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Ausable moved to an armchair and sat down heavily. “I’m going to raise the devil with the management this time, and you can bet on it,” he said grimly. “This is the second time in a month that somebody has got into my room through that nuisance of a balcony!” Fowler’s eyes went to the single window of the room. It was an ordinary window, against which now the night was pressing blackly.
“Balcony?” Max said, with a rising inflection. “No, a passkey. I did not know about the balcony. It might have saved me some trouble had I known.”
“It’s not my balcony,” Ausable said with extreme irritation. “It belongs to the next apartment.” He glanced explanatorily at Fowler. “You see,” he said, “this room used to be part of a large unit, and the next room — through that door there — used to be the living room. It had the balcony, which extends under my window now. You can get onto it from the empty room two doors down — and somebody did, last month. The management promised to block it off. But they haven’t.”
“Balcony?” Max said, with a rising inflection. “No, a passkey. I did not know about the balcony. It might have saved me some trouble had I known.”
“It’s not my balcony,” Ausable said with extreme irritation. “It belongs to the next apartment.” He glanced explanatorily at Fowler. “You see,” he said, “this room used to be part of a large unit, and the next room — through that door there — used to be the living room. It had the balcony, which extends under my window now. You can get onto it from the empty room two doors down — and somebody did, last month. The management promised to block it off. But they haven’t.”
Explanation:
Ausable later moved to an armchair and sat down. After sitting down heavily, he stated, "I'm going to raise the devil". It means that he would shout louder and complain to the management. He challenged that he would complain about Max entering his room and attempting to steal his important report. In addition, Ausable said that it was the second time in a month that someone had come into his room to steal his report. Later, he said someone had come to his room through a balcony.
After hearing that, Fowler, the writer, saw the room's single window. According to him, the room had a normal window; if someone saw it from there at night, it would feel extreme darkness.
Max then said "Balcony" with a rising tone. He then claimed that he did not enter through the balcony. He entered Ausable's room using a passkey (a key to the door of a prohibited area, given only to those who are officially permitted access). Furthermore, he stated that he was unaware of the balcony. He further stated that if he had known earlier, he would not have waited for the passkey and would have attempted to enter the room through the balcony.
Passkey
Ausable became enraged when he heard this and yelled that it was not his balcony. He said that the balcony belonged to the next apartment. Then Ausable glanced at Fowler and explained that the room he was using as part of a larger unit. He also stated that the adjacent room, next to the entrance, was utilised as a living room.
In addition, Ausable said that a balcony extended beneath his window in that room. Ausable then said that anyone could get into his room from that empty room. Also, he said that somebody entered his room through that window. Moreover, he said that he informed the management earlier, and they told him that they would block the way. But till now, they haven't blocked that way.
Ausable became enraged when he heard this and yelled that it was not his balcony. He said that the balcony belonged to the next apartment. Then Ausable glanced at Fowler and explained that the room he was using as part of a larger unit. He also stated that the adjacent room, next to the entrance, was utilised as a living room.
In addition, Ausable said that a balcony extended beneath his window in that room. Ausable then said that anyone could get into his room from that empty room. Also, he said that somebody entered his room through that window. Moreover, he said that he informed the management earlier, and they told him that they would block the way. But till now, they haven't blocked that way.
Meanings of the difficult words:
| S.No | Words | Meanings |
1 | Management | The group of people responsible for controlling and organising a company |
2 | Nuisance | Something or someone that annoys you or causes trouble for you |
3 | Irritation | The feeling of being angry or annoyed, or something that makes you feel like this |
4 | Passkey | A key to the door of a restricted area, given only to those who are officially allowed access |
5 | Balcony | An area with a wall or bars around it that is joined to the outside wall of a building on an upper level |
Reference:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2007). The Midnight Visitor- Robert Arthur (pp. 14-19). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.
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