<u>Answer</u>:
In the story ‘The Midnight Visitor’, Mr. Ausable was a secret agent.
<u>Explanation</u>:
The story ‘The Midnight Visitor’ is about a detective who is fat and is short in height. He breaks all the stereotype thinking about a detective. Usually as per novels and movies, secret agents are very smart and friendly people. But, Ausable is a sloppy guy.
Still he is very quick-witted. Max is his rival in the story. Fowler who wants to write a book on detectives and agents, meets Ausable but is quite disappointed after meeting him.
I would say shadow, not 100% sure though
Sternly, maybe could just be grim ( formiadable, harsh, uninviting, depressing, lack of humor, etc)
We don't have the poem so just take that section substitute the words for its sinonyms so they won't rhyme .
it has the same meaning but it doesn't rhyme
good luck :)