10th class-cbse english (NCERT BOOK-Footprints without feet)( Long answers) chapter- 4 (A Question of Trust)(Victor Canning)

 A Question of Trust

Q) Write the charactersketch of Horace Danby.

OR

Q) Why is Horace Danby described as good and respectable, but not completely honest?

Ans) Horace Danby was a  successful business man. He dealt in locks and safes. He was unmarried and a servant looked after him. He was suffering from hay fever. During summers it disturbed him.

 He was fond of expensive and rare books. He had a good collection of them. He was a good and respectable person but not completely honest. Every year he committed one robbery. From the robbed money he purchased books through an agent. He planned  and executed the robbery very carefully. Opening safes was not a big deal for him, he had spent his life with locks and safes. But at Shotover Grange he was oversmarted by a lady. He was arrested and sentenced.

Q) How did the lady in red turn out to be the smarter and cleverer then Horace Danby?

Ans) Every year Horace Danby planned a robbery for purchasing expensive and rare books. As usual this year also he planned a robbery very carefully. He studied the layout of  Shotover Grange in a magazine. He obtained the minutest detail. During a summer day when family was in London and servants were out for a movie he decided to execute his plan.

Every thing was going as planned. But a young lady who pretended to be the owner’s wife befooled him. She convinced him that she was the real owner and persuaded him to open the safe for her. He broke the safe carelessly and removed his gloves. His fingerprints were everywhere which helped police to arrest him. Only after his arrest he realised that lady in red was also a thief.

 

More questions for practice.

Q) Why did Horace get very angry when anyone talk about “honour among thieves”?