Prepare for your Class 10 English board exams with this complete A Question of Trust Class 10 study guide. This page covers everything you need: full story summary in English and Hindi, detailed character sketches of Horace Danby and the clever impostor, exploration of the theme and moral lessons about trust and deception, NCERT solutions with step-by-step answers, important questions with model responses, and extra practice questions for deeper understanding. Whether you’re studying for exams or completing assignments, find all A Question of Trust answers and notes in one place.

question of trust summary

English Summary

What if the thief you’re rooting for walks straight into a trap that feels like kindness, sounds like trust, and looks like help—would you see it coming?

Horace Danby is a quiet lock-maker who loves rare books, steals once a year to buy them, and thinks he harms no one—this summer, he picks Shotover Grange after studying it for two weeks. He plans a clean job: servants gone to the movies, a key on a hook, a safe behind a poor painting, and about fifteen thousand pounds in jewels he will sell for five thousand—just enough for the year and three special books in autumn. You follow Horace as he slips in with gloves, calls the dog “Sherry,” cuts the weak alarm wire, and fights hay fever from a bowl of flowers—yes, but a gentle voice from the doorway asks, “What is it? A cold or hay fever?” and the loop snaps tight. A young woman in red—calm, firm, and kind—smiles, pets Sherry, and calls him a burglar, no, and she also promises to call the police if he runs. Horace tries charm and threats, yes, but she stays steady and talks about “society” needing protection, and he admits he steals only from the rich and hates prison. She lights a cigarette; he takes off his gloves to offer his lighter—small mistake, big cost. Then the twist: she says she’s the lady of the house, forgot the safe numbers, wants her jewels for a party; he agrees to help, yes, but he must break the safe, and she says her husband won’t return for a month. The tension climbs as Horace opens the safe “within an hour,” hands her the glittering jewels, and walks away free—hope high, fear low. Two days of peace pass, no, and by the third morning, just as he thinks of new books and another plan, the police arrest him for the Shotover Grange robbery. His fingerprints are everywhere because he took off his gloves, and the real lady—gray-haired, sharp-tongued, about sixty—calls his story nonsense, closing the trap. Now Horace works as an assistant librarian in prison, still thinking of that charming, clever “lady” in the same profession as him who tricked him, and he gets angry when anyone says there’s honour among thieves—because that day, trust cut deeper than any lock.

Characters:

Horace Danby: Careful, book-loving lock-maker and once-a-year thief; fooled by charm and his own need.

Young woman in red: Clever impostor thief; calm voice, firm control, uses trust to steal the jewels.

Real lady of the house: Gray-haired, sharp-tongued owner who denies Horace’s story to the police.

Sherry: Friendly house dog who welcomes both thieves without suspicion.

Theme / Moral:

Trust without proof can turn skill into weakness, and a small lapse—like removing gloves—can ruin perfect plans. Crime dressed as kindness is still crime; clever deceit can outplay careful planning and leave no honour among thieves.

question of trust Hindi Summary

“क्या होगा अगर जिस चोर के पक्ष में तुम हो, वही ऐसे जाल में चला जाए जो दया जैसालगता है, भरोसे जैसा सुनाई देता है, और मदद जैसा दिखता है—क्या तुम उसे आते देखपाते?”

“मुख्य बात: होरेस डैनबी एक शांत ताला-निर्माता है जो दुर्लभ किताबों के लिए साल मेंएक बार चोरी करता है और मानता है कि वह किसी को नुकसान नहीं पहुँचा रहा। इस गर्मी, वह दो हफ्ते देखकर शॉटोवर ग्रेंज चुनता है, पर एक लाल कपड़ों वाली युवती उसके भरोसेका फ़ायदा उठाकर उसे चाल से हरा देती है, और अंत में वह जेल की लाइब्रेरी में सहायकबन जाता है।”

