A Question of Trust Class 10 Questions and Answers | Class 10 English Footprint without Feet A Question of Trust Question Answers

by Meenu Saini | Mar 21, 2023 | General | 0 comments

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Footprint without Feet A Question of Trust Important Question Answers Lesson 4

Class 10 English A Question of Trust Question Answers – Looking for A Question of Trust question answers (NCERT solutions) for CBSE Class 10 English Footprint Without Feet Book Chapter 4? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practising Class 10 English question answers can significantly improve your performance in the board exam. Our solutions provide a clear idea of how to write the answers effectively. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring Chapter 4: A Question of Trust question answers now. The questions listed below are based on the latest CBSE exam pattern, wherein we have given NCERT solutions to the chapter’s extract based questions, multiple choice questions, short answer questions, and long answer questions.

Also, practising with different kinds of questions can help students learn new ways to solve problems that they may not have seen before. This can ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of the subject matter and better performance on exams.

Class 10 English A Question of Trust Question Answers Lesson 4 – Extract Based Questions

Extract-based questions are of the multiple-choice variety, and students must select the correct option for each question by carefully reading the passage.

A. “He made locks and was successful enough at his business to have two helpers. Yes, Horace Danby was good and respectable — but not completely honest. Fifteen years ago, Horace had served his first and only sentence in a prison library. He loved rare, expensive books. So he robbed a safe every year. Each year he planned carefully just what he would do, stole enough to last for twelve months, and secretly bought the books he loved through an agent.”

1. What does Horace like to collect?

Ans. Horace likes to collect rare and expensive books.

2. Why does he steal every year?

Ans. He steals every year to enable himself to make his both ends meet and to purchase expensive books.

3. Which word in the above extract means the same as with a lot of alertness?

Ans. Carefully

4. What is strange in the passage?

Ans. Stealing of expensive books.

B. “Now, walking in the bright July sunshine, he felt sure that this year’s robbery was going to be as successful as all the others. For two weeks he had been studying the house at Shot over Grange, looking at its rooms, its electric wiring, its paths and its garden. This afternoon the two servants, who remained in the gang while the family was in London, had gone to the movies. Horace saw them go, and he felt happy in spite of a little tickle of hay fever in his nose. He came out from behind the garden wall, his tools carefully packed in a bag on his back.There were about fifteen thousand pounds’ worth of jewels in the Grange safe. If he sold them one by one, he expected to get at least five 2022-23 thousand, enough to make him happy for another year. There were three very interesting books coming up for sale in the autumn. Now he would get the money he wanted to buy them.”

1. What made Horace feel sure of his success?

Ans. Horace felt sure of his success because he had planned his work carefully.

2. Why had he been studying the house at Shot over Grange?

Ans. He had been studying the house at Shot over Grange because it was his next target to be burgled.

3. Which word in the above extract means the same as observing carefully?

Ans. Studying

4. Where had the servants gone?

Ans. The servants had gone to watch a movie.

C. “ By noon a policeman had arrested him for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange. His fingerprints, for he had opened the safe without gloves, were all over the room, and no one believed him when he said the wife of the owner of the house had asked him to open the safe for her. The wife herself, a gray-haired, sharp-tongued woman of sixty, said that the story was nonsense. Horace is now the assistant librarian in the prison.”

1. Though Horace Danby was a brilliant thief, he was befooled? Who befooled him?

Ans. The lady in the red befooled her.

2. How was he befooled?

Ans. That lady pretended to be the owner of the house and made him open the safe without gloves, leaving his fingerprints.

3. Which word in the extract means the same as a place where all the valuables are kept in lock?

Ans. Safe

4. Does the title of the story match?

Ans. Yes, it does as Horace opened safe in trust.

D. “Everyone thought that Horace Danby was a good, honest citizen. He was about fifty years old and unmarried, and he lived with a housekeeper who worried over his health. In fact, he was usually very well and happy except for attacks of hay fever in summer. He made locks and was successful enough at his business to have two helpers. Yes, Horace Danby was good and respectable — but not completely honest. He loved rare, expensive books. So he robbed a safe every year. Each year he planned carefully just what he would do, stole enough to last for twelve months, and secretly bought the books he loved through an agent.”

