CBSE Class 10 English A Question of Trust Worksheet

A Question of Trust Summary Class 10 English

GIST: This story is about a thief who gets a taste of his own medicine. Horace Danby can be termed as a thief with a difference. He steals only once in a year. He is fond of books and spends most of his booty on buying books. He plans meticulously before attempting a burglary. During his burglary attempt at a big house, he gathers all the necessary information and enters the house for stealing from the safe. He is cheated by a lady thief, who claims herself to be the owner of the house. Finally, Horace ends up in prison only to repent at the way he was deceived by a person from his own profession.

● Key points/ Highlights :
1. Horace Danby, who ran a business of making locks, had a good reputation in society. But he was not totally honest.
2. His hobby was collecting rare and expensive books. Horace robbed one safe every year to finance his costly hobby.
3. Horace had been studying the country house at Shotover Grange, whose owner normally lived in London, as he wanted to burgle the jewellery, worth about 15000 pounds, lying in the safe in this house.
4. Horace entered the house when the servants were away. But Horace started sneezing because he had an allergy to flowers called hay fever.
5. Suddenly he heard a young lady’s voice saying that she could cure him. He then saw her appear in the doorway.
6. His first thought was to run, as the lady told him that she would telephone the police. Horace told her to let him go and forget she ever saw him.
7. The lady agreed on one condition – he should open the safe for her, as she had to wear the jewels in the safe for a party the same night, but she had forgotten the combination to open the safe.
8. So Horace opened the safe for her and handed her the jewels to get his freedom.
9. After two days Horace was arrested for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange. Horace’s fingerprints were found, as he had opened the safe without using his gloves.
10. When he told the police that the lady of the house had asked him to open the safe, he was surprised to learn that the actual lady was a 60-year old woman. Horace then realised that the young woman was also a jewel thief who had used his skill to steal the jewels.
11. Horace is now in prison. He understands now that the charming and clever young lady had simply tricked him.

● Character sketch of Horace Danby :
Horace Danby was good and respectable – but not completely honest. He was about 50 years old and unmarried, and he lived with his housekeeper. He was a successful locksmith. He went to jail once. He loved rare and expensive books. He looted a safe every year to find enough money for 12 months. He was a meticulous planner. He stole only from rich people and never hurt anyone. In spite of his careful planning and operation he was duped by a young lady who posed as the owner of the house. Thus, he was arrested and sent to prison. Now, he is angered by the thought of “honour among thieves”.
 

Main Characters of the Story- A Question of Trust

Character Sketch

1 Horace Danby: Horace Danby was about fifty years old and unmarried. Everyone thought him a good and honest citizen. He was otherwise very well and happy except for attacks of hay fever in summer. He made locks and was fairly successful at his business. Horace Danby was good and respectable but not completely honest. He used to rob a safe every year. He used to do so because he needed money to buy books. He had a passion for buying rare and costly books. He would rob only the rich person. He never hurt anyone and carried no weapon with him. He was not very aggressive and didn’t want to go to prison.

2. The Lady in Red: The lady in red is gifted with a rare personality. She is full of confidence. She acts like a perfect actress presenting herself as the lady of the house. Even the dog was rubbing against her in a friendly manner. In a very subtle way, she told Horace that she wanted to wear the jewels in the safe to a party that night. She made him open the safe without gloves. Horace willingly hands over the jewels and she decamps with them.

Extract Based Questions :

1. How foolish people are when they own valuable things, Horace thought. A magazine article had described this house, giving a plan of all the rooms and a picture of this room. The writer had even mentioned that the painting hid a safe! But Horace found that the flowers were hindering him in his work. He buried his face in his handkerchief. Then he heard a voice say from the doorway, “What is it? A cold or hay fever?” Before he could think, Horace said, “Hay fever,” and found himself sneezing again. The voice went on, “You can cure it with a special treatment, you know, if you find out just what plant gives you the disease. I think you’d better see a doctor, if you’re serious about your work. I heard you from the top of the house just now.”

Question. According to the extract, Horace was sneezing due to a
a) sudden allergy
b) prior infection
c) long-standing disease
d) nasal pain
Answer. B

Question. Which magazine could have published the article mentioned in the given extract?
a) Paws & Claws
b) Outdoors & Landscaping
c) Interiors
d) The Investor
Answer. C

Question. Horace came to know all the details of the house through…………..
Answer. An article in a magazine.

