A QUESTION OF TRUST

Plot/ Theme / Central Idea of the Lesson/ Literary Analysis of A Question of Trust/ Main Idea

The theme of the Story The story

‘A Question of Trust’ is based on the robbery committed in a house at Shot over Grange. Two
professional thieves and burglars come face to face while on the same mission of robbing a safe in the
house. Both of them made elaborate preparations to make the theft a complete success. Horace Danby
robbed a safe every year only to buy rare and expensive books. He was caught red-handed by a lady in
red. The young lady in red was also a thief but she presented herself as the lady of the house. Horace,
in confusion, requested her to go away. She threatened to call the police. At last, a compromise was
reached. The cost of Horace’s freedom was settled. He was to open the safe and hand over the jewels
to her. Horace thought that he was opening the safe for the lady of the house. He handed the jewels
over to her and went out happily. He had forgotten to wear his gloves and left his fingerprints on the
safe. After two days, Horace was arrested on the basis of those fingerprints left on the safe. A grey-
haired sixty years old lady, the wife of the owner of the house stated that Horace’s story was nonsense.

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.

Short Answer Type Important Questions

Answer the following questions in 30-40 words:

1. How did Horace know all the details of the house?

Ans. Horace had been studying the house for the past two weeks. Moreover, a magazine article had
described this house, giving a plan of all the rooms and a picture of the room. There were also the
details of the safe hidden behind the safe.

2.How did Horace fulfil his desire of reading books after he was arrested?
Ans. After Horace was arrested, he became the assistant librarian in the prison and fulfilled his desire
of reading books.

3. Though Horace planned everything meticulously, why did he fail?

Ans. Though Horace planned everything meticulously; he failed led because of the smart lady. She
posed herself to be the owner of the house and convinced him to open the shelf as she had “not the
password of the shelf. Horace got trapped in her plot.

4. How did the flowers cause him trouble?

Ans. Horace Danby had an allergy for flowers, especially during pollen season. Who flowers are nearby,
he got sneezing. The only cure for it was to stay away from those path flowers.

5. What was Horace Danby’s hobby? How did he manage to fulfil his hobby?

Ans. Horace’s only hobby was to read expensive and rare books. He used to rob a safe every year in
order to arrange money for his hobby. He used to get those books from an agent.

6. How did the lady spoil his plan?

Ans. The lady posed as the owner of the house in front of Horace. Horace got scared and believed her.
She asked him to open the safe as she had forgotten the password. Horace opened the safe and handed
over the jewels to her. Hence, Horace’s plan of robbing the safe was spoiled.

7. Why did the lady report to the police though she promised that she would not report to the police?

Or

How did the lady deceive Horace?

Ans. The lady was very clever and shrewd. She promised Horace that she would not report to the police
if he would help her in getting the jewels from the safe. Horace broke the safe and helped her. But she
didn’t keep her promise as she was also a thief and did not want to get into trouble.

8. How did Horace enter Shot over Grange?

Ans. Horace had seen the housekeeper hang the key in the hook outside the kitchen door. He came out
from behind the garden wall. He put on his gloves, took the key and opened the door of the kitchen
and entered Shot over Grange.

9. 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?

Ans. In this story, the real culprit is the young lady. She managed to trick Horace for 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.

10. What do you think is the meaning of the phrase ‘honour among thieves’?

Ans. 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.
11. Which of the two lacked honour?

Ans. Among the two the young lady lacked honour. She came face to face with a thief, still, she tricked
‘him. But Horace did not know that she was a thief. She got all the jewels. She went free but poor
Horace was arrested. It was against the profession of thieves.

12. Describe Horace Danby.

Ans. Horace Danby was a good and respectable citizen. He was about fifty years old, but he was
unmarried. He was a locksmith. He was very successful in his business. He was usually very well and
healthy except for attacks of hay fever. But he was not completely honest.

13. How did Horace Danby manage to get rare and expensive books?

Ans. Horace Danby loved rare and expensive books. He bought them secretly through an agent. But
for this, he had to rob a safe every year because he had not enough money to buy these books. In this
way, he managed to get these rare and expensive books.

14. What did the young lady ask Horace to do for her?

Ans. The young lady told Horace that she had come there to take the jewels from the safe. She said
that she had to wear them that night at a party. She made an excuse of forgetting the number to open
the safe. So she compelled Horace to break open the safe for her if not she would tell the police
everything about him.

