Class 10 English: A Question of Trust Important Questions and MCQs
ABOUT THE LESSON:
The story revolves around Horace Danby, a 50-year-old lockmaker who is generally considered a good and honest citizen. However, he has a secret: once a year, he robs a safe to fund his expensive hobby of buying rare and expensive books.
The plot kicks in when he targets Shotover Grange. While attempting the heist, he is interrupted by a sophisticated "Young Lady in Red" who pretends to be the mistress of the house. She tricks Horace into opening the safe for her, leading to his eventual arrest.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Victor Canning (1911–1986) was a prolific British author renowned for his mastery of suspense and thriller novels. Best known for his clever plot twists and ironic endings, Canning wrote over sixty books, including the famous Mr. Finchley series and The Rainbird Pattern, which was later adapted into a film by Alfred Hitchcock. His writing often explores the themes of deception and human nature, as seen in "A Question of Trust," making him one of the most popular storytellers of the mid-20th century.
Read and Find Out (Page 20)
Q1. What does Horace Danby like to collect?
Ans: Horace Danby is a man of expensive tastes. He loves to collect rare and costly books. To fund this hobby, he robs one safe every year, which provides him with enough money to buy the books he loves through a secret agent.
Q2. Why does he steal every year?
Ans: Horace is not a typical thief who steals for greed or necessity. He steals specifically to satisfy his passion for high-end books. By robbing one safe annually, he manages to gather enough funds to sustain himself and acquire the expensive literary collection he desires without having to work extra for it.
Read and Find Out (Page 22)
Q1. Who is speaking to Horace Danby?
Ans: A young, charming woman dressed in red is speaking to Horace Danby. She carries herself with such confidence and authority that Horace mistakes her for the mistress of the house or a member of the family living at Shotover Grange. In reality, she is another thief who is much cleverer than him.
Q2. Who is the real culprit in the story?
Ans: The "Young Lady in Red" is the real culprit. While Horace Danby intended to rob the safe, it was she who successfully manipulated him into opening it for her. She walked away with the jewels while Horace took all the blame and was eventually arrested by the police, proving that she was the more skillful criminal.
Think About It (Page 25)
Q1. 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?
Ans: Yes, there are subtle hints throughout the encounter. A suspicious reader might notice that she was unusually calm upon finding a burglar in the house. Instead of calling the police immediately, she focused on her "broken" jewelry and the forgotten safe combination. Her ease with the household dog, Sherry, and her authoritative yet casual behavior were designed to mirror a mistress, but her demand for Horace to break the safe—effectively doing the "dirty work" for her—was the biggest red flag.
Q2. What are the subtle ways in which the lady manages to deceive Horace Danby into thinking she is the lady of the house? Why did Horace not suspect that something was wrong?
Ans: The lady used several clever tactics to deceive him:
Confidence and Poise: She walked in and tidied the ornaments on the mantlepiece as if she owned them.
Authority: She spoke with a firm but kind voice, even scolding the dog.
Appearance: Being dressed in red and looking sophisticated made her look like a guest or a resident. Horace did not suspect her because he was blinded by fear. He was so terrified of going to prison that his only thought was to please her so she wouldn't call the police. His hay fever and the stress of the moment clouded his natural caution.
Q3. “Horace Danby was good and respectable — but not completely honest.” Why do you think this description is apt for Horace?
Ans: This description is perfect because Horace lived a double life. To society, he was a successful, 50-year-old lockmaker who was "good and respectable." However, he wasn't "completely honest" because he committed a major robbery once every year. He wasn't a professional criminal who stole for a living, but a man who stole to satisfy his private obsession for rare books. He didn't want to hurt anyone, but he still broke the law.
Q4. Horace Danby was a meticulous planner, but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?
Ans: Despite studying the wiring, the paths, and the garden of Shotover Grange for two weeks, Horace failed in two major areas:
The Human Element: He researched the house but didn't know the actual faces of the owners.
Carelessness: In his rush to please the lady and escape, he opened the safe without wearing his gloves. This left his fingerprints all over the room, leading directly to his arrest.