Question. In the line – Before he could think, Horace said, “Hay fever,” –the response was
a) rehearsed
b) spontaneous and natural.
c) hesitant.
d) rapid and hostile.
Answer. B

Question. Which line from the extract can be considered an example of sarcasm ?
Answer. I think you’d better see a doctor, if you’re serious about your work.

2. But he never got the chance to begin his plan. By noon a policeman had arrested him for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange. His fingerprints, for he had opened the safe without gloves, were all over the room, and no one believed him when he said that the wife of the owner of the house had asked him to open the safe for her. The wife herself, a gray-haired, sharp-tongued woman of sixty, said that the story was nonsense. Horace is now the assistant librarian in the prison. He often thinks of the charming, clever young lady who was in the same profession as he was, and who tricked him. He gets very angry when anyone talks about ‘honour among thieves’.

Question. What was the piece of evidence against him?
Answer. His fingerprints on the safe was the piece of evidence against him.

Question. Based on the extract, choose what you think are the main feelings Horace probably has, for the young lady who tricked him, when he thinks about her?
a) anger and blame
b) admiration and respect
c) respect and gratitude
d) anger and vengeance
Answer. B

Question. Given below are four situations in Mr. Verma’s house. Choose the situation that depicts Mr. Verma being sharp-tongued with his family members.
a) Mr. Verma’s wife shares a life problem with him and he advises her honestly.
b) Mr. Verma’s daughter scores poor marks in his exams and Mr. Verma remains silent.
c) Mr. Verma’s son cooks food for the first time and he is criticized by his father immediately.
d) Mr. Verma’s sister buys a new car to surprise him and he is overjoyed with the news.
Answer. C

Question. Honour among thieves is an example of a/n
Answer. It is an idiom.

3. The voice went on, “You can cure it with a special treatment, you know, if you find out just what plant gives you the disease. I think you’d better see a doctor, if you’re serious about your work.”

Question. Whose voice is referred to in the above extract?
(a) the old lady who pretended to be a member of the household
(b) the young lady who pretended to be a servant of the household
(c) the young lady who pretended to be a member of the household
(d) the young man who pretended to be a member of the household
Answers. C

Question. What disease was the voice referring to?
(a) Fever
(b) Yellow fever
(c) Typhoid
(d) Hay fever
Answer. D

Question. Find a word from the passage that means the same as ‘ailment’.
(a) Disease
(b) Malaise
(c) Unease
(d) Treatment
Answer. A

Question. What part of speech is the word ‘it’ in the extract?
Answer. It is a ‘Pronoun’.

Question. Who are ‘you’ and ‘I’ in the above extract?
Answer. ‘I’ is the young lady who Horace met in the house and ‘you’ is Horace.

Short Answer Questions : 

Question. Describe how Horace Danby planned his work?
Answer. Horace Danby studied the house ai 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.

Question. What do you think is the meaning of the phrase ‘honour among thieves’?
Answer. The phrase ‘honour among thieves’ means that thieves have their code of conduct. One thief is honest to the other thief. They never betray one another. 

Question. Horace sneezed. Why did he do it ? 
Answer. Horace did not sneeze deliberately, rather he suffered from an attack of hay fever. There was a big bowl of flowers kept in the drawing room that caused him to sneeze. He buried his face in his handkerchief.

Question. How did Danby prepare for the robbery at Shotover Grange ?
Answer. Danby studied the complete situation of the house, i.e., electric wiring, paths and garden. He collected information about the family. He knew all the movements of the servants. He always kept his tools ready.

Question. Horace Danby was interested in the books, not in the painting. Why ?
Answer. Horace Danby was fond of reading the rare type of books. For a moment, he thought to collect paintings from the small house but he could not, as the books were better in that small house.

Question. Why was Horace arrested when he had not stolen anything ?
Answer. Horace was arrested because his finger prints were all around the safe since he had opened the safe bare-handed. He told that the landlady had asked him to open the safe. No one believed his story. The real lady of the house was an old lady of sixty. The young lady was another thief.

Question. Whom did Horace Danby see in the kitchen? How did they greet each other? What tact did Horace apply there?
Answer. Horace Danby saw the family dog, Sherry, in the kitchen. The dog greeted Horace by stirring, making a noise and wagging its tail in a friendly way. Horace greeted the dog by tactfully calming it down, calling it by its name and showing love to it.