15. What story did Horace tell the police when he was arrested?

Ans. He told the police that he had not stolen any jewels. He said that he broke open the safe for the
young wife of the owner of the house. But the wife was herself an old lady of about sixty with grey-hair.
So, none believed his story.

16. Why is Horace Danby described as good and respectable but not completely honest?

Ans. 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.

17. Why did he rob every year? Was he a typical thief? If so, why?

Ans. Horace loved reading rare and expensive books. So he robbed a safe every year to buy these books.
He was a typical thief because he robbed only one safe every year.

18. Describe how Horace Danby planned his work?

Ans. 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.

19. He was a very successful thief. What went wrong when he attempted to rob Shotover Grange?
Ans. Danby was a very successful thief. He always used gloves while breaking a safe. He never left any
fingerprints behind. This time when he started his work, he felt a little tickle in his nose. It was because
of a big flower pot lying on the table. He was repeatedly sneezing. This happened wrong with him.

20. What advice did the lady give Horace regarding his hay fever? Was she really interested in his
health?

Ans. The lady told Horace that he could get rid of the disease if he found out which plant had given him
the disease. She advised him that he should see a doctor. Actually, she was not interested in his health.
She was just trying to be friendly and sympathetic.

21. Did the young lady expect Horace to be caught after the theft?

Ans. Yes, the young lady expected Horace to be caught after the theft. She thought that it would be
very easy to detect Horace with the help of fingerprints.

22. In what way could his arrest have helped her?

Ans. If Horace Danby was arrested for the jewels robbery at Shotover Grange then she could be safe.
She got the jewels but Horace broke the safe for her. Thus, his arrest could have helped her by making
her tension free.

23. Did Horace get the jewels from the Grange safe? If not, why did the police arrest him?

Ans. 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.

Q24. Who was Horace Danby?

Ans. Horace Danby was about fifty years old and unmarried. Everyone thought that he was a good and
honest citizen. He lived with a housekeeper who worried about his health. He suffered from the attacks
of hay fever in summer. He made locks and was successful at his business. But he was not completely
honest. He robbed a safe once a year to buy rare and costly books.

Q25. Why was Horace Dan by not completely honest?

Ans. Generally, people thought that Horace Danby was a good, honest and respectable citizen.
However, he was not completely honest. He robbed a safe every year. This was done to get the
necessary money for the purchase of ‘rare and expensive’ books. The money he stole was enough to
last a year. He secretly bought the books he loved through an agent.

Q26. What preparations did Horace make for ‘this year’s robbery’ at Shotover Grange?

Ans. All the previous yearly robberies of Horace Danby were successful. He felt sure that this year’s
robbery at Shotover Grange would also be successful. He had been studying the location of the house
for two weeks. He studied its rooms, electric wiring, paths and garden. He found out that the two
servants had gone to the movies. He had seen the housekeeper hang the key to the kitchen door on a
hook outside.
Q27. How did Horace Danby enter the house?

Ans. Horace Danby had been preparing for the theft. He studied the house carefully for two weeks
before committing the theft in the house at Shotover Grange. He studied its rooms, electric wiring,
paths and its garden. He had seen the housekeeper hang the key to the kitchen door on a hook outside.
He put on a pair of gloves, took the key and opened the door. Thus, he entered the house at Shotover
Grange.

Q28. What precautions did Horace make before reaching the safe? Name three of them.

Ans. Horace Danby took the following precautions before committing the theft:

(i)He put on a pair of gloves as he was always careful not to leave any fingerprints.

(ii) To tackle the house-dog, Sherry, he kept him quiet and friendly by calling him by his right name.

(iii) He cut the wire of the burglar bell.

Q29. Why was it not hard to open the safe for Horace Danby?

Ans. It was not going to be hard to open the safe for Horace Danby. After all, he had `lived with locks
and safes all his life’. He made locks himself with two helpers. The burglar alarm was poorly built and
he cut the wires of the burglar alarm. He knew about the safe and the key, and it was not a difficult job
for him to open it when no one was present in the house.

Q30. Whose voice was it that advised Horace about the special treatment of his hay fever?

Ans. When Horace was about to open the safe, he heard a female voice. She asked if he suffered from
cold or hay fever. He was sneezing again and again. She told 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.

Q31. Describe the unexpected meeting of the young lady in red and Horace.

Ans. When a voice advised Horace to find a suitable treatment of his hay fever, he was surprised. It
was a quiet, kindly voice but one with firmness in it. A young woman, quite pretty and dressed in red
was standing there. She walked to the fireplace and straightened the ornaments. She said that she
“didn’t expect to meet a burglar”.