1. Who is he in the above extract?

Ans. He in the above extract is Horace Danby.

2. Why did he rob only one safe every year?

Ans. He robbed only one safe every year because he robbed just enough to satisfy his hobby of buying and collecting rare and expensive books. Otherwise, he was an honest lock-maker.

3. Find the word from the extract that means the opposite of openly.

Ans. The word is secretly.

4. What is the present tense of stole?

Ans. Its present tense is steal.

Answer:

E. “A small dog was lying in the kitchen. It stirred, made a noise, and moved its tail in a friendly way. “All right, Sherry,” Horace said as he passed. All you had to do to keep dogs quiet was to call them by their right names, and show them love.” [CBSE 2014]

1. What is the name of the dog mentioned in the above extract?

Ans. The name of the dog mentioned in the above extract is Sherry.

2. In which house is the kitchen referred to located?

Ans. The kitchen referred to is located in Shot over Grange.

3. Find a word from the passage that means the same as cordial.

Ans. The word is friendly.

4. What is the opposite of friendly?

Ans. Its opposite is hostile.

F. “But Horace found that the flowers were hindering him in his work. He buried his face in his handkerchief. Then he heard a voice say from the doorway, “What is it? A cold or hay fever?” Before he could think, Horace said, “Hay fever,” and found himself sneezing again. The voice went on, You can cure it with a special treatment, you know, if you find out just what plant gives you the disease. I think you’d better see a doctor, if you’re serious about your work.”

1. Whose voice is referred to in the above extract?

Ans. The voice referred to in the above extract is of the young lady who pretended to be a member of the household.

2. What disease was the voice referring to?

Ans. The disease the voice was referring to was hay fever, with which Horace Danby was afflicted.

3. Find a word from the passage that means the same as ailment.

Ans. The word is disease.

4. Choose a word from the given extract which is an antonym of the given word/ words.

“ helping, cooperating, supporting, encouraging”

Ans.. Hindering

G. “Horace smiled. “I’m not a man who threatens society. I steal only from those who have a lot of money. I steal for a very good reason. And I hate the thought of prison.”
She laughed, and he begged, thinking that he had persuaded her, Look, I have no right to ask you for anything, but I’m desperate. Let me go and I promise never to do this kind of thing again. I really mean it.” She was silent, watching him closely. Then she said, “You are really afraid of going to prison, aren’t you?” She came over to him shaking her head. “I have always liked the wrong kind of people.”

1. Who are she and he in the above extract?

Ans. “She” is a young lady whom Horace met in the house and “he” in the extract is Horace Danby.

2. Why did he say that he was desperate?

Ans. Horace was desperate because he had been caught stealing and did not want to go to prison.

3. Find a word in the passage that means the same as convinced.

Ans. The word is persuaded.

4. What is the opposite of persuaded?

Ans. Its opposite is dissuaded.

H. How foolish people are when they own valuable things, Horace thought. A magazine article had described this house, giving a plan of all the rooms and a picture of this room. The writer had even mentioned that the painting hid a safe! But Horace found that the flowers were hindering him in his work. He buried his face in his handkerchief. Then he heard a voice say from the doorway, “What is it? A cold or hay fever?” Before he could think, Horace said, “Hay fever,” and found himself sneezing again. The voice went on, “You can cure it with a special treatment, you know, if you find out just what plant gives you the disease. I think you’d better see a doctor, if you’re serious about your work. I heard you from the top of the house just now.”