Question. How did Danby prepare for the robbery at Shotover Grange? or How did Horace Danby plan his robberies?
Answer. Danby always planned his robberies meticulously. He prepared for the robbery at Shotover Grange by studying the house, the electric wiring, paths and garden. He knew that the family normally lived in the city and knew about the movement of the servants, who had gone out that afternoon. He had kept his tools ready, packed in a bag.

Question. What was the passion of Horace Danby and how did he satisfy it?
Answer. The passion of Horace Danby was collecting rare and expensive books.To satisfy this passion, he needed money and arranged it by robbing one safe every year and then secretly buying the books through an agent. In a year, he was never stealing more than his needs. He stole only to buy rare books; he loved rare and expensive books.

Question. Describe the safe at Shotover Grange. or Where was the safe at Shotover Grange? What was there inside it? What did Horace expect to get if he sold them one by one?
Answer. The safe at Shotover Grange was kept in the drawing room behind a poor painting and had jewels worth about 15000 pounds kept in it. It had a poorly built burglar alarm, but could be opened only through a specific code. Horace expected to get 5000 pounds if he sold the jewels one by one.

Question. How can you say that Horace Danby was good and respectable but not completely honest?
Answer. Horace Danby was good and respectable because he was an expert in his profession of making locks. However, as he loved collecting rare and expensive books, he robbed a safe every year to finance the purchase of these books through an agent. Thus he was not completely honest.

Question. How did flowers hinder Horace in his work?
Answer. Flowers hindered Horace in his work because he had hay fever, a disorder affecting the nose and throat, caused by allergy to pollen or dust. Due to this problem, whenever he came close to flowers, he began to sneeze and could be caught. He had to cover his face.

Question. Why was Horace Danby sure that his robbery at Shotover Grange would be a successful one?
Answer. Horace Danby was sure that his robbery at Shotover Grange would be a successful one because he had studied the house, the drawing room where the safe was kept, the wiring and its garden. He had also studied the movement of the servants, so he had planned well, thus ensuring that nothing could go wrong.

Question. Why does Horace Danby get angry when anyone talks about ‘honour among thieves’?
Answer. The phrase ‘honour among thieves’ means that thieves have their code of conduct. One thief is honest to the other thief. They never betray one another. When anyone talks about ‘honour among thieves’, Horace Danby gets angry because the young lady who cheated him was also a thief, yet did not follow this saying, their code of conduct.

Question. What are the subtle ways in which the lady manages to deceive Horace Danby into thinking she is the mistress of the house?
Answer. The subtle ways in which the lady manages to deceive Horace Danby into thinking she is the mistress of the house are her grace, charm, comfort level, knowledge, persistence, way of talking confidently and familiarity with the household. She even threatens to get him arrested, which convinces Horace Danby that she is genuine.

Question. Who is the real culprit in the story, the young lady in red or Horace Danby? Comment.
Answer. 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 actually 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.

Long Answer Questions :

Question. Horace Danby represents such people who adopt the wrong ways to fulfill their wishes. What values would you like such people to imbibe to reform themselves?
Answer. Horace Danby was a successful businessman. He was about fifty year’s respectable citizen but had a habit that led him to do robberies. Danby loved rare, expensive books and to get them he used to rob a safe every year. Every year he planned carefully just to get what he wanted. Danby adopted wrong ways to fulfill his wishes and hence, later got trapped in a plot by a thief like him. People should imbibe good values. They should learn that hard work is the only key to success One should work hard to fulfill his desires. I think such people should imbibe the values of honesty, responsibility, hard work, dedication, self-confidence in order to reform themselves.

Question. Give the character sketch of Horace Danby.
Answer. Horace Danby was a fifty year old bachelor. Everybody thought him to be a good and honest citizen. He was usually very well and happy except for the attacks of hay fever in summer. He made locks and was successful enough in his business. Horace was good and respectable – but not completely honest. He was very fond of rare and expensive books. He was a very good planner, who planned his robbery in a very systematic manner, he studied every minute details. Horace was never caught for stealing. He stole only the rich people and never hurt anyone. He also never carried any weapon with him. He loved rare and expensive books for that he robbed one safe each year which lasted him for twelve months and he secretly bought the books he loved through an agent.