Q32. Why did the woman in red threaten to telephone the police?

Ans. Horace was caught red-handed. The woman in red said that she didn’t expect to meet a burglar
there. She added that she knew that it had been a great inconvenience for him to meet her. She also
asked what he was going to do. Horace replied that he was thinking of running away. The lady
threatened that if he did so, she would telephone the police and tell them all about him. They would
get him at once.

Q33. When and why did the woman in red say, “Society must be protected from men like you”? Doesn’t
it sound ironical?
 Ans. 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 ironical because she herself was a thief and had come for the
same purpose for which Horace was there in the house.

Q34. “I have always liked the wrong kind of people,” said the woman in red. Comment.

Ans. It was ironical that the woman who was being considered as the lady of the house and talking big
things was herself a thief. Horace requested her to let him go. He was desperate and afraid of going to
prison. He promised never to do such a thing again. The lady pretended to be generous and stated that
she “always liked the wrong kind of people”.

Q35. Why did Horace mistake the young lady in red as the lady of the house?

Ans. The young woman in red was even smarter than Horace Danby. She was a thief and came with the
same purpose as Horace to that house. However, she encountered Horace with an air of confidence
and authority. She didn’t allow him to doubt or think about her. She showed that the dog, Sherry,
belonged to her. He told him that she returned ‘home’ just in time. Her manner of speaking, gestures
and confidence made Horace mistake her to be the lady of the house.

Q36. Do you think that the young woman in red proved far smarter than Horace Danby? Give reasons.

Ans. 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 telephone the
police and made him open the safe, while Horace was later on caught and arrested. She decamped with
the jewels.

Q37. Who is the real culprit in the story, the young lady in red or Horace Danby? Comment.

Ans. 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.

Q38. Why didn’t the dog bark when Horace Danby and the young lady in red entered to commit theft
in the house?

Ans. Both, Horace Danby and the young lady in red knew all the tricks of their trade. They knew the real
nature of dogs and how to be friendly with them. A small dog when made a noise, Horace called out
“All right, Sherry,” as he passed. Perhaps, the lady in red also knew like Horace that to keep dogs quiet,
one must call them by their right names. Their trick worked and Sherry remained quiet.

Q39. Why did Horace Danby prefer books to collect paintings?

Ans. Horace Danby had a passion for books. Collecting and buying rare and expensive books was his
passionate hobby. He resorted to robbing a safe every year to buy them. When the preference between
collecting books and paintings came, he chose the former. Paintings took up too much space. In a small
house like his, books were a better choice.

Q40. Why didn’t Horace Danby never get any chance to look for another safe?

Ans. Horace got nothing from the house at Shotover Grange. The lady in red decamped with the jewels.
For two days, he kept his promise given to the kind, young lady in red. On the third day, he realised that
he would have to look for another safe to buy books. But he never got that chance because the police
arrested him for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange.

Important Long/ Detailed Answer Type Questions- to be answered in about 100 -150 words each

Answer the following questions in 100-120 words:

1. Horace Danby represents such people who adopt the wrong ways to fulfil their wishes. What values
would you like such people to imbibe to reform themselves? Write in about 100-120 words.

Ans. Horace Danby was a successful businessman. He was about fifty years 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 fulfil 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 fulfil
his desires. I think such people should imbibe the values of honesty, responsibility, hard work,
dedication, self-confidence in order to reform themselves.

2. Horace Danby was a respectable man but he could not be called loyal. What do you think could be
the reasons for leading a respectable man like him on the path of thievery? Did he feel lack of sense of
freedom? Was it not in his nature to accept the differences among people regarding their social status?
Discuss the values he should have possessed in 100-120 words.

Ans. Horace Danby’s habits were not typical of a thief. He was fond of books was a respectable man
but his passion for books lead him to thievery. He used to steal only once. In a year so, he was never
stealing more than his needs. He stole only to buy rare books; he loved rare and expensive books.
Moreover, Danby used to rob only rich people. It was his nature. To accept the differences among
people regarding their social status. He was aware that people with high socio-background can help
him to fulfil his desire. He found such people easy to rob.

3. Horace promised the young lady that he would follow the path of honesty if sills 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 fulfil his needs through an
honest living? Discuss the values he needed to imbibe in 100-120 words.

Ans. 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.
4. 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 in 100-120 words.

Ans. 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 fulfil 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.