1. According to the extract, Horace was sneezing due to a
A. sudden allergy
B. prior infection
C. long-standing disease
D. nasal pain
Answer: B. prior infection

2. Which magazine could have published the article mentioned in the given extract?
A. Paws & Claws
B. Outdoors & Landscaping
C. Interiors
D. The Investor
Answer: C. Interiors

3. Choose the image that correctly describes the location of the safe, based on the given extract.

A. Option (1)
B. Option (2)
C. Option (3)
D. Option (4)
Answer: C. Option (3)

4. In the line – Before he could think, Horace said, “Hay fever,” –the response was
A. rehearsed
B. spontaneous and natural.
C. hesitant.
D. rapid and hostile.
Answer: B. spontaneous and natural.

v. The line from the extract that can be considered an example of sarcasm is
A. How foolish people are when they own valuable things.
B. Horace found that the flowers were hindering him in his work.
C. You can cure it with a special treatment.
D. I think you’d better see a doctor, if you’re serious about your work.
Answer: D. I think you’d better see a doctor, if you’re serious about your work.

I. But he never got the chance to begin his plan. By noon a policeman had arrested him for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange. His fingerprints, for he had opened the safe without gloves, were all over the room, and no one believed him when he said that the wife of the owner of the house had asked him to open the safe for her. The wife herself, a gray-haired, sharp-tongued woman of sixty, said that the story was nonsense. Horace is now the assistant librarian in the prison. He often thinks of the charming, clever young lady who was in the same profession as he was, and who tricked him. He gets very angry when anyone talks about ‘honour among thieves’.

1. The plan devised by Horace was to
A. tell about the safe to owner of the house.
B. blackmail the wife of the owner later.
C. look for another safe for stealing books.
D. tell police the truth before the lady could deceive him.
Answer: C. look for another safe for stealing books.

2. Based on the extract, choose what you think are the main feelings Horace probably has, for the young lady who tricked him, when he thinks about her?
A. anger and blame
B. admiration and respect
C. respect and gratitude
D. anger and vengeance
Answer: B. admiration and respect

3. Choose the option that lists evidence that the police might have used against Horace, to arrest him.

A.Option 1
B. Option 2
C. Option 3
D. Option 4
Answer: D. Option 4

4. Given below are four situations in Mr. Verma’s house. Choose the situation that depicts Mr. Verma being sharp-tongued with his family members.
A. Mr. Verma’s wife shares a life problem with him and he advices her honestly.
B. Mr. Verma’s daughter scores poor marks in his exams and Mr. Verma remains silent.
C. Mr. Verma’s son cooks food for the first time and he is criticized by his father immediately.
D. Mr. Verma’s sister buys a new car to surprise him and he is overjoyed with the news.
Answer: C. Mr. Verma’s son cooks food for the first time and he is criticized by his father immediately.

5. Honour among thieves is an example of a/n
A. idiom
B. slogan
C. proverb
D. lyric
Answer: A. idiom

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Class 10 English Footprint without Feet A Question of Trust Lesson 4 Multiple Choice Questions

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) are a type of objective assessment in which a person is asked to choose one or more correct answers from a list of available options. An MCQ presents a question along with several possible answers.

1. Who is the author of this story ‘A Question of Trust’?
A. Victor Canning
B. Victor Hugo
C. Victor Ninov
D. Victor Wright
Ans- A. Victor Canning

2. What is the meaning of ‘Honour among thieves’ ?
A. Thieves will not steal from each other.
B. Criminals observe a moral code of honour in what they do.
C. Not to do anything illegal to their partners in crime.
D. All of the above
Ans- D. All of the above

3. Which of the following is an example of ‘Honour among thieves’ ?
A. ‘‘I grew up in the old school,’’ Torres would often tell Cabral. ‘‘I got morals and principles.’’ He had an odd reformulation of the Golden Rule: ‘‘I have always believed there is honour among thieves. You respect the next thief.’’
B. There is honour among thieves. A group of Texas inmates busted out of their cell to save a prison guard having a heart attack.
C. Both A and B
D. None of the above
Ans- C. Both A and B

4. What does Horace Danby like to collect?
A. Expensive Cars
B. Rare and Expensive Books
C. Expensive Clothes
D. Rare Artefacts
Ans- B. Rare and Expensive Books

