CBSE Class 10 English The Midnight Visitor and A Question of Trust Important Questions Set 04

Answer: Ausable was a plump, untidy man with a clumsy manner and an American accent, living in a Paris hotel. Fowler, a young writer who wanted to meet a glamorous secret agent, was disappointed that he looked so ordinary and unromantic.

Teacher's Note:
1. Contrast what Fowler expected with what he saw.
2. A single clear description is enough.

Answer: Ausable complained about the hotel management and said that the balcony below his window had let in thieves more than once. He added that the balcony belonged to the next apartment, because his room had once been part of a larger suite. These details made the story believable.

Teacher's Note:
1. The details of the complaint made the lie convincing.
2. Note that it was a lie.

Answer: When there was a loud knock at the door, Ausable said it must be the police he had called. Frightened, Max believed he could hide on the balcony and jumped out of the window. There was no balcony and he fell six floors to his death.

Teacher's Note:
1. The knock was only the waiter.
2. Max’s fear and trust in Ausable’s story caused his fall.

Answer: Ausable used his presence of mind. He created a false story about a balcony and about the police, and let Max destroy himself by acting on it. He remained calm throughout.

Teacher's Note:
1. Explain that he used words and not weapons.
2. Quote ‘presence of mind’.

Answer: Fowler saw Ausable stay calm in front of an armed enemy and outwit him with a clever lie. He understood that appearances can deceive and that a spy needs intelligence rather than a glamorous look. He felt that he had finally had his thrill.

Teacher's Note:
1. The title shows that Fowler’s first impression was wrong.
2. Mention calmness and quick thinking.

Answer: Ausable faced an armed enemy in his own room, yet he stayed calm. He did not show fear or surprise, but sat down, complained about the balcony and made up a story that Max believed. If he had panicked, Max might have shot him. His calm gave him time to think and to use Max’s fear against him. In real life too, a quiet mind helps us handle exams and emergencies better than panic does.

Teacher's Note:
1. Use the story as proof and give a real-life example.
2. Mention the result.

Answer: Ausable is a secret agent who looks fat, untidy and unromantic, but he is intelligent, brave and quick-witted. He has lived in Paris for twenty years and speaks French and German passably. Facing Max’s pistol, he keeps cool and invents the story of the balcony and the police. He kills Max without firing a shot. His success shows that real strength lies in the mind, and appearances can be misleading.

Teacher's Note:
1. Contrast looks and qualities.
2. Use the balcony trick as the proof.

Answer: Ausable took Fowler to his sixth-floor hotel room, where they found Max with a pistol, waiting for the secret papers. Ausable stayed calm and complained about the balcony outside his window, saying that Max must have used it. When a knock came, he said it was the police. Max was alarmed and, believing the balcony would hide him, leapt from the window. There was no balcony, and he fell to his death. The knock was only the waiter.

Teacher's Note:
1. Keep to the order of events.
2. Do not forget the waiter.

Answer: Horace Danby was a successful lock maker who was thought to be an honest, kind and law-abiding citizen. But every year he robbed a safe in order to buy expensive rare books, so he was not completely honest.

Teacher's Note:
1. Give both sides of the description.
2. The books are the reason for the robbery.

Answer: He studied the house for two weeks, learning its rooms, wiring, paths and garden. He knew that the family was in London and that the two servants would be at the cinema for several hours. He then entered through the garden wall.

Teacher's Note:
1. Mention the careful study and the timing.
2. Say that the family was away.

Answer: It means that thieves are loyal to one another and keep their own code of honesty. In the story, Horace expected such honour from the lady, but she cheated him.

Teacher's Note:
1. Define the phrase and then link it to the story.
2. The irony is that the lady was a thief too.

Answer: The lady in red is the real culprit, as she tricked Horace into opening the safe and escaped with the jewels. But in the eyes of the law Horace was the guilty one, because his fingerprints were on the safe and the police arrested him.

Teacher's Note:
1. Give both points of view, moral and legal.
2. The fingerprints are the evidence.

Answer: She pretended to be the lady of the house, spoke to him casually, and even the dog treated her as the owner. She said she wanted to wear the jewels in the safe to a party that night. Horace opened the safe for her and handed over the jewels, and she left with them.

Teacher's Note:
1. Point to her acting and the dog.
2. Mention that Horace trusted her.

Answer: Horace loved rare books, but he stole once a year to buy them. He was not violent, but theft is wrong however small the reason. He could have saved money from his business, borrowed books from libraries or collected books over time. Honesty, patience and respect for the law are the values he lacked. His own trickery brought him prison, which shows that an honest life is the safest way to fulfil wishes.

Teacher's Note:
1. Suggest honest alternatives for his hobby.
2. End with the result of the theft.

Answer: Horace was a careful planner who stole once a year and never hurt anyone. But he was naive, as he trusted a stranger and let her use him. The lady was a quick, confident actor who judged Horace’s nature and made use of it. She did not touch the safe or leave fingerprints, and escaped with the jewels while he was arrested. In skill and cunning she was clearly cleverer.

Teacher's Note:
1. Contrast planning with quick thinking.
2. The fingerprints are the proof.

Answer: I partly disagree. Horace was a respected locksmith who robbed only the rich, once a year, without a weapon and without harming anyone. He stole for books and not for greed. But theft is a crime, and a man who steals even once is a danger to the trust on which society depends. His story shows that even a gentle thief causes harm, and that good intentions do not justify a crime.

Teacher's Note:
1. Give a balanced view with reasons.
2. End with a firm conclusion.