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TheMidnightVisitorRobertArthurAusabledidnotfitthedescriptionofanysecretagentFowlerhadeverreadabout.FollowinghimdownthecorridorofthegloomyFrenchhotelwhereAusablehadaroom,Fowlerfeltdisappointed.Itwasasmallroomonthesixthfloorandhardlyasettingforaromanticfigure.Ausablewas,foronething,fat.Veryfat.Andthentherewashisaccent.ThoughhespokeFrenchandGermanpassably,hehadneveraltogetherlostNewEnglandaccenthehadbroughttoParisfromBostontwentyyearsago.Youaredisappointed,Ausablesaidwheezilyoverhisshoulder.YouweretoldthatIwasasecretagent,aspy,dealinginespionageanddanger.Youwishedtomeetmebecauseyouareawriter,youngandromantic.Youthoughtyouwouldhavemysteriousfiguresinthenight,thecrackofpistols,drugsinthewine.Instead,youhavespentadulleveninginaFrenchmusichallwithasloppyfatmanwho,insteadofhavingmessagesslippedintohishandbydark-eyedbeauties,getsonlyanordinarytelephonecallmakinganappointmentinhisroom.Youhavebeenbored!Thefatmanchuckledtohimselfasheunlockedthedoorofhisroomandstoodasidetolethisfrustratedguestenter.Youaredisillusioned,Ausabletoldhim.Buttakecheer,myyoungfriend.Beforelongyouwillseeapaper,aquiteimportantpaperforwhichseveralmenandwomenhaveriskedtheirlives,cometomeinthenext-to-laststepofitsjourneyintoofficialhands.Somedaysoonthatpapermaywellaffectthecourseofhistory.Thereisdramainthatthought,don'tyouthink?Ashespoke,Ausableclosedthedoorbehindhim.Thenheswitchedonthelight.Andasthelightcameon,Fowlerhadhisfirstrealthrilloftheday.Forhalfwayacrosstheroom,asmallautomaticpistolinhishand,stoodaman.Ausableblinkedafewtimes.Max,hewheezed,yougavemequiteastart.IthoughtyouwereinBerlin.Whatareyoudoinginmyroom?Maxwasslender,nottall,andwithafacethatsuggestedthelookofafox.Exceptforthegun,hedidnotlookverydangerous.Thereport,hemurmured.Thereportthatisbeingbroughttoyoutonightconcerningsomenewmissiles.IthoughtIwouldtakeitfromyou.Itwillbesaferinmyhandsthaninyours.Ausablemovedtoanarmchairandsatdownheavily.I'mgoingtoraisethedevilwiththemanagementthistime;Iamangry,hesaidgrimly.Thisisthesecondtimeinamonththatsomebodyhasgottenintomyroomoffthatconfoundedbalcony!Fowler'seyeswenttothesinglewindowoftheroom.Itwasanordinarywindow,againstwhichnowthenightwaspressingblackly.Balcony?Maxaskedcuriously.No,Ihadapasskey.Ididnotknowaboutthebalcony.ItmighthavesavedmesometroublehadIknownaboutit.It'snotmybalcony,explainedAusableangrily.Itbelongstothenextapartment.HeglancedexplanatorilyatFowler.Yousee,hesaid,thisroomusedtobepartofalargeunit,andthenextroomthroughthatdoorthereusedtobethelivingroom.Ithadthebalcony,whichextendsundermywindownow.Youcangetontoitfromtheemptyroomnextdoor,andsomebodydid,lastmonth.Themanagementpromisedtoblockitoff.Buttheyhaven't.MaxglancedatFowler,whowasstandingstifflyafewfeetfromAusable,andwavedthegunwithacommandinggesture.Pleasesitdown,hesaid.Wehaveawaitofhalfanhour,Ithink.Thirty-oneminutes,Ausablesaidmoodily.Theappointmentwasfortwelve-thirty.IwishIknewhowyoulearnedaboutthereport,Max.Thelittlespysmiledevilly.Andwewishweknewhowyourpeoplegotthereport.But,noharmhasbeendone.Iwillgetitbacktonight.Whatisthat?Whoisatthedoor?Fowlerjumpedatthesuddenknockingatthedoor.Ausablejustsmiled,Thatwillbethepolice,hesaid.Ithoughtthatsuchanimportantpapershouldhavealittleextraprotection.Itoldthemtocheckonmetomakesureeverythingwasallright.Maxbithislipnervously.Theknockingwasrepeated.Whatwillyoudonow,Max?Ausableasked.IfIdonotanswerthedoor,theywillenteranyway.Thedoorisunlocked.Andtheywillnothesitatetoshoot.Max'sfacewasblackwithangerashebackedswiftlytowardthewindow;withhishandbehindhim,heopenedthewindowandputhislegoutintothenight.Sendthemaway!hewarned.Iwillwaitonthebalcony.SendthemawayorI'llshootandtakemychances!Theknockingatthedoorbecamelouderandavoicewasraised.Mr.Ausable!Mr.Ausable!Keepinghisbodytwistedsothathisgunstillcoveredthefatmanandhisguest,themanatthewindowswunghisotherlegupandoverthewindowsill.Thedoorknobturned.SwiftlyMaxpushedwithhislefthandtofreehimselfanddroptothebalcony.Andthenashedropped,hescreamedonce,shrilly.Thedooropenedandawaiterstoodtherewithatray,abottleandtwoglasses.Hereisthedrinkyouordered,sir.Hesetthetrayonthetable,uncorkedthebottle,andlefttheroom.Whitefacedandshaking,Fowlerstaredafterhim.But...but...whatabout...thepolice?hestammered.Thereneverwereanypolice.Ausablesighed.OnlyHenry,whomIwasexpecting.Butwhataboutthemanonthebalcony?Fowlerbegan.No,saidAusable,hewon'treturn.