Talk About It (Page 25)
Q1. Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why? Ans: Horace's failure was not in his technical planning, but in his emotional reaction. He was a meticulous planner regarding the house’s layout, but he failed to account for the "human element." When the young lady appeared, his fear of prison overwhelmed his logic. He was so desperate to please her and escape that he became careless, opening the safe with bare hands and leaving his fingerprints everywhere. His anxiety made him overlook the fact that a true "mistress of the house" wouldn't need a burglar to open her own safe.
Q2. Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished, or did he deserve what he got?
Ans: While Horace is a likable character because he isn't violent and has a quirky hobby, he is still a thief. Legally, he deserved to be arrested because he intended to commit a robbery. However, there is a sense of ironic justice in the story. He was tricked by a fellow criminal, proving that there is no "honor among thieves." He was punished not just for his crime, but for his misplaced trust in someone who was just as dishonest as he was.
Q3. Do you think the saying “Honor among thieves” is actually followed?
Ans: The story strongly suggests that the idea of "honor among thieves" is a myth. Horace Danby believed in this code and expected the lady to keep her word because she appeared to be a fellow professional. However, the lady in red had no such loyalty; she used Horace as a tool to get the jewels and then let him take the fall. The ending shows that in the world of crime, it is every person for themselves.
Important Short Answer Questions (2 Marks Each)
Why was Horace Danby considered a good citizen but not an honest one?
Ans: Horace was a 50-year-old respected lockmaker who lived a quiet life. However, he wasn't completely honest because he robbed one safe every year to fund his expensive hobby of buying rare books.
How did Horace prepare for the robbery at Shotover Grange?
Ans: He studied the house for two weeks, looking at its rooms, electric wiring, paths, and garden. He even found out where the family was (London) and where the servants had gone for a movie.
What was the "real" passion of Horace Danby?
Ans: His real passion was collecting rare and expensive books. He loved them so much that he was willing to commit one robbery a year just to afford his secret literary collection.
Why did Horace mistake the young lady for the mistress of the house?
Ans: She acted with extreme confidence, dressed elegantly in red, scolded the dog familiarly, and even tidied the ornaments on the mantelpiece. Her calm authority convinced Horace she belonged there.
What "trick" did the lady in red use to get the jewels without breaking the safe herself?
Ans: She claimed she had forgotten the numbers to the safe and needed the jewels for a party that night. She promised to let Horace go if he opened the safe for her, which he did gladly.
How did Horace's hay fever help in his eventual arrest?
Ans: The smell of flowers in the room triggered his hay fever, causing him to sneeze repeatedly. This made him distracted and nervous, leading him to open the safe without wearing his gloves.
Why didn't the dog, Sherry, bark when Horace entered the house?
Ans: Horace knew how to handle dogs. He calmed Sherry by calling him by his right name and showing him love, following the rule that dogs don't bother you if you show them affection.
What was the "irony" at the end of the story?
Ans: The irony is that Horace, a professional thief who planned everything meticulously, was tricked by another thief. He ended up in prison for a robbery where he didn't even get to keep the jewels.
What does Horace Danby think of the phrase "honor among thieves" now?
Ans: Horace now gets very angry when anyone mentions "honor among thieves." He realized through his experience that thieves do not actually respect each other and will betray one another for their own gain.
Why did the police arrest Horace Danby two days later?
Ans: Although the lady had the jewels, Horace had opened the safe with his bare hands. His fingerprints were found all over the room, and the police easily traced them back to him.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. How old was Horace Danby? (A) About 40 (B) About 50 (C) About 30 (D) About 60 Correct
Answer: (B) About 50
2. What did Horace love to collect? (A) Paintings (B) Rare and costly books (C) Gold coins (D) Stamps
Correct Answer: (B) Rare and costly books
3. What was the name of the dog at Shotover Grange? (A) Tommy (B) Sherry (C) Bruno (D) Moti
Correct Answer: (B) Sherry
4. Who was the real culprit in the story? (A) Horace Danby (B) The lady in red (C) The housekeeper (D) The owner
Correct Answer: (B) The lady in red
5. Where was Horace after he was arrested? (A) Hospital (B) School (C) Assistant Librarian in prison (D) Abroad
Correct Answer: (C) Assistant Librarian in prison
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