SEBA Class 10 English Reader Chapter 4 A Question of Trust All questions and answers
1.What does Horace Danby like to collect?
Ans: Horace Danby liked to collect rare and expensive books.
2.Why does he steal every year?
Ans: He steals every year so that he can spend the whole year happily.
3.Who is speaking to Horace Danby?
Ans: A young, quite pretty lady dressed in red is speaking to Horace Danby. He took her for the wife of the house owner. But she was not so but a thief.
4.Who is the real culprit in the story?
Ans: The lady thief is the real culprit in the story.
Think about it
1. Did you begin to suspect, before the end of the story, that the lady was not the person Horace Danby took her to be? If so,at what point did you realise this, and how?
Ans: In the beginning the lady was beyond suspect. But when she behaved strangely and said she liked the wrong kind of people she came under suspension. The suspect became clear when she asked Horace to do something for her. A real owner never behaves like her.
2. what are the subtle ways in which the lady manages to deceive Horace Danby into thinking she is the lady of the house? Why doesn’t Horace suspect that something is wrong?
Ans: The lady was well-dressed and spoke to Horace firmiy. This was enough to fight Horace. And in fear he lost his conscience and failed to suspect that something might be wrong with her. Horace took her to be the lady of the house and was decided easily.
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 categorised as a typical thief?
Ans: The description is apt for Horace donny because he enjoys a reputation of being a good and respectable citizen. But he was really not honest. He was a thief but can’t be categorised as a typical thief because he stole once in a year and concealed his stealing under the cover of his profession of making locks.
4. Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?
Ans: Horace Danby was a meticulous planner as he planned well how he could manage his whole year. He stole carefully and measuring his needs. But he faltered. He failed to understand the trick of the lady thief. He was afraid of prison even after he was caught red-handed. The fear in him made him go wrong.
Talk about it
1. Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished, or that he deserved what he got?
Ans: Though it seems that Horace Danby was unfairly punished in that stealing case, he deserved what he got. He was a thief who broke the safe and took out the jewellery. He might not have the material benefit out of the incident but he was the criminal. And in the eye of law he was a thief. So he deserved the punishment imposed upon him.
2. Do intentions justify actions? Would you like Horace Danby, do something wrong if you thought your ends justified the means? Do you think that there are situations in which it is excusable to act less then honestly?
Ans: Really, intentions can as well as should never justify actions. Horace Danny’s first intention was to steal and his second intention was to escape punishment. If the lady was the real lady of the house and true to her words, Horace would have Been safe. He was proved wrong with his intention to open the safe that did not justify his action. He had to go to jail.
Like Horace Danby, I would do no wrong even if my ends justify the means.
In situations of life it is inexcusable to act less than honestly.