5. In ‘A Question of Trust’, Horace commits theft ___________.
A. annually
B. biennially
C. triennially
D. Octennial
Ans- A. annually

6. The Lady in red pretends to be the ______ of the owner.
A. sister
B. wife
C. mother
D. friend
Ans- B. wife

7. Who is the real culprit in ‘A Question of Trust’?
A. The lady thief
B. Horace Danby
C. Sherry
D. Servant
Ans- A. The lady thief

8. Horace Danby is a –
A. blacksmith
B. locksmith
C. jewelsmith
D. metalsmith
Ans- B. locksmith

9. Horace Danby is about ________ years old.
A. thirty
B. fifty
C. fourty
D. sixty
Ans- B. fifty

10. Horace Danby chose a house at ________ for his next robbery.
A. American River Grange
B. Pilot Hill Grange
C. Boulder Valley Grange
D. Shotover Grange
Ans- D. Shotover Grange

11. There was jewellery of about _________ in the safe of the house.
A. Fifteen thousand pound
B. Ten thousand pound
C. Fifty thousand pound
D. Sixty thousand pound
Ans- A. Fifteen thousand pound

12. What did Horace Danby forget to put on while entering the house in Shotover Grange?
A. Helmet
B. Weapons
C. Gloves
D. Shoes
Ans- C. Gloves

13. Horace is __________ in the prison.
A. Assistant Professor
B. Assistant Librarian
C. Sanitation worker
D. None of the above
Ans- B. Assistant Librarian

14. Horace had attacks of _______ in summer.
A. Hay Fever
B. Sinus
C. Rhinitis
D. Influenza
Ans- A. Hay Fever

15. Which of the following is not true for Horace Danby in ‘A Question of Trust’?
A. He had a good social reputation of being a good and honest person.
B. He secretly bought the books he loved through an agent.
C. Horace opened the safe for the young lady and handed her the jewels.
D. Horace felt a sense of pride when someone mentioned “Honour among thieves”.
Ans- D. Horace felt a sense of pride when someone mentioned “Honour among thieves”.

16. Choose the most suitable antonym of the word “Hinder”.
A. Obstruct
B. Shackle
C. Hamper
D. Facilitate
Ans- D. Facilitate

17. Choose the most suitable antonym of the word “Frighten”
A. Reassure
B. Petrify
C. Eldritch
D. Startle
Ans- A. Reassure

18. Grange is a country house with farm buildings attached. Choose the incorrect use of the word grange in a sentence.
A. Beamore was a monastic grange farm owned by the Cistercian abbey of Beaubec in Normandy.
B. At least 11 buildings burned, including several homes, two rivers lodge, a historic grange hall and a thrift store.
C.Julia asked the community’s farmers to meet at the Howard family grange to help raise a new barn
D. None of the above
Ans- D. None of the above

19. Choose the most suitable synonym of the word “Desperate”
A. Euphoric
B. Buoyant
C. Ecstatic
D. Forlorn
Ans- D. Forlorn

20. Which of the following is not true about the lady in red?
A. She was successful in befooling Horace Danby.
B. She trapped another person for her greed and bad intentions.
C. She knew the number of the safe.
D. She lacked honour.
Ans- C. She knew the number of the safe.

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Class 10 English A Question of Trust Short Question Answers (including questions from Previous Years Question Papers)

In this post we are also providing important short answer questions from the chapter A Question of Trust for CBSE Class 10 Boards in the coming session. These questions have been taken from previous years class 10 Board exams and the year is mentioned in the bracket along with the question.

Q1. What did Horace do every year and why?

Ans. Horace loved rare, expensive books, so every year he would break into a safe to get just enough cash to last him for a year to buy as many as he wanted.

Q2. Whom did Horace meet at Shotover Grange? How did the meeting affect his plans?

Ans.. At Shotover Grange, Horace encountered a young, attractive woman wearing a red coloured dress. She tricked him into opening the safe and taking the jewels out for her by pretending to be the owner’s wife. Horace’s robbery was negatively impacted by this interaction because he was unable to escape with the diamonds.

