Ausable is a secret agent expecting important papers who encounters another agent, Max, threatening him with a gun in his hotel room. Ausable remains calm and tricks Max by describing a fictional balcony outside the window. When someone knocks at the door, Ausable claims it is the police he called for protection. Max jumps out the supposed balcony window to hide but falls to his demise, as there is no balcony. It was all a story invented by Ausable to outwit his threat using only his quick thinking and clever lies.

1. GOLDEN VALLEY PUBLIC
SCHOOL
Presented by
Name : Yash Chauhan
Class : 10th
Roll no : 33
Guided by
Name of the Faculty : Mrs. Ruchi Dubey
“The Midnight Visitor
By: Robert Arthur”

2. About the Author
Robert Arthur Jr. was born on November 10,1909,at
Fort Mills, Corregidor Island the Philippines and an
American writer of mystery and speculative fiction.
His fame rests on ‘The Mysterious Traveler’ series of
novels. His stories were published in many magazines
between 1930 and 1940. He also wrote books for
children. He was twice honored by the ‘Mystery
Writers of America’ with his writing partner Edgar.
He died in May 2,1969 in Philadelphia

3. Introduction to the Chapter
Ausable is a secret agent who deals in espionage and is about to
receive some very important papers.
Max is another secret agent, who wants those papers for himself,
threatens Ausable with a pistol
How does Ausable get rid of Max ?

4. Characters
.Ausable -a secret agent
.Max -a secret agent
.Fowler -a reporter
.Henry -a waiter

5. Detailed Summary
.The Opening:
The story opens with fowler, a reporter
(probably in need for a good and thrilling news
story), following Ausable , a secret agent,
‘down the musty corridor of a GLOOMY
FRENCH HOTEL’ where Ausable had a room
on the sixth and the top floor.

6. Detailed Summary
Fowler wonders about the physical charisma
of all the secret agent he has read about the
compares it with that of Ausable, who is fat,
heavily accented and almost testudineous.
He is actually disappointed to be spending
time with this secret agent who seems to
have nothing exciting to offer.

7. Detailed Summary
•Ausable:
Ausable, being a secret agent, has figured out that
fowler is disappointed in him. He casually throws is
that fowler must have expected to see mysterious
figure, cracks of pistols, intoxicating drinks, etc.
Instead, he spent a dull evening in a French
music hall with Ausable where Ausable receives a
simple phone call making an appointment in his room.

8. Detailed Summary
He further said that although Fowler is
disappointed but he should cheer up
because within a few minutes, he would
witness the transfer of some very
important papers for which people have
lost their lives and which have the power
to change the course of history.

9. Detailed Summary
.The Room:
When Ausable and Fowler enter the
former’s room and switch on the lights, the
scene makes then jump. Fowler has his first
‘authentic thrill’ of the day.
Halfway across the room, a man is standing
with gun in his hand which is pointed towards
them.

10. Detailed Summary
• Max:
Ausable recognizes the man as max but doesn’t
show any fear on seeing him with a gun. Max is
a slender, shrewd looking man of average height
.He is also secret agent
Ausable asks Max about his purpose for beging
in the room Max answers that he wants those
reports that Ausable is about to receive.

11. Detailed Summary
•The Balcony:
Ausable slumps down on his chairs and starts talking
grimly about management’s carelessness as this was
the second time in a month someone had climbed into
his room through the balcony outside.
Fowler tries to see where the balcony’s is but all he
see’s in a window against which the dark night is
pressing.

12. Detailed Summary
Max, visible surprised, says that he hasn’t come through the balcony, He
has come in using a pass-key. He would have used the balcony had he
known there was one.
Ausable goes on to mumble that it’s not his balcony. It belongs to next
room. The room in which Ausable lives used to be a part of a bigger unit.
The next room used to be the living room which has the entry to the
balcony. This balcony still extends under his window. Anyone can access
the balcony from an empty room two doors down. The management had
promised to block it but they haven’t.

13. The Layout of the Balcony According to Ausable
Balcony
Door to Balcony
Empty room
Entrance
.
Window
Empty room
Entrance
Window
Ausable’s room
Entrance

14. Detailed Summary
•The Knock:
Meanwhile, Max waves his gun and commands
Fowler to sit because it’s still sometime before the
papers arrive. Suddenly, a knock on the door startles
Max. Ausable smiles and calmly says that is the
police whom he had asked to come because he
believed that the paper would attract unwanted
attention and would require extra protection.

15. Detailed Summary
Ausable asks Max what he would do
now since the door is unlocked and the
police would enter if Ausable doesn’t
answer the door.

16. Detailed Summary
•The Hideout:
Max waves his gun at Ausable threateningly
and tells him to send away the police while
he waits outside on the balcony. The knock is
repeated. Max jumps out of the window
expecting find a balcony.
As he drops,
he screams once, shrilly

17. Detailed Summary
•Henry:
The door opens and Henry, the waiter, comes
in with a tray carrying two glasses and a
bottle. He says that he has brought the wine
Ausable had ordered upon entering the hotel.
Henry places the tray on the table, deftly
uncorks the bottle and leaves.

18. Detailed Summary
•The Truth:
Fowler is shocked and ask Ausable about the police.
Ausable replies that there never was a police team. It
was Henry he was expecting.
When a scared Fowler starts asking about the man
still hiding on the balcony, Ausable calmly replies
that Max isn’t going to return because, again, there
never was a balcony!

19. Theme
1.Presence of Mind
The ultimate message of this story is that one must retain one’s composure in
every situation. Wisdom, having a level head and mental alertness can save
us from any adversity.
As soon as Asuable sees Max he weaves an imaginary tale of a balcony and
later, indirectly forces Max to resign to the non-existent balcony. Max falls
amd little is left for speculation about his fate.
Ausable uses his presence of mind and turns un unfavrouable situation into
his favour.

20. Theme
2.Appearances are Deceptive
One should not judge a person merely by his appearance.
Ausable looks fat, unattractive, boring and lazy but he outwits
Max and saves the day for all.

21. THANK YOU
.