A Question of Trust – SUMMARY AND IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR BOARD EXAMINATION( CBSE CLASS 10 ENGLISH )

A Question of Trust – SUMMARY AND IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR BOARD EXAMINATION( CBSE CLASS 10 ENGLISH )

Summary

"A Question of Trust" is a clever story about Horace Danby, a man who is a "good and respectable" citizen—but with a secret. Horace is a thief, but a very unusual one. He only robs one safe a year, and he does it to fund his expensive hobby of buying rare and costly books. He’s a "thief with a conscience," or so he thinks.

This year, his target is Shotover Grange. He plans everything perfectly, but his hay fever (caused by flowers in the house) keeps making him sneeze. While he is working on the safe, a young, beautiful lady in red appears. She carries herself with such confidence and authority that Horace naturally assumes she is the mistress of the house.

The lady "catches" him but offers a deal: she will let him go if he opens the safe for her, claiming she forgot the password and needs her jewels for a party. Horace, desperate to avoid prison and charmed by her, opens the safe with his bare hands, leaving his fingerprints everywhere.

The Twist: Two days later, Horace is arrested. It turns out the lady in red was a clever thief herself! She tricked Horace into doing the dirty work for her. The real mistress of the house was a sixty-year-old woman with grey hair. Horace, the man who believed in "honor among thieves," was outsmarted by a fellow professional. Now, he sits in prison, getting angry whenever anyone mentions that famous phrase!

A.  Short Answer Questions

Q1. What was Horace Danby’s occupation and his secret hobby?

ANS: Horace made locks and was quite successful. His secret hobby was collecting rare and expensive books, which he funded by robbing one safe every year.

Q2. Why was Horace Danby not "completely" honest?

ANS: While he was a good citizen and a hard worker, he committed one burglary a year. Therefore, he couldn't be called completely honest.

Q3. How did Horace prepare for the robbery at Shotover Grange?

ANS: He studied the house for two weeks, looking at the rooms, electric wiring, the path, and the garden. He even learned the name of the family dog, Sherry.

Q4. What was the "hindrance" Horace faced during the robbery?

ANS: Horace suffered from hay fever. The scent of the flowers in the room made him sneeze repeatedly, which eventually led to his encounter with the lady in red.

Q5. How did the lady in red convince Horace she was the owner?

ANS: She was very calm, walked with authority, petted the dog familiarly, and even straightened the ornaments on the fireplace. Her confidence made Horace drop his guard.

Q6. What was the "deal" the lady offered Horace?

ANS: She told him she would let him go and not call the police if he opened the safe for her, as she had "forgotten" the code and needed her jewels for a party.

Q7. Why did Horace open the safe without gloves?

ANS: He was in such a hurry to please the lady and escape that he forgot to put his gloves back on. This mistake left his fingerprints all over the safe.

Q8. Who was the actual mistress of the house?

ANS: The real owner was a sixty-year-old woman with sharp, grey hair. She was quite different from the young lady Horace had met.

Q9. Why does Horace get angry at the phrase "Honor among thieves"?

ANS: He gets angry because he was betrayed by a fellow thief. He followed the "honor" by helping her, but she used him and let him take the fall.

Q10. What did the lady in red get away with?

ANS: She walked away with all the jewels from the safe without ever having to break into it herself, leaving Horace to get arrested for the crime.

B. Long Answer Questions (Analytical)

Q1. Horace Danby was a meticulous planner, yet he failed. Why?

ANS: Horace was great at technical planning—mapping the house and understanding the safe. However, he failed at psychological planning. He was so worried about being caught that he became easy to manipulate. When the lady in red appeared, his fear clouded his judgment, and he failed to notice small details that could have proven she wasn't the owner.

Q2. Compare and contrast Horace Danby and the Lady in Red.

ANS: Horace is an amateur-professional; he has a code of ethics and is somewhat naive. The Lady in Red is a pure professional. She is a better actress, more observant, and has no "honor" when it comes to business. While Horace steals for a hobby (books), she steals for profit. Her ability to stay cool under pressure is what makes her superior to Horace.

Q3. How does the story justify its title "A Question of Trust"?

ANS: The title is perfect because the whole story revolves around trust being broken. Horace trusts the lady because of her appearance. The lady exploits the "honor among thieves" concept to gain Horace's trust. In the end, Horace learns that in the world of crime, trust is a dangerous weakness.

Q4. Describe the climax of the story. How did the author build the suspense?

ANS: The author uses Horace's hay fever (the sneezing) to create tension. Just as he thinks he's safe, the "mistress" enters. The suspense builds as they negotiate. The true climax, however, is the "delayed twist"—the realization two days later that Horace was the one who was robbed of his freedom by a trickster.

Q5. What is the moral of the story?

ANS: The story suggests that one should not judge a book by its cover. Horace judged the lady by her dress and voice. It also warns that even "refined" criminals like Horace are still lawbreakers, and there is no guarantee of loyalty or "honor" in the criminal world.

C.  Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Q1. How old was Horace Danby?

A) 30 B) 40 C) 50 D) 60

ANS: C) 50

Q2. What did Horace collect?

A) Antique clocks B) Rare books C) Gold coins D) Paintings

ANS: B) Rare books

Q3. Where was the safe hidden at Shotover Grange?

A) Behind a curtain B) Behind a painting C) In the basement D) Inside a closet

ANS: B) Behind a painting

Q4. What was the name of the dog?

A) Bruno B) Sherry C) Rocky D) Tommy

ANS: B) Sherry

Q5. Horace was suffering from:

A) Cold B) Fever C) Hay Fever D) Cough

ANS: C) Hay Fever

Q6. What was the color of the young lady's dress?

A) Blue B) Black C) Red D) Green

ANS: C) Red

Q7. How many times did Horace rob a year?

A) Twice B) Every month C) Once D) Thrice

ANS: C) Once

Q8. Who arrested Horace after two days?

A) The Lady in Red B) The Real Owner C) The Police D) The Neighbors

ANS: C) The Police

Q9. Why didn't the dog bark at Horace?

A) It was sleeping B) Horace gave it food C) Horace called it by its name D) The dog was tied up

ANS: C) Horace called it by its name

Q10. "A Question of Trust" is written by:

A) Victor Canning B) Ruskin Bond C) Guy de Maupassant D) HG Wells

ANS: A) Victor Canning

As Teacher my Comment:

This story is a masterclass in Irony. Horace thinks he is the smartest person in the room, but he is actually the victim. When writing your answers, focus on the Lady in Red’s confidence—that is what defeated Horace, not her gun. Use the phrase 'Honor among thieves' in your long answers to show you've understood the core conflict of the story.