Question. Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why ?
Answer. Horace Danby had collected all the information about the owner and servants and studied the house carefully. He always planned his work well and was always alert. When the lady in red came and announced that she was the owner of the house, her appearance was such that he was fooled. When she took a cigarette from a silver book, Horace took off his gloves and held his lighter towards her. When opening the safe to get her jewels, he forgot to put on the gloves and so, his fingerprints were found on the safe and he was arrested two days later. Infact, the owner of the house was an aged lady of sixty and he had been fooled by that young lady who was herself a thief, who robbed the jewels and fled away easily.

Question. Horace stated that he robbed only those who had a lot of money. Was he really a threat to the society? Did he lack the qualities of a good citizen? Discuss the values he needs to imbibe to lead a path of righteousness.
Answer. I don’t think Horace was a threat to the society. He never threatened anyone and rather stole for a very good reason. He used to rob a safe every year to pursue his hobby of getting rare and expensive books to read. He was not a professional thief. Moreover, he never harmed anyone. He was considered a good and honest citizen by everyone. He was about fifty years old and unmarried.He had all the qualities of a good citizen. He was not a criminal or a typical thief. He did so only to fulfill his need. He was an honest and good man. He believed in the lady’s story and gave away all the jewels to her. If he had been a criminal, he would have killed the lady or would have never handed the jewels to her.

Question. Horace promised the young lady that he would follow the path of honesty if she would not hand him over to the police but he could not keep his promise for more than days. Did he lack reconciliation? Was it not in his nature to keep his promise? Did he lack the courage to fulfill his needs through an honest living? Discuss the values he needed to imbibe.
Answer. The lady manipulated the whole situation as well as Horace and very skillfully got the jewels without even touching anything. She talked high things like protecting the society from culprits like Horace. Horace promised her that he would follow the path of honesty. He helped her in getting the jewels by breaking the safe without wearing gloves. But after two days, police caught him for stealing the jewels. He could not convince them that he had not taken the jewels and had helped the owner’s wife. The condition provoked him to break his promise. Although he honestly felt that he would not rob any more he could not do so as he had no other choice left.

Question. Horace Danby represents such people who adopt the wrong ways to fulfill their wishes. What values would you like such people to imbibe to reform themselves?
Answer. Horace Danby was a successful businessman. He was considered a good and honest citizen by all. He was not a criminal or a typical thief. He was about fifty year‘s respectable citizen but had a habit that led him to do robberies. Danby loved rare, expensive books and to get them he used to rob a safe every year. Every year he planned carefully just to get what he wanted.Danby adopted wrong ways to fulfill his wishes and hence, later got trapped in a plot by a thief like him. People should imbibe good values. They should learn that hard work is the only key to success. One should work hard to fulfill his desires. I think such people should imbibe the values of honesty, responsibility,truthfulness, hard work, dedication, sincerity, self-confidence in order to reform themselves.

Question. Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished or that he deserved what he got?
Answer. Horace Danby was partly innocent in the robbery at Shotover Grange because he never took the jewels he was accused of stealing, even though he broke into the place with the intention of robbing it. He used to rob a safe every year to pursue his hobby of getting rare and expensive books to read. He was not a professional thief. Moreover, he never harmed anyone. He was considered a good and honest citizen by everyone. Furthermore, he would have gone through with his plan, had he not encountered the lady in Red. Although his punishment isn’t unfair because he had committed many robberies over the past years and it can be construed as his crimes catching up to him.

Question. Horace promised the young lady that he would follow the path of honesty if she would not hand him over to the police but he could not keep his promise for more than days. Did he lack reconciliation? Was it not in his nature to keep his promise? Did he lack the courage to fulfill his needs through an honest living? Discuss the values he needed to imbibe.
Answer. The lady manipulated the whole situation as well as Horace and very skillfully got the jewels without even touching anything. She talked about high things like protecting the society from culprits like Horace. Horace promised her that he would follow the path of honesty. He helped her in getting the jewels by breaking the safe without wearing gloves. But after two days, police caught him for stealing the jewels. He could not convince them that he had not taken the jewels and had helped the owner‘s wife. The condition provoked him to break his promise. Although he honestly felt that he would not rob any more he could not do so as he had no other choice left.