1. Who was the intruder?
   a. a thief
   b. a priest
   c. a soldier
   d. a criminal
2. Who did Gerrard live with?
   a. alone
   b. his wife
   c. his friend
   d. his son
3. What did the intruder have in his hand?
   a. a revolver
   b. none of these
   c. a knife
   d. an iron rod
4. How did Gerrard behave when he saw the intruder with a revolver in his hand?
   a. He started crying.
   b. He has fainted.
   c. He remained calm.
   d. He was nervous.
5. From whom did the intruder want to get information?
   a. All of these
   b. Gerrard
   c. Police
   d. himself
6. At last a sympathetic audience:
   i. Who says this?
   ii. Why does he say it?
   iii. Is he sarcastic or serious?
7. How did Gerrard behave on seeing a gun-toting stranger in his cottage?
8. Why did the intruder want to have Gerrard’s identity?
9. Where did Gerrard live? Why was it a suitable place for the intruder’s plan?
10. “A mystery I propose to explain.” What is the mystery the speaker proposes to explain?

1. (d) a criminal

2. (a) alone

3. (a) a revolver

4. (c) He remained calm.

5. (b) Gerrard

6. i. Gerrard says it. ii. He says it in reaction to the intruder asking him to speak about himself. iii. Sarcastic.

7. Gerrard remained cool, unruffled, and spoke casually despite the intruder with a gun.

8. The intruder wanted Gerrard’s identity to escape the police and continue his criminal activities.

9. Gerrard lived in a lonely cottage in Essex, sparsely populated, making it ideal for the intruder’s plan.

10. The mystery refers to Gerrard cleverly planning to manipulate the intruder, pretending to commit murder and explaining his criminal escape strategy.