NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 4 - A Question of Trust

Page No. 20

Read and Find Out

Q1: What does Horace Danby like to collect?

Ans: Horace Danby liked to collect rare and expensive books.

Q2: Why does he steal every year?

Ans: Horace would rob a safe once a year to afford the rare and costly books he loved to collect. Every year, he carefully planned his actions, stole just enough money to last him for a year, and quietly purchased the books he adored through an agent.

Page No. 22

Read and Find Out

Q1: Who is speaking to Horace Danby?

Ans: A lady standing in the doorway spoke to Horace Danby. She was young, attractive, and dressed in a red outfit. She walked over to the fireplace and adjusted the ornaments placed there. She mentioned that she had arrived just in time, or else Horace would have stolen all the jewels from the safe. She then asked him to open the safe for her, promising not to report him to the police if he complied. It became clear that she was merely pretending to be a member of the family living at Shotover Grange.

Q2: Who is the real culprit in the story?

Ans: The true culprit in the story was the young woman who posed as a family member living at Shotover Grange. She deceived Horace Danby, making him believe her and persuading him to open the safe for her. In exchange, she promised not to report him to the police. Afterward, she took all the jewels from the safe and disappeared.

Page No. 25

Think about It

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 did you realize this, and how?

Ans: Yes, we began to suspect before the story ended that the lady was the real culprit who tricked Horace Danby. It was odd how calm she remained when she saw Horace trying to break into the safe. If she had truly been a family member of Shotover Grange, she would have likely raised an alarm immediately. Instead, she calmly approached Horace and asked him to take out all the jewels, promising not to call the police and letting him go free. This behavior seemed suspicious, and it was highly unlikely that she was a family member who had forgotten the combination to the safe. It became clear that she was just using Horace to open the safe for her. Long before the story ended, it was evident that she was the actual culprit, not who she pretended to be.

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 doesn’t Horace suspect that something is wrong?

Ans: The young woman’s confident walk, the way she touched up her make-up, her familiarity with the dog Sherry and the easy way in which she picked a cigarette from the right place are some of the subtle ways in which she managed to deceive Horace Danby to believe that she was the lady of the house. Horace was frightened and could not think properly. As a result, he didn’t suspect that she was trying to trick him into breaking open the safe for her.

Q3: “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?

Ans: “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.

Q4: Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?

Ans: Horace Danby failed to carry out his robbery successfully, even though he knew a lot about Shotover Grange, including the layout of the house, where the valuable items were, the electric wiring, and the garden. However, he didn’t know much about the people who lived there. Although he was smart enough to know the dog's real name, he didn’t gather enough information about the residents. When the young lady caught him while he was trying to open the safe, he got very scared and didn’t realize that she was tricking him. When she promised to let him go without calling the police, Horace became careless. He opened the safe without wearing gloves, leaving his fingerprints everywhere, which led to his downfall.

Talk about It

Q1: Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished, or that he deserved what he got?

Ans: He deserved what he got. A crime is a crime no matter if it is committed a hundred times or just once.

Q2: Do intentions justify actions? Would you, like Horace Danby, do something wrong if you thought your ends justified the means? Do you think that there are situations in which it is excusable to act less than honestly?

Ans: “Ends do not justify means”, this is a very old and time-tested saying. For own benefit, nobody should harm others. But this world doesn’t function on idealism. There are many examples of people duping people for quick gains. These acts should be deplored and dealt with severely.