5. Horace Danby requested the lady to forget what she saw. Was Horace afraid of being caught? Did
he lack the courage to accept his crime publicly? Explain the values one must imbibe to accept one’s
mistake in 100-120 words.

Ans. Yes, Horace Danby was afraid of being caught. He lacked the courage to accept his crime publicly.
He was not a professional criminal or thief. He was considered a good and honest man by everyone. He
was about fifty years old and unmarried. His house was looked after by a housekeeper. He used to rob
only one safe every year to pursue his habit of getting rare and expensive books to read. He used to rob
only those who were rich. He had a good reputation in the society and hence did not want anyone to
know about his crimes. Although he helped the lady but was caught by the police for the crime he did
not commit. He learnt from his mistake.

6.” Horace had some hope because she seemed to be amused at meeting him.” Why did Horace feel
so? Did he consider the young lady compassionate towards him? Did he find her free from biases?
Discuss the values Horace should have imbibe understanding of the person in 100-120 words.

Ans. Horace was a fifty-year-old man who used to rob only to buy rare and expensive. This time he
decided to rob Shot over Grange. But as soon as e entered the room, a Young lady appeared. She posed
to be the lady of the ruse. She was very confident in her Mat, inner of talking. She talked about high
ideals like pro-acting. The society from robbers like conium racked. Then she tried to be polite and nice
to him. On hearing her, Horace felt that he had a hope of escaping. He found her a bit compassionate
towards him. He was amused at Horace. She acted in quite a subtle manner and showed her sympathy
and admiration towards a simple and honest man. He could not judge her ace. She made Horace
promise that he would never commit the crime again. Horace was cleverness and shrewdness and
hence later got arrested for stealing the jewels which he did not steal.

7. Write a character-sketch of Horace Danby.

Ans. Horace Danby was a good and respectable citizen. He was about fifty years old but he was
unmarried. He was a locksmith. He was very successful in his business. Despite all these qualities, he
was not completely honest. He had been to jail once. So he hated the thought of jail.

He loved rare and expensive books. He broke a safe every year to have enough money to buy books.
He was a careful burglar. He planned his work well. He was very careful while robbing a safe. He wore
gloves and never left fingerprints on the scene of the crime. Since he was a locksmith so it was very
easy for him to break any safe.
Once he was duped by a young lady. That young lady, who pretended to be the owner’s wife, was also
a thief. He gave all the jewels to the young lady and left his fingerprints all over the room. Thus, he was
arrested and sent to prison. Now he did not like the thought of ‘honour among thieves’ any more. ‘

8. Describe Horace Danby’s encounter with the young lady.

Or

‘The lady in the red was a more professional thief than Horace Danby’. Give a reasoned answer.

Ans. Horace Danby was going to rob the safe at Shotover Grange. He had cut the wires of the burglar
alarm. But the flowers on the table made a tickle in his nose and he was sneezing repeatedly. Just then
a young lady dressed in red came in. She spoke friendly to Danby but her sound was firm.

She said that she was the owner’s wife. She told him that she had come there to take the jewels from
the safe. She had to wear them that night at a party. She made an excuse that she had forgotten the
number to open the safe. She told the thief that she would let him go if he opened the safe for her.
Danby was taken in. He opened the safe without gloves. He gave all the jewels to the young lady. She
went away safely with the jewels but Danby was arrested for the jewels robbery and sent to prison.

9. What were Horace Danby’s plans for his latest robbery?

Ans. Horace was sure that the robbery he was planning for that year was going to be as successful as
all the others so far. He had been observing and studying the house at Shotover Grange for two weeks.
He had observed everything minutely. That afternoon, when he planned to rob the house, he had seen
the two servants, who remained in the Grange, going to the movies. He came out from behind the
garden wall. He had packed his tools carefully in a bag on his back. Horace knew that there were about
fifteen thousand pounds worth of jewels in the Grange safe and if he sold them one by one, he was
sure to get enough money to last him for another year.

Q10. How did the lady in red turn out to be much smarter and cleverer than Horace Danby? How did
one thief outwit and outmanoeuvre the other?

Or

How did the lady in red manage to outsmart and outmanoeuvre the other thief, Horace Danby, by
robbing the safe without leaving a single fingerprint?

