‘रचना-प्रयोग’ का मुख्य उद्देश्य क्या है?

व्याकरण का व्यावहारिक प्रयोग सिखाना

‘द्वितीयः’ किस प्रकार की संख्या है?

क्रमवाचक (दूसरा)

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.

A Question of Trust

Q: 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.

Class 10 English · Footprints Without Feet · Chapter 4

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CBSE Class 10 · English

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The story in short

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.

The story in 6 beats

1Horace Danby is a careful burglar who steals once a year to buy rare books.
2He plans to rob Shotover Grange, studies the house, and enters when the family is away.
3A young woman appears, claims to be the owner, and orders him to open the safe for jewels.
4Horace trusts her story, removes his gloves, and opens the safe with his skill.
5The woman takes the jewels and leaves, while Horace believes he has escaped trouble.
6Later the police arrest Horace because his fingerprints are on the safe and the woman was a thief.

Misplaced trustIrony and deceptionThe gentleman thiefCrime and its consequencesCleverness outwitted

Characters & key ideas

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

The young womanA thief who tricks Horace into opening the safe.

TrustHorace’s misplaced faith that leads to his downfall.

IronyA thief is robbed and blamed through his own trust.

FingerprintsThe evidence that gets the trusting Horace caught.

Rare booksHorace’s costly hobby that drives him to steal.

Word meanings · शब्दार्थ

rare

uncommon and valuable

burglar

person who steals from houses

respectable

thought well of by others

dishonest

not truthful or fair

grange

country house with farm land

passage

long narrow way inside

burglar alarm

device warning of theft

rhubarb

a plant used in cooking

ornament

decorative object

fingerprints

marks made by fingers

Extra questions & answers (board-style)

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Why did Horace Danby rob a safe every year?

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A Question of Trust

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The story in short

The story in 6 beats

Characters & key ideas

Word meanings · शब्दार्थ

Extra questions & answers (board-style)

READ AND FIND OUT

READ AND FIND OUT

Think about it

Talk about it

Practice quiz · A Question of Trust

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