Class 10 English Chapter 4 A Question of Trust Questions and answers
Page No 20:
Question 1:
What does Horace Danby
like to collect?
Answer:
Horace Danby liked to
collect rare and expensive books.
Page No 20:
Question 2:
Why does he steal every
year?
Answer:
He stole every year so
that he could buy the rare and expensive books that he loved to
collect. Each year, he planned carefully, stole enough to last twelve
months, and secretly bought the books, through an agent.
Page No 22:
Question 1:
Who is speaking to
Horace Danby?
Answer:
A lady standing in the
doorway was speaking to Horace Danby. She was young and pretty, and
was dressed in red. She said she had come just in time, or else her
family would have been robbed by Horace. She, thus, pretended to be
one of the members of the family living at Shotover Grange.
Page No 22:
Question 2:
Who is the real culprit
in the story?
Answer:
The real culprit was
the woman who pretended to be a member of the family living at
Shotover Grange. She tricked Horace into believing her, and cleverly
took away all the jewels that were kept in the safe.
Page No 25:
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
realize this, and how?
Answer:
Yes, one does begin to
suspect before the end of the story that the lady was not the person
Horace Danby took her to be. She was unusually calm on seeing Horace.
This seemed strange enough. When she did not call the police, and
instead asked Horace to take out all the jewels from the safe, even
if it meant breaking it open, it seemed suspicious. Moreover, it also
seemed unlikely that she would forget the numbers to open the safe.
Therefore, it was evident, before the story ended, that the lady was
not the person Horace had taken her to be.
Page No 25:
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 managed to
deceive Horace Danby into thinking that she was the lady of the house
with her subtle ways. She was dressed up pretty well, just like the
lady of the house would be dressed. Also, her manner of talking
calmly, the way in which she petted the dog, and her going to the
fireplace to straighten the ornaments there showed her familiarity
with the place. She regulated her tone and voice according to the
situation. Sometimes, she talked in a kind voice. At other times, she
spoke in a serious manner. She would laugh occasionally, and then,
suddenly, her voice would become sharp. She spoke about how society
should be protected from men like Horace. Because of all these
things, Horace could not suspect that she was not the lady of the
house. He was nervous himself, and was scared of getting caught. The
moment he saw that she would let him go, he quickly broke open the
safe for her, and promised not to rob again. According to the
narrator, he was a ‘good, honest citizen’. This was why
Horace could not suspect anything.
Page No 25:
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 categorized as a typical thief?
Answer:
“Horace Danby was
good and respectable − but not completely honest”. This
description is apt for Horace. He was about fifty years old. He
robbed only from rich people, and his purpose was to buy rare and
expensive books with the money. He stole only once a year. The
intention of buying books was good. However, the fact that he stole
to achieve this end showed that he was not completely honest. He
cannot be categorized as a typical thief because he did not steal to
eat or drink. He had a house. He made locks, had two people to help
him, and was successful in his business. He only stole enough money
to buy the books. For a couple of days, he even kept his promise to
the lady he met at Shotover Grange by not stealing or planning any
robbery.
Page No 25:
Question 4:
Horace
Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go
wrong and why?
Answer:
Horace Danby was a
meticulous planner, but still he faltered. He used to plan his
robberies very well. He knew all the details of the Shotover Grange.
He knew the time when there would be no one at the house. He even
knew the name of the dog in the house. However, he was completely
deceived by the lady he met at the house. He was outdone by her. He
was taken in by her subtle ways, and did not realize that she herself
could have been a thief. On seeing her, he got scared and started
begging her to let him go. When she asked him to take out the jewels
for her, he readily agreed. He did not feel any oddity in her leaving
him, and not getting him arrested. He was only too happy and thankful
that he could go. In his hurry, he even overlooked the fact that his
fingerprints were left all over the safe. He blindly believed the
lady, and thus, in spite of his meticulous planning, he faltered.
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