Long Answer Questions: A Question of Trust | English Class 10 PDF Download

Q1: Horace stated that he robbed only those who had a lot of money. Was he really a threat to 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 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.

Q2: 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 a 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 society and, hence, did not want anyone to know about his crimes. Although he helped the lady but was caught by the police for a crime he did not commit. He learned from his mistake.

Q3: “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 bias? 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 they entered the room, a Young lady appeared. She posed to be the lady of the ruse. She was very confident in her mat and inner 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 clever and shrewd and, hence, later got arrested for stealing the jewels, which he did not steal.

Q4: Describe Horace Danby’s encounter with the young lady.

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 sneezed 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.

Q5: Give a character sketch of Horace Danby in your own words. How was he outsmarted 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 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 detail. He also came to know that the two servants of the house were out to the movies. He also knew where it was safe, and its 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.

Q6: Horace was not a typical thief. What values would you like to inculcate in him to transform him? Write in about 80-100 words.

Ans: Horace wasn’t a typical thief; he stole just enough money each year to buy the rare and expensive books he loved, and he kept his actions to himself. However, he wasn’t entirely honest, and stealing, no matter the reason, is still wrong. To help him become a better person, I would instill in him the values of trust and courage. He needs to trust that there are honest ways to fulfill his desires and have the courage to seek help from trustworthy friends. I would also encourage him to believe in himself and understand that through hard work, he can achieve his goals in a fair and respectable way, leading to a life of dignity.

Q7: 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 do 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 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 needed 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 do we come to know that the lady in red is a professional and crafty thief much smarter than Horace.

Q8: 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 studied the house, its rooms, electric wiring, paths, and garden. He also had definite information that two servants working there had gone to the 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.

Q9: 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 or in a hurry while committing 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 handed over 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 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.

Q10: 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 manipulates the whole situation, as does Horace, and very skillfully gets the jewels without even touching anything. She talked about high things like protecting 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 anymore, he could not do so as he had no other choice but to leave.