Q3. Why does Horace Danby get angry when anyone talks about ‘honour among thieves’?

Ans. Horace Danby becomes enraged whenever someone mentions “honour among thieves” because the young woman who conned him was also a crook but acted against this proverb.

Q4. What are the subtle ways in which the lady manages to deceive Horace Danby into thinking she is the mistress of the house?

Ans. The subtle ways in which the lady manages to deceive Horace Danby into thinking she is the mistress of the house are her grace, charm, comfort level, knowledge, persistence, way of talking confidently and familiarity with the household. She even threatens to get him arrested, which convinces Horace Danby that she is genuine.

Q5. What did Horace Danby wonder about for a moment? What did he think and decide? [CBSE 2010]

Ans. On seeing the poor painting in front of the safe, Horace Danby wondered for a moment whether to collect pictures instead of books. But then, he thought that books were better in a small house like his, as paintings took up too much room.

Q6. How can you say that Horace Danby was good and respectable but not completely honest?

Ans. Horace Danby was good and respectable because he was an expert in his profession of making locks. However, as he loved collecting rare and expensive books, he robbed a safe every year to finance the purchase of these books through an agent. Thus he was not completely honest.

Q7. How did flowers hinder Horace in his work? [CBSE 2013]

Ans. Flowers made it difficult for Horace to work because he suffered from hay fever, a condition of the nose and throat brought on by an allergy to pollen or dust. It was due to this that he would sneeze and may be caught if he was near flowers. He had to put his face down.

Q8. Why was Horace Danby sure that his robbery at Shotover Grange would be a successful one? [CBSE 2014]

Ans. Horace Danby was sure that his robbery at Shotover Grange would be a successful one because he had studied the house, the drawing room where the safe was kept, the wiring and its garden. He had also studied the movement of the servants, so he had planned well, thus ensuring that nothing could go wrong.

Q9. What was the passion of Horace Danby and how did he satisfy it? [CBSE 2011]

Ans. Horace Danby’s obsession was acquiring expensive and rare books. He needed money to indulge this hobby, so he made it happen by robbing one safe annually and then covertly purchasing the books through an agent.

Q10. Describe the safe at Shotover Grange.

Where was the safe at Shotover Grange? What was there inside it? What did Horace expect to get if he sold them one by one? [CBSE 2012]

Ans. The safe at Shotover Grange was kept in the drawing room behind a poor painting and had jewels worth about 15000 pounds kept in it. It had a poorly built burglar alarm, but could be opened only through a specific code. Horace expected to get 5000 pounds if he sold the jewels one by one.

Q11. Whom did Horace Danby see in the kitchen? How did they greet each other? What tactic did Horace apply there? [CBSE 2013]

Ans. Horace Danby spotted Sherry, the family dog, in the kitchen. Horace was greeted by the dog, which moved, made sounds, and wagged its tail in a friendly manner. Horace met the puppy by gently soothing it, addressing it by name, and expressing affection to it.

Q12. How did Danby prepare for the robbery at Shotover Grange? [CBSE 2011]

How did Horace Danby plan his robberies? [CBSE2012]

Ans. Danby always planned his robberies meticulously. He prepared for the robbery at Shotover Grange by studying the house, the electric wiring, paths and garden. He knew that the family normally lived in the city and knew about the movement of the servants, who had gone out that afternoon. He had kept his tools ready, packed in a bag.

Q13. “A Question of Trust” is a story about the robbery of the robber. Expound.

Ans. In this story we see that the lady in red is also a thief and she befools the thief Horace Danby in believing that she is the lady of the house. He opens the safe for her in good faith but leaves his fingerprints all over the place. This leads to the arrest of Horace for the theft that he did not commit. Thus, the robber himself gets robbed.

Q14. The woman posing as house owner’s wife had laid out a careful plan to dupe Horace Danby .Cite any two instances from the text that suggest the same.

