‘रचना-प्रयोग’ का मुख्य उद्देश्य क्या है?

व्याकरण का व्यावहारिक प्रयोग सिखाना

‘द्वितीयः’ किस प्रकार की संख्या है?

क्रमवाचक (दूसरा)

Why did Horace Danby rob a safe every year?

He robbed one safe each year to get money to buy the rare and expensive books he loved to collect.

How did the young woman trick Horace?

Pretending to be the lady of the house, she asked him to open the safe and hand over the jewels, promising not to call the police.

Why was Horace caught for the robbery?

He had removed his gloves to open the safe, leaving his fingerprints, so the police believed he was the thief.

What is ironic about the story?

Horace, a clever thief, is himself robbed and blamed because he trusted a stranger who was a cleverer thief.

What kind of man was Horace Danby, apart from his yearly theft?

He was about fifty, a maker of locks, outwardly respectable and law-abiding, with a deep passion for collecting rare and expensive books.

How had Horace prepared for the robbery at the country house?

He had studied the house carefully for two weeks and disabled the burglar alarm before breaking in to open the safe.

How did the young woman gain Horace’s trust?

She calmly claimed to be the lady of the house and promised not to call the police if he simply opened the safe and handed her the jewels.

Why did Horace agree to open the safe?

He believed her story and feared being reported, so he took off his gloves, opened the safe and gave her the jewels.

How did Horace come to be blamed for the theft?

His fingerprints, left when he removed his gloves, were all over the safe, so the police were sure he was the thief.

What lesson does the story teach?

That misplaced trust can lead to one’s downfall, and even a clever wrongdoer can be cheated and outwitted by another.

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A Question of Trust — Class 10 English

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Chapter 4: A Question of Trust

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Summary

Written by Victor Canning, this is an ironic story about a charming, well-dressed burglar named Horace Danby who is, in most respects, a respectable and law-abiding man. Every year, however, he commits one carefully planned robbery to fund his hobby of collecting rare and expensive books. This year he targets a country house, having studied it thoroughly and disabled the alarm. While at work, he is surprised by a young, attractive woman who claims to be the lady of the house. She pretends to be sympathetic but says she will not call the police if Horace opens the safe for her, as she has forgotten the combination and needs her jewels for a party. Trusting her, Horace removes his gloves to work and opens the safe, handing over the jewels. Later he discovers that the woman was herself a thief who had robbed the house and let him take the blame, for his fingerprints were all over the safe. The story shows the irony of a thief being cheated through his own misplaced trust.

Misplaced trustIrony and deceptionThe gentleman thiefCrime and its consequencesCleverness outwitted

Key terms

Horace Danby

A respectable man who robs one house a year to buy rare books.

The young woman

A thief who tricks Horace into opening the safe.

Trust

Horace’s misplaced faith that leads to his downfall.

Irony

A thief is robbed and blamed through his own trust.

Fingerprints

The evidence that gets the trusting Horace caught.

Rare books

Horace’s costly hobby that drives him to steal.

Important questions

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TermHorace Danby

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Practice quiz

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Class 10 English — A Question of Trust (Practice Quiz)

10 Qs · ~10 min