A Question of Trust

A Question of Trust
The Sneaky Book Lover:

Meet Horace Danby, a 50-year-old locksmith who seemed like a nice
guy. He ran a successful business and loved buying rare books. But
here's the twist — he wasn't totally honest. Once a year, he'd
secretly rob a safe to fund his expensive book habit.
The Plan: Horace's Secret Scheme:

With two helpers, Horace carefully planned each heist. This time, he
targeted Shotover Grange, a house he'd been watching for two
weeks. When the family went to London and the caretakers went to
the movies, Horace saw his chance.
The Surprise:
As he was doing his thing, a young lady showed up, pretending to be
the owner's wife. She claimed she needed her jewels for a party.
Caught off guard, Horace opened the safe for her, forgetting his
gloves and leaving behind a big clue.
The Trouble Begins:
A few days later, a policeman arrested Horace for the jewel
robbery. His fingerprints were all over the crime scene. He admitted
to opening the safe for the fake wife, but no one believed him.
The Big Reveal:
Turns out, the young lady was a fraud. The story ends with Horace,
once a successful guy, now in prison, realizing that blindly trusting
others can lead to big trouble.
Conclusion:
In simple terms, the story teaches us not to trust people without
really knowing them. Horace Danby's mistake was believing someone
without checking if they were telling the truth. So, be careful who
you trust — not everyone is as honest as they seem!
Extract-Based Questions.
Q1. So he robbed a safe every year. Each year he planned carefully just
what he would do, stole enough to last for twelve months, and secretly
bought the books he loved through an agent.
(a) Who is 'he' in the above extract?
Ans: 'He' in the above extract is Horace Danby.
(b) Why did 'he' rob only one safe every year?
Ans: He robbed only one safe every year because he robbed just
enough to satisfy his hobby of buying and collecting rare and
expensive books. Otherwise, he was just an honest lock-maker.
(c) Find the word from the extract that means the opposite of
'openly:
Ans: The word is 'secretly.
Q2. A small dog was lying in the kitchen. It stirred, made a noise, and
moved its tail in a friendly way (CBSE 2014)
(a) What is the dog's name mentioned in the above extract?
Ans: The name of the dog mentioned in the above extract is Sherry.
(b) In which house is the kitchen referred to?
Ans: The kitchen referred to is located in Shotover Grange.
(c) Find a word from the passage that means the same as 'cordial'.
Ans: The word is 'friendly
Top 10 PYQs (Most Expected)

1.Though Horace planned everything meticulously, why did he
fail?
Answer: Though Horace planned everything meticulously; he failed
to lead because of the smart lady. She posed herself to be the
owner of the house and convinced him to open the shelf as she did
“not the password of the shelf. Horace got trapped in her plot.
2. Who is the real culprit in this story, the lady or Horace?

How did he/she manage to rob the safe without leaving a single
fingerprint?
Answer: In this story, the real culprit is the young lady. She
managed to trick Horace into breaking the safe for her. She did
not even touch the safe herself. She managed to get all the
jewels. She had to do no physical exercise for this. In this way,
she managed to rob the safe without leaving a single fingerprint.
3. Why is Horace Danby described as good and respectable
but not completely honest?
Answer: Horace Danby was a good person. He made locks. He was
very successful in his business. He had engaged two helpers in his
business. But he was not completely honest because he robbed a
safe every year.
4. Describe how Horace Danby planned his work?
Answer: Horace Danby studied the house at Shotover Grange for two
weeks. He studied its rooms, its electric wiring, its paths, and its
garden. He was sure that the family was in London. The two servants
had gone to the movies and they would not come back before four
hours. He came out from behind the garden wall and entered the
house.
5. Did Horace get the jewels from the Grange safe? If not,
why did the police arrest him?
Answer: No, Horace did not get the jewels from the Grange safe. But
he broke open the safe for the wife of the owner of the house
without gloves. But in reality, that lady was a burglar. Thus, there
were Horace’s fingerprints all over the room. So, the police arrested
him for stealing the jewels from the Grange safe.
6. Whose voice was it that advised Horace about the special
treatment of his hay fever?
Answer: When Horace was about to open the safe, he heard a female
voice. She asked if he suffered from a cold or hay fever. He was
sneezing again and again. She said that he could cure the hay fever
with special treatment. He must find out what plant gave him that
disease. She also advised Horace to see a doctor.
7. When and why did the woman in red say, “Society must
be protected from men like you”? Doesn’t it sound ironical?
Answer: Horace assured the woman in red that he would not hurt
her. She must forget she ever met him. It made her angry. She
couldn’t let him go, otherwise, he would rob someone else. Society
must be protected from people like him. It sounds ironic because she
herself was a thief and had come for the same purpose for which
Horace was there in the house.
8. Do you think that the young woman in red proved far
smarter than Horace Danby? Give reasons.
Answer: Definitely, the young woman in red proved far smarter than
Horace Danby. She played her part of being the lady of the house
with complete perfection. She was an example of self-confidence.
She didn’t show any hesitation. She spoke and acted with an air of
complete confidence and authority. Poor Horace became a puppet who
couldn’t take himself out of her spell. She threatened to call the
police and made him open the safe, while Horace was later caught and
arrested. She decamped with the jewels.
9. Who is the real culprit in the story, the young lady in red or
Horace Danby? Comment.
Answer: The law of any land works on evidence. Horace Danby opened
the safe without wearing his gloves. He didn’t think it necessary to
wear them as he thought he was working for ‘the lady of the house’.
So the police matched his fingerprints and he was arrested. The lady
in the red was the real culprit. She made Horace open the safe for
her. She was also a thief and decamped with the jewels. But in the
eyes of the law, Horace was the real culprit because the evidence was
against him.
10. Why did Horace Danby prefer books to collect paintings?
Answer: Horace Danby loved rare books passionately. To fuel
his hobby, he resorted to robbing a safe annually. When faced
with a choice between collecting books and paintings, he opted
for books due to limited space in his small house.

A Question of Trust

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A Question of Trust

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A Question of Trust

The Sneaky Book Lover:

The Plan: Horace's Secret Scheme:

Top 10 PYQs (Most Expected)

2. Who is the real culprit in this story, the lady or Horace?

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