A Question of Trust

Textual Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 4

 A Question of Trust

The story "A Question of Trust" is about Horace Danby, a 50-year-old ex-criminal who loves rare books. He used to steal to buy them, but got caught in his last theft at Shotover Grange. Horace planned his thefts carefully, but a woman at the Grange tricked him into stealing jewels from a safe. She pretended to be the owner and said she forgot the safe code. Horace believed her and stole the jewels for her. However, he was later arrested because the woman was also a thief, and Horace's footprints were found in the house. It shows that even though Horace tried to change his ways, he got tricked in the end.

Read and Find Out (Page 20)

1. What does Horace Danby like to collect?

Horace Danby loved to collect rare and expensive books.

2. Why does he steal every year?

Every year, Horace would steal from a safe to get money for his favorite books. He planned everything out, making sure he took enough to buy books for the whole year. Then, he'd buy the books he liked using someone else to keep it secret.

Read and Find Out (Page 22)

1. Who is speaking to Horace Danby?

A young, pretty lady in a red dress talked to Horace Danby as she stood in the doorway. She went over to the fireplace and fixed the decorations there. She said she arrived just in time because Horace was about to steal all the jewels from the safe. She asked him to open the safe for her, and promised not to tell the police if he did. This showed that she was pretending to be a member of the family who lived at Shotover Grange.

2. Who is the real culprit in the story?

The real culprit behind the crime was the young woman who acted like she belonged to the family at Shotover Grange. She fooled Horace Danby into thinking she was part of the family and made him  open the safe. She promised to let him escape without involving the police. Then, she took all the jewels from the safe.

Think about it (Page 25)

1. Did you begin to suspect, before the end of the story, that the lady was not the person Horace Danby took her to be? If so, at what point did you realise this, and how?

Before the story finished, we started to think that the lady was the real thief who tricked Horace Danby. We noticed she stayed calm when she saw Horace trying to open the safe. This was strange because a real family member would've called for help. Instead, she asked Horace to take out all the jewels, promising not to tell the police. This made us suspicious. It was unlikely she forgot the safe's code if she was a real family member. So, we figured out she was just using Horace. We knew she was the thief long before the story ended.

2. What are the subtle ways in which the lady manages to deceive Horace Danby into thinking she is the lady of the house? Why doesn’t Horace suspect that something is wrong?

The young woman fooled Horace Danby into thinking she was the lady of the house with her confident walk, fixing her makeup, knowing the dog Sherry, and casually grabbing a cigarette. Horace was scared and couldn't think straight, so he didn't realize she was tricking him into opening the safe for her.

3. “Horace Danby was good and respectable — but not completely honest”. Why do you think this description is apt for Horace? Why can’t he be categorised as a typical thief?

Horace wasn't like other thieves who stole to survive. He only stole once a year to buy expensive books. He had helpers and made locks, but stealing is still wrong and brings punishment. Even though Horace wasn't a typical thief, his yearly theft was still a crime. He planned carefully to steal enough money for books and bought them secretly. So, while his reasons were different, he still broke the law.

4. Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?

Horace Danby planned his robbery at Shotover Grange well, knowing about the house and its valuables. But he lacked info about the people living there. He showed intelligence by knowing the dog's name, but he didn't know much about the residents. So, when the lady caught him, he got scared and didn't realize she was tricking him. He believed her promise to let him go, and in his fear, he opened the safe without gloves, leaving his fingerprints behind.

Talk about it (Page 25)

1. Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished, or that he deserved what he got?

Yes, Horace Danby deserved to be punished. A crime is a crime, no matter whether it is committed for one’s own selfish interest or to benefit someone else.

2. Do intentions justify actions? Would you, like Horace Danby, do something wrong if you thought your ends justified the means? Do you think that there are situations in which it is excusable to act less than honestly?

There's a saying: "It's not okay to hurt people just to get what you want." But in reality, some people still use tricks to get ahead. These actions are wrong and need to be stopped.