A Question of Trust

 

A Question of Trust

Introduction

"A Question of Trust" is a humorous and suspenseful short story written by Victor Canning. The story revolves around Horace Danby, an unusual burglar who is intelligent, polite, and honest in his own strange way. Unlike other thieves, Horace steals only once a year to buy rare books, which are his greatest passion.

The story takes an unexpected turn when Horace is deceived by a clever young woman pretending to be the owner of the house. It highlights the irony that even an experienced thief can become the victim of another criminal. The title suggests that misplaced trust can lead to serious consequences.

Plot of the Story

The story A Question of Trust revolves around Horace Danby, a respectable-looking locksmith who secretly becomes a thief once a year to steal enough money to buy rare books. One day, he plans to rob Shotover Grange and manages to enter the house and open its safe. However, he is suddenly confronted by a young woman who pretends to be the owner of the house and claims that she needs the jewels from the safe. Trusting her, Horace opens the safe for her and hands over the jewels. Later, he discovers that the woman was actually another thief who had cleverly deceived him. The police arrest Horace because his fingerprints are found at the scene, while the clever woman escapes with the stolen jewels. The story ends ironically, showing that even a careful and experienced thief can be deceived by someone cleverer than himself.

Themes of the Story

1. Trust and Deception: The central theme is that blind trust can be dangerous. Horace trusts the woman without verifying her identity and suffers the consequences.

2. Crime Never Pays: Although Horace considers himself a respectable thief, his crime finally catches up with him. The story teaches that dishonesty ultimately leads to punishment.

3. Appearance Can Be Deceptive: The young lady appears elegant, calm, and respectable, but she is actually a clever thief.

4. Intelligence vs. Overconfidence: Horace is intelligent and careful, but his overconfidence makes him careless. The woman proves even smarter than him.

Character Sketch of Horace Danby

Horace Danby is the main character of A Question of Trust by Victor Canning. He appears to be a respectable and honest person, but secretly he is a thief who commits one robbery every year to fulfil his passion for collecting rare and expensive books. Horace is intelligent, careful, patient and well-planned. He studies the houses he intends to rob and takes every precaution to avoid being caught. However, despite his intelligence, he is also overconfident and somewhat naïve. He easily trusts the young woman who pretends to be the owner of the house and follows her instructions without verifying her identity. His love for books is genuine, but his method of fulfilling this passion is dishonest. His character is also ironic because, although he is an experienced thief, he is himself deceived by another thief. Thus, Horace Danby is a complex and amusing character whose intelligence is undermined by his misplaced trust and dishonesty.

Character Sketch of the Young Lady:

The young lady is clever, confident, and quick-witted. She is a skilled thief who cleverly pretends to be the owner of the house and deceives Horace Danby into opening the safe for her. She is calm, convincing, and manipulative, and uses her intelligence to escape with the jewels. Her character highlights the theme that appearances can be deceptive.

 

Question form the Book

Think About it

1. 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?

2. “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?

3. Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?

Talk About It

1. Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished, or that he deserved what he got?

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 than honestly?

Additional Question

Short Answer Questions

1. Why did Horace consider himself a successful thief?

2. Who was the young woman, and what did she claim to be?

3. Why did Horace trust the young woman?

4. What mistake did Horace make while opening the safe?

5. How did the young lady convince Horace that she was the owner of the house?

Long Answer Questions

1. Horace Danby was clever but not clever enough.” Discuss this statement with reference to the story.

2. The story is full of irony and deception. Discuss how these elements make A Question of Trust interesting and humorous.

3. Compare the characters of Horace Danby and the young lady. Who do you consider more intelligent and why?

HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills) Questions

1. If Horace had not trusted the young lady, could he have escaped without being caught? Give reasons for your answer.

2. Horace believed that he was a respectable person because he stole only once a year. Do you agree with his reasoning? Why or why not?

3. Was Horace a victim or a criminal? Give a balanced argument based on his actions.