Comprehensive theory, key formulas, diagrams, and memory aids for The Midnight Visitor.
"The Midnight Visitor" is a suspenseful story by Robert Arthur about a secret agent, Ausable, who outwits a rival agent with pure intelligence rather than physical strength or weapons. The story is set in a small, unpretentious hotel room in Paris, where Ausable and his guest Fowler are confronted by a dangerous agent named Max. The story is a classic example of how wit and presence of mind can triumph over brute force.
Fowler, a young writer, is disappointed because he expected the meeting with the secret agent Ausable to be full of drama and adventure. He is surprised to find Ausable to be a fat, ordinary-looking man who speaks with an accent and lives in a cramped hotel room. But the quiet evening suddenly turns exciting when Max, an enemy agent, appears in the room holding a pistol, demanding a secret report.
The climax of the story comes when Ausable, using his sharp mind, invents a story about a balcony outside the window — a balcony that does not exist. He convinces Max that the police will arrive and that the only escape is through the window. Max, believing the lie, jumps out of the window, only to fall to his death. Ausable then calmly explains to the astonished Fowler that he made the whole story up — there is no balcony at all.
Robert Arthur (1909-1969) was an American writer of mystery and suspense fiction, known for his work on radio, television, and literature. He is best remembered for creating "The Three Investigators" mystery series for young readers. His stories are characterised by clever plots, unexpected twists, and the triumph of intelligence over danger. "The Midnight Visitor" is one of his most famous short stories, celebrated for its witty and dramatic climax.
The story begins with Fowler, a young writer, who has come to meet Ausable, a secret agent, expecting an evening of excitement. He is disappointed because Ausable seems nothing like a typical spy — he is fat, speaks with a heavy accent, and lives in a small, shabby room on the sixth floor of a hotel in Paris. Fowler wonders why such a man would be a secret agent.
As the two men talk, the door of the room opens and a man named Max steps in, holding a pistol. Max is another agent who has come to steal the important report that Ausable is expected to receive. Max tells them that he knows about the report and demands it. Fowler is terrified, but Ausable remains calm.
Ausable then begins to talk about the weather and his dislike of the balcony outside the window. He explains that someone else once entered his room through that balcony. Max, curious, looks at the window, but Ausable quickly changes the topic, saying that the balcony was a mistake. He then tells Max that the police are coming to his room — a lie. He says he hopes the police will grab Max. To add to the deception, Ausable mentions the balcony again, hinting that Max could escape through it.
Max, convinced that the police are arriving, opens the window and jumps out onto the supposed balcony. But there is no balcony — the window is on the sixth floor, and Max falls to his death. Fowler is stunned, and Ausable casually reveals that there was no balcony and no police; he invented the whole thing to trick Max. The story ends with Fowler realising that Ausable's real weapon is his quick, clever mind.
| Character | Appearance | Real Strength | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ausable | Fat, ordinary | Quick mind, calm | Succeeds |
| Max | Armed, confident | Pistol | Falls from window |
| Fowler | Young, imaginative | Observant | Astonished |
| Event | Significance |
|---|---|
| Fowler meets Ausable | Expectation of adventure |
| Max appears with pistol | Beginning of danger |
| Ausable talks of a balcony | Sets up the deception |
| Ausable claims police are coming | Increases Max's panic |
| Max jumps out the window | Climax - the trap works |
| Truth revealed | Ausable's brilliance exposed |
flowchart TD
A["The Midnight Visitor - Robert Arthur"] --> B["Fowler meets Ausable in Paris"]
B --> C["Max appears with a pistol"]
C --> D["Ausable stays calm"]
D --> E["Talks of a balcony that doesn't exist"]
E --> F["Claims police are coming"]
F --> G["Max panics and jumps"]
G --> H["Falls to his death"]
H --> I["Truth: no balcony, no police"]
I --> J["Theme: wit defeats brute force"]
"The Midnight Visitor" is a masterfully crafted tale of suspense that proves brains triumph over brawn. Robert Arthur presents Ausable — a fat, ordinary-looking secret agent — and places him in a life-threatening situation with an armed rival, only to have him resolve the crisis with a simple, brilliant lie. The invented balcony is a stroke of genius, turning Max's confidence into his own undoing. The story delights readers with its unexpected twist and leaves a lasting message: true strength lies not in weapons but in the power of a calm and clever mind.