A Question of Trust Important Questions Class 10 Footprints without Feet English
Very Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1. What does Horace Danby like to collect?
Answer
Horace Danby likes to collect rare and expensive books.
Question 2. Why was it not difficult for Horace to open the safe?
Answer
It was not difficult for Horace Danby to open the safe because he had lived with locks and safes all his life. The burglar alarm was poorly built. He cut the wire without any difficulty.
Question 3. How did Horace fulfill his desire of reading books after he was arrested?
Answer
After Horace was arrested, he became the assistant librarian in the prison and fulfilled his desire for reading books.
Question 4. What do you think is the meaning of the phrase ‘honor among thieves’?
Answer
The phrase ‘honor among thieves’ means that thieves have their code of conduct. One thief is honest to the other thief. They never betray one another.
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1. 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?
Answer
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.
Question 2. What advice did the lady give Horace regarding his hay fever? Was she really interested in his health?
Answer
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.
Question 3. What did Horace Danby hear from the doorway?
Answer
Horace Danby heard a voice from the doorway. It was the voice of a lady. As Horace Danby has sneezed loudly, therefore the lady asked what it was and he replied that it was due to hay fever.
Question 4. How did Horace know all the details of the house?
Answer
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.
Question 5. How did the lady in red convince Horace Danby to open the lock?
Answer
The lady told Horace Danby that she had promised her husband to take her jewels to the hank but she left them in the safe. She had forgotten the numbers to open the safe and wanted to wear the jewels to a party. Horace Danby believed her and opened the safe for her.
Question 6. How did the flowers cause him trouble?
Answer
Horace Danby had an allergy for flowers, especially during the pollen season. Who flowers are nearby, he got sneezing. The only cure for it was to stay away from those path flowers.
Question 7. Why did Horace Danby feel sure of his success in that year’s robbery?
Answer
Horace Danby felt sure of his success in that year’s robbery as he had been studying room, paths and gardens of the house at Shot over Grange for two weeks. He knew that the family was in London and two servants who lived in the house had gone to watch a movie that afternoon.
Question 8. How did the lady spoil his plan?
Answer
The lady posed as the owner of the house in front of Horace. Horace got scared and believed her. She ask 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.
Question 9. Do you think that the young woman in red proved far smarter than Horace Danby? Give reasons.
Answer
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 call the police and made him open the safe, while Horace was later caught and arrested. She decamped with the jewels.
Question 10. Did Horace Danby get the jewels from the Grange safe? Then why did the Police arrest him?
Answer
Horace Danby did not get the jewels from the Grange safe but he was arrested by the police as his fingerprints were traced on the lighter which he gave to the lady to light the cigarette. He was eager to please the lady to win her favour.
Question 11. How did Horace enter Shot over Grange?
Answer
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.
Question 12. What story did Horace tell the police when he was arrested?
Answer
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.
Question 13. What precautions did Horace make before reaching the safe? Name three of them.
Answer
Horace Danby took the following precautions before committing the theft:
- He put on a pair of gloves as he was always careful not to leave any fingerprints.
- To tackle the house-dog, Sherry, he kept him quiet and friendly by calling him by his right name.
- He cut the wire of the burglar bell.
Question 14. What does the author tell us about Horace Danby’s life?
Answer
Horace Danby was unmarried and fifty year old and lived with a housekeeper who bothered about his health. He had hay fever. He made locks and was successful in his business. He was good and respectable but not honest.
Question 15. How did Horace Danby manage to get rare and expensive books?
Answer
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 did not have enough money to buy these books. In this way, he managed to get these rare and expensive books.
Question 16. Why does he steal every year?
Answer
He used to steal every year so that he could buy the rare and expensive books that he loved to collect. He planned meticulously before attempting a burglary, stole enough to last twelve months and secretly bought the books through an agent.
Question 17. When and why did the woman in red say, “Society must be protected from men like you”? Doesn’t it sound ironical?