“तुम उसके साथ चलते हो—जुलाई की धूप, दो हफ्तों की निगरानी, हुक पर टंगी रसोई कीचाबी, हाथों में दस्ताने, और खराब पेंटिंग के पीछे छुपी तिजोरी; करीब पंद्रह हज़ार पाउंड केगहने जिन्हें बेचकर पाँच हज़ार मिलेंगे—साल भर और शरद की तीन खास किताबों के लिएकाफी। सब ठीक है—वह कुत्ते “शैरी” को नाम से पुकारता है, कमजोर अलार्म की तारकाटता है, मगर मेज़ पर बड़े फूलों के कटोरे से हे फ़ीवर भड़कता है; हाँ, लेकिन दहलीज़ सेएक नरम पर दृढ़ आवाज़ पूछती है, “क्या बात है? ज़ुकाम या है फ़ीवर?” और फंदा कसजाता है। लाल कपड़ों में युवती मुस्कुराती है, शैरी को सहलाती है, उसे “चोर” कहती है—नहीं, और कहती है कि अगर वह भागा तो पुलिस को फ़ोन करेगी। होरेस कभी डराता, कभीमनाता—हाँ, पर वह “समाज की रक्षा” की बात दोहराती है; वह मान लेता है कि वह सिर्फअमीरों से चुराता है और जेल से नफ़रत करता है। वह सिगरेट जलाती है; वह दस्ताने उतारकर लाइटर देता है—छोटी भूल, बड़ी कीमत।

 फिर मोड़—वह खुद को घर की मालकिन बताती है, कहती है तिजोरी का नंबर भूल गई है, रात की पार्टी के लिए गहने चाहिए; वह मदद को राज़ी—हाँ, पर तिजोरी तोड़नी पड़ेगी; वहकहती है, पति एक महीने नहीं आएगा। तनाव बढ़ता है—“एक घंटे के भीतर” तिजोरीखुलती है, चमकते गहने उसके हाथ में, और होरेस हल्का होकर निकल जाता है—उम्मीदऊँची, डर कम। दो दिन शांति—नहीं, और तीसरी सुबह, जैसे ही वह नई किताबों और दूसरीयोजना का सोचता है, पुलिस उसे शॉटोवर ग्रेंज की चोरी में पकड़ लेती है। उसके उँगलियोंके निशान हर जगह हैं, क्योंकि उसने दस्ताने उतारे थे; असली मालकिन—साठ साल, तेजज़ुबान—उसकी कहानी को “बकवास” कहकर जाल बंद कर देती है। अब होरेस जेल कीलाइब्रेरी में सहायक है; वह उस मोहक, चालाक “लेडी” को याद करता है जो उसी पेशा कीथी और जिसने उसे छल लिया; और जब कोई “चोरों में भी ईमान” कहता है, उसका खूनखौल उठता है—क्योंकि उस दिन, भरोसा किसी भी ताले से ज्यादा गहरा काट गया।”

“पात्र:

होरेस डैनबी: सावधान, किताब-प्रेमी ताला-निर्माता; साल में एक बार चोरी; ज़रूरत औरभरोसे के चलते छल खाता है।

लाल कपड़ों वाली युवती: चालाक भेसधारी; शांत आवाज़, मजबूत पकड़; भरोसे काइस्तेमाल कर गहने लेती है।

असली मालकिन: सफेद बाल, तेज़ ज़ुबान; पुलिस के सामने उसकी कहानी को “बकवास”कहती है।

शैरी: दोस्ताना घर का कुत्ता; किसी पर शक नहीं करता।

“थीम / नैतिक:

