A Question of Trust - Short Answers

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1. Who is the main character in the story?

    The main character is Horace Danby. He is a fifty-year-old locksmith and thief who steals once a year to buy rare and expensive books. He appears to be a good, honest citizen but is secretly involved in criminal activities.

2. Why does Horace steal every year?

    Horace steals every year because he loves collecting rare and expensive books. He carefully plans his thefts to ensure he has enough money to buy the books he desires, and he robs only once a year to maintain a low profile.

3. How did Horace ensure he didn't leave fingerprints?

    Horace was very meticulous about not leaving fingerprints. He always wore gloves while breaking into houses and handling objects. This habit helped him avoid detection and maintain his reputation as a respectable citizen despite his criminal activities.

4. What mistake did Horace make during the robbery at Shotover Grange?

    During the robbery at Shotover Grange, Horace made the critical mistake of removing his gloves to assist the young lady with lighting a cigarette. This action left his fingerprints on the safe and various items in the room, leading to his eventual capture.

5.  Why didn't anyone believe Horace's story about the young lady?

    No one believed Horace's story about the young lady because the actual wife of the house owner was much older and denied the entire account. The discrepancy in descriptions made his story seem implausible, and the fingerprints found further incriminated him.

6. Imagine you are Horace. What could you have done differently to avoid being tricked?

    If I were Horace, I would have verified the young lady’s identity by asking for specific details about the household or her relationship to the owner. Additionally, I would never have removed my gloves, maintaining caution to avoid leaving any evidence behind.

7.  What did Horace suffer from during summer?

    Horace suffered from hay fever during the summer months. This condition caused him to experience frequent sneezing and discomfort, which became a notable distraction and even played a role during the robbery, drawing the attention of the young lady.

8. How did Horace try to scare the young lady when she caught him?

    When the young lady caught him, Horace tried to scare her by mentioning he could cut the telephone wires and prevent her from calling for help. He hinted that he might detain her to ensure his escape, though this was more an attempt to intimidate than a real threat.

9. What could Horace have used instead of removing his gloves to help the young lady?

    Instead of removing his gloves to help the young lady, Horace could have used his burglary tools to manipulate the cigarette lighter or asked her to light it herself. This way, he would have avoided leaving any fingerprints and maintained his careful approach.

10. How did the young lady manipulate Horace into opening the safe?

    The young lady manipulated Horace by pretending to be the house owner's wife who needed access to her jewels for a party. She played on his fear of prison and his desire to avoid causing harm, leading him to believe helping her would secure his release without trouble.

11.Though Horace planned everything meticulously, why did he fail?

Though Horace planned everything meticulously; he failed to lead because of the smart lady. She posed herself to be the owner of the house and convinced him to open the shelf as she did “not the password of the shelf. Horace got trapped in her plot.

12. Who is the real culprit in this story, the lady or Horace? How did he/she manage to rob the safe without leaving a single fingerprint?

In this story, the real culprit is the young lady. She managed to trick Horace into breaking the safe for her. She did not even touch the safe herself. She managed to get all the jewels. She had to do no physical exercise for this. In this way, she managed to rob the safe without leaving a single fingerprint.

13. Griffin was not a true scientist as he misused his scientific discovery. Illustrate this point by giving two incidents from the story.

A true scientist is a law-abiding person. A scientist is also called a ‘natural philosopher’. Griffin was not a true scientist as he did not use his discovery of how to make himself invisible for good uses. He lost control of himself and behaved like a criminal. First, he set fire to his landlord’s house and ran away. Then he stole food without paying for it in a London store. Besides, he robbed the owner of a theatrical company and stole money from a clergyman’s desk.