Ans. The young woman in red was even smarter than Horace Danby. She encountered Horace with an air of confidence and authority. She didn’t allow him to doubt or think about her identity. She showed that the dog, Sherry, belonged to her. She told him that she returned ‘home’ just in time. Her manner of speaking, gestures and confidence made Horace mistake her to be the lady of the house.

Q15. In the chapter A Question of Trust, Horace Danby’s final arrest was a blessing in disguise. Comment briefly.

Ans. The arrest of Horace Danby was a blessing in disguise because he was made the Assistant Librarian in the prison. He was fond of reading and collected expensive rare books. So this work was a blessing in disguise for him.

Q16. “Society must be protected from men like you.” Comment on the irony of the given quote. OR

When & why did the woman in red dress say, ‘Society must be protected from men like you.’? Doesn’t it sound like ironical ?

Ans. The woman’s statement sounds ironic because she herself was a thief and had come for the same purpose for which Horace was there in the house. She said that the society must be protected from people like Horace but in fact, it required protection from her too.

Q17. Based on the story, would it be fair to say that deception is a crucial

aspect of robbery. Do you agree? Why/why not?

Ans. Based on the events in “A Question of Trust,” it is fair to say that deception plays a crucial role in robbery, as seen in the woman’s use of deception to trick Horace into stealing the jewels. However, it is important to recognize that not all robberies involve deception and that robbery is an illegal and immoral act.

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Class 10 A Question of Trust Long Answer Questions Lesson 4

Q1. What precautions did Danby take to avoid arrest? What blunder did he commit in his last venture?

Ans. In order to avoid getting caught, Danby always meticulously examined every aspect of the safe he had targeted that year, including the routines of the owners and staff, the layout of the house, any burglar alarms, etc. He always carried a set of specialised tools for opening safes and donned gloves to avoid leaving any fingerprints behind.

He may have been distracted by the young woman threatening to call the police when he made the mistake of not using gloves when entering the safe in his previous attempt at Shotover Grange, which resulted in his rapid arrest.

Q2. Why was Horace Danby arrested although he failed to profit from the robbery at Shotover Grange?

Ans. It was because Horace Danby gave the woman in red the diamonds after breaking into the safe believing she was the owner’s wife who had forgotten the combination to open the safe, that he was caught even though he didn’t receive riches from the theft at Shotover Grange. In essence, he wanted to avoid being caught because the woman had caught him and he wanted to keep her happy. His fingerprints were all over the place because he had opened the safe without wearing his gloves. Hence, he was detained without delay.

Q3. Horace was clever but the lady in red was cleverer. Do you agree with this statement? Justify your answer.

Ans. Absolutely, I do agree with this statement. Horace was cunning since he carefully planned the robbery, researched the target, took the right tools, as well as his gloves to guarantee he left no fingerprints. But, the young woman in red had all the essential knowledge and, by pretending to be the mistress of the home, took advantage of Horace’s anxiety over being found out to get him to unlock the safe and give her the diamonds. Even when she diverted his attention by picking up a cigarette that Horace offered to light after taking off his gloves, she made sure that Horace left his fingerprints at the scene. As a result, the lady tricked him.

Q4. Would you do something wrong (i.e. commit a crime) if you thought that the ends justify the means? Do you think that there are certain situations where you can be excused for acting dishonestly? [CBSE 2011]

Ans. Actions are justified by intentions, yes. Unintentionally doing something wrong may be forgiven. It cannot be justified, nevertheless, if it is done despite being aware that it is wrong. Horace’s act was purposeful since he intended to rob the safe by prying through the lock. He helped the woman, whom he believed to be the mistress of the house, with good intentions, but his act cannot be justified. There is no way at all to justify opening the safe. There may be circumstances in which you can get away with acting dishonestly, but in Horace’s instance, that is not the case.

