NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 3 – The Midnight Visitor

The NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 3 – “The Midnight Visitor” provide comprehensive answers to all questions in the chapter. Written by Robert Arthur, this thrilling story revolves around Ausable, a secret agent, and how he cleverly outwits an enemy spy named Max during a late-night encounter in a hotel room. Max comes to steal important papers, but Ausable, despite not fitting the typical image of a spy, uses his wit and calm demeanor to trick Max into a dangerous situation, leading to his downfall.

Here Are The NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 3 – The Midnight Visitor

Question 1:

How is Ausable different from other secret agents?

Answer:

Ausable differed from previous covert agents in a few respects. He got a little room in the musty hallway of a dark French hotel on the sixth and top level, which was hardly conducive to a romantic experience. He was a sloppy, overweight man with an unusual accent. Despite living in Paris for almost twenty years after relocating from Boston, he struggled to speak French and German and retained his American accent.

In most cases, a spy receives signals discreetly from attractive females; Ausable was not one of these. He received merely a standard telephone call to schedule an appointment. These were some of the ways he differed from the traditional definition of a secret operative. Furthermore, we saw in the narrative how he dealt with Max by fabricating claims about a non-existent balcony and enticing him to leap off the building, allowing him to be rid of Max for good.

Question 2:

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

Answer:

Fowler was a young, passionate writer who had come to see Ausable. He had his first thrill of the day when he noticed an unknown man in Ausable’s room waving a tiny automatic weapon at him and Ausable.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 3 – The Midnight Visitor

Read and Find Out

Question 1:

How has Max got in?

Answer:

Max had got into Ausable’s room with the help of a passkey or master key.

Question 2:

How does Ausable say he got in?

Answer:

Ausable speculated that Max could have entered the room from the balcony. He bitterly stated that it was the second time in a month that someone had entered his room via that annoyance of a balcony.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 3 – The Midnight Visitor

Think about it

Question 1:

“Ausable did not fit any description of 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 movies 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 movies featuring James Bond?)

Answer:

Secret agents in literature are typically portrayed as perfect gentlemen who are tall, dark, and gorgeous, with exceptional speaking abilities and an appealing manly voice. They generally have well-built structures and are accompanied by gorgeous women. Some spies smoke a pipe (like Sherlock Holmes) or a cigar, and they do daring actions similar to those shown in James Bond films.

Such films depict the employment of high-tech equipment to assist in apprehending criminals and defeating wicked characters. Nonetheless, there are a few caveats to the above definition of detectives or spies. Satyajit Ray, a great Bengali director, invented the detective character Feluda, which is an excellent example. Feluda was a tall, charismatic, and athletic secret agent with incredible analytical abilities, an eagle-eyed perspective, and excellent observation skills.

Question 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?

Answer:

While speaking with Fowler, Ausable provided a detailed account of how his room was part of a bigger apartment and how the living room connected by the door had a balcony. He went on to explain how someone had gotten into his office from that balcony earlier, making it a believable scenario for Max to accept right away. Ausable’s quick wit and calm demeanor in such a stressful circumstance made the narrative more credible for Max to believe in.

Question 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 to take advantage of events as they happened?

Answer:

No, I don’t suppose Ausable came up with his plot to get rid of Max earlier. He kept his cool and took advantage of the events and circumstances as they unfolded. He made up a narrative about the balcony outside the room to persuade Max to believe him, and when there came a knock on the door, he said he had phoned the police to check on him and ensure that everything was well. All of this caused Max to become frantic and tremble in terror. He felt agitated and leaped out the window without first looking outside.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 3 – The Midnight Visitor

Talk about it

Question 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.

Answer:

This narrative is similar to the drama ‘If I Were You’. A criminal held Gerrard as a captive. Gerrard, on the other hand, confidently trapped the culprit and treated him as if he were a guest. He persuaded the offender to flee the scene since the police were following him. He showed the burglar the exit door, which was a closet door. The burglar mindlessly followed Gerrard’s directions and attempted to leave through the door, but was finally locked within the cupboard.

Question 2:

Discuss what you would 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.

A small fire starts in your kitchen.
A child starts to choke on a piece of food.
An electrical appliance starts to hiss and gives out sparks.
A bicycle knocks down a pedestrian.
It rains continuously for more than twenty-four hours.
A member of your family does not return home at the usual or expected time.

You may suggest other such situations.

Answer:

When a tiny fire starts in the kitchen, place a blanket over it to keep the air out. We must ensure that the fire is not caused by an electrical fault before splashing it with water. If the fire is caused by an electrical short-circuit, all electrical outlets in the house must be unplugged immediately to prevent it from spreading to other sections of the house.
The child’s back should be stroked and banged gently until the food lodged in the food pipe is vomited out. However, if the youngster experiences trouble breathing, he or she should seek expert medical attention immediately.
As a temporary remedy, unplug the electrical outlet attached to the appliance by pulling the plug from the socket. Later, an authorized person should be summoned to fix the device and properly inspect it before using it again.
It is best to administer first aid to the pedestrian immediately and seek assistance from anyone around. If the person is seriously injured, he or she may be taken to the hospital.
Floods can occur as a result of excessive rainfall. any required precautions should be taken to protect any belongings from harm, and it is advisable to notify the appropriate authorities for further action.
If a family member does not come home at the scheduled time, we should inquire about the location where he or she may have visited. We can check in at their friend’s house or somewhere they are likely to visit. If none of them can provide information on the family member’s whereabouts, it is best to contact the local police and ask for assistance in locating down the individual.