी पर उतर जाएगा। लेकिन वहाँ कोई बालकनी होती ही नहीं। मैक्स सीधे नीचे गिर जाता है, और इस तरह ऑसेबल अपनी चतुराई और शांति से एक बड़ी समस्या हल कर देता है।
अंत में वेटर हेनरी कमरे में प्रवेश करता है और फाउलर आश्चर्यचकित रह जाता है। कहानी बताती है कि असली बुद्धि दिखावे या ताकत में नहीं, बल्कि दिमाग की तेजी, आत्मविश्वास और परिस्थिति को समझने की क्षमता में होती है।
Character Sketch
Ausable: Ausable is a secret agent who defies the stereotype of a spy. He is fat, sloppy, speaks with an American accent, and lives in a dingy hotel room in Paris. However, he is exceptionally quick-witted, calm under pressure, and a master of improvisation. He uses his ordinary appearance and clever storytelling to outsmart his enemy, showing that brains are more important than brawn.
Max: Max is the stereotypical spy—thin, menacing, and armed with a pistol. He is confident and threatening but ultimately outsmarted by Ausable's quick thinking. He represents the predictable, physical threat that is defeated by intelligence and psychological manipulation.
Fowler: A young, romantic writer who is disappointed that Ausable doesn't fit his image of a glamorous secret agent. He is a passive observer who serves as the reader's eyes, experiencing fear and then astonishment at Ausable's cleverness. His character highlights the contrast between fantasy and the reality of espionage.
10 Previous Year Questions & Solutions
1. How did Ausable describe the balcony outside his window to Max? (2019)
Answer: Ausable convincingly described a non-existent balcony outside his window. He pretended to be annoyed about it, saying it was an extension of the room next door that made it easy for people to break into his room. He fabricated this story to set up his plan to get rid of Max.
2. Why was Fowler initially disappointed with Ausable? (2020)
Answer: Fowler was initially disappointed because Ausable looked nothing like the romantic, glamorous secret agents he had read about. Ausable was fat, sloppy, lived in a small, dusty room in a French hotel, and seemed utterly ordinary. This shattered Fowler's fantasy of spies being dashing, mysterious figures in exotic locations.
3. How did Ausable get rid of Max? (2022)
Answer: Ausable got rid of Max through a brilliant, improvised plan. First, he invented a story about a balcony outside his window to make Max nervous. Then, when there was a knock at the door, he claimed it was the police coming for extra security. Panicked, Max jumped towards the "balcony" to hide and fell to his death, as there was no balcony at all.
4. Who was the "manager" at the door? What was his actual purpose? (2023)
Answer: The person at the door was not a manager but a waiter bringing the drink Ausable had ordered earlier. Ausable cleverly used this expected, harmless visit to his advantage by pretending it was the police, triggering Max's panic and jump.
5. What qualities of Ausable are revealed in the story? (2018)
Answer: Ausable's qualities include exceptional presence of mind, intelligence, calmness under pressure, and mastery of deception. He is a brilliant improviser and storyteller who uses his wits, not weapons, to overcome danger. His ordinary appearance hides a sharp, strategic mind, making him a highly effective secret agent.
6. "It will be a painful hike for a man of your weight." What does this remark show about Max's character? (2021)
Answer: This sarcastic remark shows that Max is confident, arrogant, and feels in control of the situation. He is mocking Ausable's physique, believing he has the upper hand. This overconfidence blinds him to Ausable's clever manipulation, making him an easy target for Ausable's psychological trap.
7. How does the story break the stereotype of a secret agent? (2019)
Answer: The story breaks the stereotype by presenting Ausable as an overweight, untidy man in a shabby hotel room, speaking with an American accent, not a suave, athletic figure in a tuxedo. His weapon is his brain, not a gun. The story argues that real espionage relies on intelligence and quick thinking, not physical glamour.
8. What is the significance of the title 'The Midnight Visitor'? (2020)
Answer: The title refers to Max, the unexpected and threatening visitor who arrives at midnight. His visit sets the main conflict in motion. However, ironically, the "visitor" who ultimately determines the outcome is the waiter (mistaken for the police), whose knock Ausable uses to trigger the climax. The title creates suspense and focuses on the central event.
9. What is the central theme of the story? (2022)
Answer: The central theme is that intelligence and presence of mind are more powerful than physical strength or weapons. It celebrates the triumph of wit over brute force. The story also explores the difference between appearance and reality, showing that true capability often lies hidden beneath an ordinary exterior.
10. If you were Fowler, what would you have learned from this experience? (2023)
Answer: If I were Fowler, I would have learned that real-life heroes and spies don't always look the part. True strength lies in intelligence, calmness, and quick thinking. I would understand that judging people by their appearance is a mistake, and that the most dangerous situations are often resolved not by action, but by clever strategy and psychological insight.
