NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 3 - The Midnight Visitor

Page No: 14

Read and Find Out

Q1: How is Ausable different from other secret agents?

Ans: Ausable stood out from other secret agents in many ways. He lived in a small, unremarkable room in a gloomy French hotel on the sixth floor, far from the typical glamorous setting of a spy. Ausable was a heavyset, untidy man with a peculiar accent. Despite living in Paris for over twenty years after moving from Boston, he still struggled with French and German and retained his American accent. Unlike the typical spy who might receive secret messages from beautiful women, Ausable only received routine phone calls to set up meetings. These traits made him quite different from the usual image of a secret agent. Moreover, in the story, we see how he cleverly handled Max by inventing a story about a fake balcony, convincing Max to jump out the window, and thus getting rid of him for good.

Q2: Who is Fowler and what is his first authentic thrill of the day?
Ans:
Fowler was a young and romantic writer who had come to meet Ausable. His first exciting moment of the day occurred when he entered Ausable's room and found a stranger pointing a small automatic pistol at both, him and Ausable.

Page No: 15

Read and Find Out

Q1: How has Max got in?

Ans: Max had got into the room with a passkey or a master key.

Q2: How does Ausable say he got in?
Ans: Ausable said that he thought Max had got into the room through the balcony. He said that it was the second time in a month that somebody had got into his room this way.

Page No: 18

Think about It

Q1: “Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent Fowler hand 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?)
Ans: In fiction, secret agents are often portrayed as perfect gentlemen—tall, dark, and handsome, with impressive speaking abilities and a deep, attractive voice. These spies typically have well-built physiques and are often accompanied by beautiful women. Some are depicted smoking a pipe, like Sherlock Holmes, or a cigar, and performing daring stunts, similar to those seen in James Bond movies. These films often feature the use of high-tech gadgets that assist in capturing criminals and battling villains. However, there are exceptions to this typical portrayal of detectives or spies. A notable example is Feluda, a detective character created by the renowned Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray. Feluda was a tall, charming, and athletic agent with remarkable analytical skills, keen observation abilities, and an eagle-eyed view.

Q2: 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: While speaking with Fowler, Ausable cleverly crafted a detailed story about his room being part of a larger apartment with a connecting living room that had a balcony. He mentioned that someone had previously broken into his office through that balcony, making the story seem more believable. Ausable's quick thinking and calm demeanor in a tense situation made the story convincing enough for Max to believe it without question.

Q3: 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:
No, I don't believe that Ausable had pre-planned how to get rid of Max. Instead, he stayed calm and cleverly adapted to the situation as it unfolded. He quickly invented the story about a balcony outside the room to make Max believe it existed. When there was a knock at the door, Ausable claimed he had called the police to ensure everything was secure. This caused Max to panic and become fearful. In his desperation, without verifying the situation, Max hastily jumped out of the window.

Talk about It

Q1. 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 story is in a reference to the play ‘If I were you’. Gurrad was captured by a criminal and the criminal pointed a gun towards him but he treated the criminal as a guest and trapped him in his confidence. He achieved the criminal to run away as police are behind him. He told the criminal to run through the exit door, which was actually a cupboard door. The criminal exited through the door and was caught in the cupboard.