Answer
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 ironic because she herself was a thief and had come for the same purpose for which Horace was there in the house.
Question 18. Describe how Horace Danby planned his work?
Answer
Horace Danby studied the house at 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 19. Why did Horace Danby prefer books to collect paintings?
Answer
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.
Question 20. Who is speaking to Horace Danby?
Answer
A lady standing in the doorways is speaking to Horace Danby. She is young and pretty, and is 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.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1. Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?
Answer
Horace Danby failed to get enough information about real occupants of the house. He seemed to be too occupied with collecting other little details and information about house map, wiring and location of valuable things. Although he was smart enough to know the dog’s actual name but overlooked getting identity of each and every occupant of the house. Once he was in problem then probably his clever mind gave way to carelessness leading him to open the safe without wearing gloves.
Question 2. “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.
Answer
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, 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.
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. His purpose of stealing money was only to buy rare and expensive books. He stole only once every year. His intention to use the booty in buying books was good. However, the fact that he stole to achieve this intention showed that he was not completely honest.
He cannot be categorized as a typical thief because he did not steal to eat or drink and was not a regular offender. He did not harm anybody during the act. 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 promises to the lady he met at Shotover Grange by not stealing or planning any robbery.
Question 4. How did the lady in red turn out to be smarter than Horace Danby?
Answer
Horace Danby was a cleaver thief. He lived a life of a respectable and successful businessman. He used to make locks. He was fond of rare and expensive books. He did not have enough money to buy these books. He used to rob a safe for this once in a year. He was very clever. He made his plan in such a way that he was never caught. He spent a lot of time in planning his mission. He never left any sign of theft but the lady who was another thief proved herself cleverer than Danby. She was a great actress as well.
She pretended to be the owner of the house. She tricked Danby who opened the safe for her and handed over the jewels. Horace was so nervous that he did not realise that he had no gloves in his hand. The lady had no tools, no gloves but managed to rob the safe without leaving any evidence against her. Thus, we can say that the lady was cleverer than Danby.
Question 5. Give a character-sketch of Horace Danby in your own words. How was he outmaneuvered by the lady in red?
Answer
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.
Question 6. Give a character-sketch of the lady in red highlighting how she outwitted Horace Danby.
Answer
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 needs 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.
Question 7. 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? Write in about 100-120 words.
Answer
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 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 8. “Lying and stealing are next door neighbours”. Comment.
Answer
A path of truthfulness and honesty is always better than an easy path of deceit. Horace Danby was a thief, he robbed safe every year. But, in the end he was be fooled by another thief and was arrested by the police. Stealing or lying cannot bring happiness or success. A truthful and honest person always leads a happy and peaceful life. He does not have to live with any kind of guilt. Stealing or lying robs one of peace. Those who are honest do not live a life of tension and are able to get peace of mind too.
Question 9. Our sins never go unpunished. Horace Danby ultimately had to go to prison. This shows that inspite of planning a crime intelligently and carefully a criminal can’t escape the law— Explain / discuss.
Answer
A path of truthfulness and honesty is always better than an easy path of deceit. Horace Danby was a thief, he robbed safe every year. But, in the end he was befooled by another thief and was arrested by the police. Stealing or lying cannot bring happiness or success. A truthful and honest person always leads a happy and peaceful life. He does not have to live with any kind of guilt. Stealing or lying robs one of peace. Those who are honest do not live a life of tension and are able to get peace of mind too.
Question 10. Which of the two thieves lacked ‘honour’ in the story ‘A Question of Trust’?
Answer
“There is honour among Thieves” means that ‘dishonest people may have certain standards of behaviour which they will respect’. The young lady pretended to be the owner of the house and innocently asked Horace Danby to-open the safe as she would need the jewels to wear to the party that day. Horace Danby found himself trapped in a tricky situation and could not make out how to escape. He readily opened the safe unwittingly leaving his fingerprints. He was arrested and nobody believed that the lady of the house asked him to open the safe.