Q5. Horace was a successful thief because he carefully planned his robberies. Should we call him a successful thief and still appreciate his work? Why or why not? [CBSE 2013]

Ans. However meticulously done, an evil deed is an evil deed. Horace is a successful thief because he planned his robberies meticulously and carried them out successfully. He was conducting himself in an upright and moral manner. But the money he amassed as a result of his successful robberies was not his. He may have achieved prosperity by stealing other people’s goods, but in reality he is a criminal who must be punished by law. We may not be able to recognise his labour despite the fact that he is effective in carrying out his misdeeds. A robber does not deserve any appreciation for his work and instead must face the consequences of his actions.

Q6. ‘Honour among thieves’ is considered a popular code. Examine A Question of Trust as a story woven around this code. OR

Thieves and swindlers have no sense of moral righteousness. Comment with references to instances from “A Question of Trust”

Ans. The idea that even criminals have a code of conduct among themselves is known as “honour” among thieves. This code of behaviour may include provisions prohibiting theft from one another and outlawing police statements against a fellow criminal, among other things. In the storyline, the lady was also a thief. She exploited the situation by posing as the lady of the house. Horace, who was already anxious, had confidence in her. If he got the gems out of the safe for her, the woman would forgive him. But she betrayed her word, and three days later Horace was arrested at Shotover Grange for robbery. “The honour among the thieves” was not maintained by the lady. Horace becomes extremely enraged whenever someone mentions “honour among thieves” for this reason.

Q7. “How foolish people are when they own valuable things” Does this statement hold true for Horace Danby himself? Support your answer with instances from “A Question of Trust”.

Ans. The statement “How foolish people are when they own valuable things” does hold true.

Horace’s desire to obtain a pricey item that he would not otherwise be able to afford is what drives him to steal the diamond necklace. Although he is fully aware of the risks, the chance to own something so valuable proves to be too alluring for him.
Horace’s carelessness in handling the stolen necklace exposes his own stupidity. He doesn’t take the necessary precautions to keep the necklace secure and hidden, which ultimately results in the police finding it. Additionally, he succumbs to the thief’s blackmail, who demands that he steal another valuable item or else he will reveal his crime.

Horace’s choice to own up to his crime can also be interpreted as an admission of the folly of his actions.

Q8. Imagine that the young lady thief writes a letter to Horace Danby while he is in prison. Write the letter imaging yourself to be that young lady with respect to the story.

Ans: Dear Horace,

I sincerely hope you are doing well and making the most of your imprisonment. I wanted to use this chance to express my regret for my part in the circumstances that led to your arrest. I recognise how dishonest and immoral my actions were, and I’m sorry for the harm and misery I’ve brought you.

I wanted to let you know that I’ve changed my ways and stopped being a criminal. I had a wake-up call after the necklace incident and now I know there are more honourable and fulfilling ways to live. I hope that one day you will be able to forget about what I did and that we can both move on to better and more honest means of living.

Sincerely,

[Name of the young lady thief]

Q9. As the woman who dupes Danby, pen a diary entry for the night before

the robbery.

Pen down your thoughts, fears, and hopes from the robbery based on the events of the story “The Question of Trust”.

Wednesday, 12 July ’78 9 PM

Its D-day, finally! Today, I know how it feels to be nervous and excited at the same

time……. (continue)……….

Ans.

Wednesday, 12 July ’78 9 PM

It’s D-day, finally! Today, I know how it feels to be nervous and excited at the same time.The result of months of preparation, restless nights, and ongoing concern about being discovered is about to be realised. I’m determined to take the necklace tonight.

I am aware of how well I have performed thus far. I gained Horace’s trust and got him to help me steal the pearl necklace. What if something goes wrong, though? What if Horace discovers my scheme? I cannot afford to be discovered. This robbery is everything to my future. Before anyone notices that the necklace is missing, I need to take it and then escape.

I’m restless due to both the fear and the adrenaline, but I know I can’t let my anxiety win. In addition to being watchful and aware, I must retrieve the jewellery tonight. I only hope my strategy is effective and that everything goes as planned.

Good luck to me.

(XYZ)

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