"Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent Fowler had ever read." What do secret agents in books and films look like, in your opinion? Discuss in groups or in class some stories or movies featuring spies, detectives and secret agents, and compare their appearance with that of Ausable in this story. (You may mention characters from fiction in languages other than English. In English fiction you may have come across Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, or Miss Marple. Have you watched any movies featuring James Bond?)

According to me, secret agents in books and films look quite different. They usually wear a headgear (a cap or a hat), a long coat and gloves on their hands. They are usually portrayed with black goggles. They are quite sharp and intelligent. In the given plot when Fowler, a young writer, met Ausable, he was very disappointed because Ausable didn't fit into the description of a secret agent. His appearance was quite different. He was a dull, fat man who knew French and German languages but had a predominant American accent in his speech.

There are many books and movies which portray detectives as very different from what Ausable has been portrayed in this plot. We can refer to Sherlock Homes or James Bond for that matter to highlight the contrast well.