A Question of Trust Question Answer

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Question 1. What does Horace Danby like to collect?

Answer: Horace Danby likes to collect rare and expensive books.

Question 2. Why does he steal every year?
Answer: He stole every year to buy the rare and expensive books he loved to collect. Each year he planned carefully to steal enough to last twelve months.

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Question 3. Who is speaking to Horace Danby?
Answer: A young, pretty lady in a red dress is speaking to Horace Danby. She stood in the doorway and pretended to be a member of the family at Shotover Grange, saying she arrived just in time to stop him from robbing them.

Question 4. Who is the real culprit in the story?
Answer: The real culprit in the story is the woman who pretended to be a member of the family living at Shotover Grange. She tricked Horace Danby into believing her, and cleverly took away all the jewels that were kept in the safe.

Think About It
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Question 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?
Answer: Yes, we start to suspect that the lady isn’t who Horace Danby thinks she is before the story ends. She was too calm when she saw him, which felt odd. It seemed suspicious when she didn’t call the police and instead asked him to break open the safe to get the jewels. It was also unlikely that she would forget the safe’s combination. So, it became clear before the end that she wasn’t who Horace thought she was.

Question 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?
Answer: The lady deceives Horace Danby by walking confidently, knowing the dog Sherry, touching up her makeup, and easily finding a cigarette. Horace was too scared to think clearly, so he didn’t suspect anything was wrong.

Question 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?
Answer: The description fits Horace because, unlike a typical thief, he loved books and only stole once a year, just enough to meet his needs. However, stealing is still a crime, so the description is accurate. He isn’t a regular thief because he doesn’t steal frequently like others.

Question 4. Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?
Answer: Horace Danby made a mistake by not gathering enough information about the actual people living in the house. He focused too much on the house layout, wiring, and valuables but missed learning about the occupants. When the young lady appeared, he got careless and opened the safe without wearing gloves, which led to his downfall.

Question 1. Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished, or that he deserved what he got?
(or)
Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished? (CBSE 2013)
Answer: Horace Danby deserved what he got. A crime is a crime, no matter if it is committed for your own benefit or for somebody else’s benefit.

Question 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?
Answer: The saying “Ends do not justify means” reminds us that harming others for personal gain is wrong. Though the world isn’t perfect and people often trick others for quick benefits, such actions should be condemned and punished.