ENGLISH CLASS- 10
CHAPTER-4
(A Question of Trust)
A Question of Trust
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?
Yes, it is possible to suspect before the end of the story that the lady is not the owner of the house. The suspicion arises when she appears unexpectedly inside the house and behaves in a very calm and confident manner despite finding a stranger there.
A real owner who discovered a burglar would probably be frightened, angry, or call for help. Instead, the lady talks to Horace quite casually and cleverly gains his confidence. Her unusual behaviour and her willingness to let Horace open the safe for her suggest that something is not quite right. These clues indicate that she may not be the person Horace believes her to be.
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 lady deceives Horace by acting with complete confidence and authority. She speaks as if she owns the house and knows everything about it. She tells Horace that she has forgotten the combination of the safe and needs the jewels immediately for a party.
She also notices Horace's fear of the police and uses it to her advantage. When she threatens to call the police, Horace becomes anxious and agrees to help her. Her calm manner, convincing story, and knowledge of how to manipulate people make her deception successful.
Horace does not suspect anything because he believes himself to be intelligent and experienced. He is also attracted by the lady's charm and confidence. Moreover, he thinks he is helping the owner of the house rather than committing a crime. As a result, he fails to question her identity.
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?
This description is appropriate because Horace lived an outwardly respectable life. He was about fifty years old, made locks for a living, and appeared to be an ordinary, law-abiding citizen. However, he secretly committed burglaries to satisfy his passion for collecting rare books.
Horace cannot be called a typical thief because he was not greedy or violent. He did not steal for luxury, power, or personal extravagance. He carefully planned his crimes and avoided harming anyone. His love for books motivated his thefts rather than a desire for wealth. Nevertheless, stealing is dishonest, and therefore he cannot be considered completely honest despite his respectable appearance.
4. Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?
Horace Danby went wrong when he trusted the woman without verifying her identity. Although he planned every detail of the burglary carefully, he failed to anticipate an unexpected situation. His confidence in his own intelligence made him careless.
The lady cleverly manipulated him into opening the safe and stealing the jewels for her. While doing so, Horace removed his gloves and left his fingerprints on the safe. This provided the police with clear evidence against him.
His mistake was not in planning the burglary but in allowing his judgment to be influenced by the woman's appearance and behaviour. He abandoned his usual caution, trusted a stranger, and ultimately became the victim of a more skilled thief than himself.