Ans. The lady in red was also a thief. So was Horace Danby. But it was the lady in the red who
outmanoeuvred and outwitted Horace. No doubt, Horace did his job quite professionally. He worked
hard to find out the necessary details about the location of the house and the position of the key and
the safe. But, Horace proved to be a novice in judging the young lady in red. The young lady acted with
so much confidence and in such a convincing manner that she could easily pass off as the lady of the
house. Horace Danby became a mere puppet who danced to the tune of the lady. When caught red-
handed, he pleaded her to let him go. The young lady exploited his confusion and fear of going to prison
fully. She made Horace open the safe. The unsuspecting Horace was made to believe that he was
working for the lady of the house. So he opened the safe without putting on his gloves. He gave the
jewels to the lady leaving his fingerprints on the safe. So he was found out and arrested. Naturally, the
young lady in red proved far smarter and outmanoeuvred Horace Danby.
Q11. Give a character-sketch of Horace Danby in your own words. How was he outmanoeuvred by the
lady in red?

Ans. 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 did so because he needed money to buy books. Horace
had a passion for buying rare and costly books. With that money, he secretly bought the books he loved
through an agent.

Like a professional thief, he made a lot of preparations. He made it sure that every year’s robbery was
going to be as successful as all the others. He studied the location of the house at Shotover Grange—
its rooms, its electric wiring, its paths and its gardens in details. He also came to know that the two
servants of the house were out to the movies. He also knew where was safe and it’s key. He befriended
the little dog by calling his right name.

In spite of all his professionalism, Horace Danby proved a novice in judging the lady in red. The lady in
red behaved with so much confidence and authority that Horace became totally a puppet in her hands.
Easily passing off as the lady of the house, she made Horace open the safe without wearing his gloves.
While the lady in red decamped with the jewels, Horace was sent to prison.

Q12. Give a character-sketch of the lady in red highlighting how she outwitted Horace Danby.

Ans. We don’t get any information regarding the past history of the lady in red as we know about
Horace’s past. Her whole personality remains wrapped in mystery until the end. Only when the identity
of the real lady of the house is unfolded, we come to know that she is a thief. She is the real culprit. The
lady in red comes there with the only purpose of committing a theft in the house like Horace. She
cleverly decamps with the jewels while Horace is sent to prison.

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. Her gestures, confidence and convincing power are enough
to convince Horace. He turns out quite a novice in understanding and judging the lady in red and her
motive. She dominates the proceeding. Horace only proves a puppet in her hands. She exploits his fear
of going to prison. She makes him open the safe without his gloves. She convinced him that she needes
those jewels to wear them to a party that night. Horace willingly hands over the jewels and she decamps
with them. Only when the grey-haired, sharp-tongued woman appears as the real lady of the house,
we come to know that the lady in red was a professional and crafty thief much smarter than Horace.

Q13. How had Horace planned to loot the house at Shotover Grange?

Ans. Horace Danby never committed theft in a hurry. All his previous operations were completely
successful. He robbed a safe every year. This money was enough to last for a year. Like all his previous
robberies, he also planned his latest robbery in a house at Shotover Grange in all details. For two weeks,
he had been studying the house, its rooms, electric wiring, paths and its garden. He also had definite
information that two servants working there had gone to movies. He saw them go. He came out from
behind the garden wall. He had packed his tools carefully in a bag on his back. He had seen the
housekeeper hang the key to the kitchen door on a hook outside. He put on a pair of gloves, took the
key and opened the house. He always put on a pair of gloves before committing a theft. A magazine
article had described the house with all the rooms. It also mentioned that a painting hid a safe. He
collected all these details and made all preparations to make his latest theft a complete success like the
others.

Q14. How was Horace Danby arrested for the robbery of the jewels in a house at Shotover Grange? Do
you think his own foolishness was responsible for his arrest? Give a reasoned answer.

Ans. Horace Danby never acted recklessly in a hurry while committing a theft. He robbed a safe every
year. All his previous thefts had been completely successful. Even to commit a theft in a house at
Shotover Grange, he made detailed and fool-proof preparations. However, he proved a novice in
comparison to the young lady in red. She, in a very confident and convincing way, made him believe
that she was the lady of the house. She made him open the safe without the gloves and handover all
the jewels to her. She decamped with the jewels and Horace was arrested.

By noon, a policeman arrested Horace for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange. He had opened the
safe without wearing his gloves. He did so believe that he was opening the safe for the lady of the
house. He pleaded that the wife of the owner of the house had asked him to open the safe for her. The
real lady of the house appeared on the scene. She was not the young lady in red but a grey-haired
woman of sixty. She said that Horace’s story was nonsense. Only then, Horace came to know that he
was outwitted by the lady in red who was also a thief like him.