भरोसा बिना सबूत—कौशल को कमज़ोरी बना देता है; छोटी लापरवाही (जैसे दस्तानेउतारना) पूरी योजना बिगाड़ सकती है।”

question of trust Keywords and meanings

• Cigarette lighter – small tool that made Horace remove gloves
• Party – event for which the young lady 
• Horace Danby – careful lock-maker and once-a-year thief
• Housekeeper – woman who looks after Horace’s home and worries about his health
• Shotover Grange – the big house chosen for the robbery
• Servants – two helpers at the Grange who go to the movies
• Sherry – the friendly house dog at the Grange
• Safe – metal box hiding the jewels behind a painting
• Jewels – costly stones worth about fifteen thousand pounds
• Gloves – hand covers Horace wears to avoid fingerprints
• Fingerprints – marks left by fingers that identify a person
• Burglar alarm – device meant to warn about intruders
• Magazine article – published piece that revealed the house plan and safe
• Hay fever – allergy causing sneezing from flowers and pollen
• Young lady – woman in red who tricks Horace
• Telephone – used to threaten calling the police
• Police – officers who arrest Horace for the robbery
• London – city where the Grange family has gone
• Kitchen key – key on a hook used to enter the house
• Drawing room – room where the safe is kept
• Painting – picture hiding the safe on the wallwants the jewels
• Bank – safe place where jewels were promised to be kept
• Prison – place where Horace works as assistant librarian
• Honour among thieves – idea that thieves are loyal to each other
• Agent – person who buys rare books for Horace secretly

question of trust Important Phrases  

• “set a thief to catch a thief”
• “honour among thieves”
• “good and respectable — but not completely honest”
• “rare, expensive books”
• “There were about fifteen thousand pounds’ worth of jewels”
• “If he sold them one by one, he expected to get at least five thousand”
• “All right, Sherry”
• “The safe was in the drawing room, behind a rather poor painting.”
• “There was a great bowl of flowers on the table”
• “What is it? A cold or hay fever?”
• “You’d better see a doctor, if you’re serious about your work.”
• “Down, Sherry”
• “I came back just in time, though I didn’t expect to meet a burglar.”
• “I didn’t expect to meet one of the family.”
• “I would telephone the police”
• “You’d hurt me?”
• “You didn’t frighten me.”
• “Society must be protected from men like you.”
• “I steal only from those who have a lot of money.”
• “I hate the thought of prison.”
• “I have always liked the wrong kind of people.”
• “You’ll let me go?”
• “Yes, but only if you’ll do something for me.”
• “You’ve forgotten the numbers to open the safe, haven’t you?”
• “within an hour Horace had opened the safe, given her the jewels, and gone happily away.”
• “His fingerprints… were all over the room”
• “a gray-haired, sharp-tongued woman of sixty”
• “the same profession as he was, and who tricked him.”

question of trust question answer

Text based questions and answers.

Q1. What does Horace Danby like to collect?

Answer:Horace Danby loves to collect rare and expensive books.

He finds great joy in owning these special books.

The story says, “He loved rare, expensive books.”

This hobby makes him different from ordinary thieves and shows his passion for knowledge.

Q2. Why does he steal every year?

Answer:Horace Danby steals every year to get money for his book collection.

He plans each theft carefully and only takes enough to last twelve months.

The text mentions, “He robbed a safe every year… secretly bought the books he loved.”

His actions show that even good people can make mistakes when they want something badly.

Q3. Who is speaking to Horace Danby?

Answer:A young woman in red is speaking to Horace Danby.She pretends to be the lady of the house and tricks him.

The story describes her as confident and clever, saying, “She behaved with such authority.”

This shows how appearances can be misleading and trust can be easily broken.

Q4. Who is the real culprit in the story?

Answer:The real culprit is the young woman in red.

She is actually a thief who tricks Horace Danby into opening the safe.

The story reveals, “She decamped with the jewels while Horace was arrested.”

This teaches us that sometimes, the cleverest person is not always the one we expect.

Text based questions and answers.

Q1. 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?

Answer:The suspicion begins when the lady appears too calm and self-assured for a homeowner surprised by a thief. Her clever control over the situation and unusual knowledge raised doubts. This moment shows how appearances can be deceiving and encourages careful observation.

Q2. 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?

Answer:The lady uses quiet confidence, polite speech, and knowledge of the house’s details to convince Horace. She acts naturally and never shows fear, which makes Horace trust her. His own overconfidence in his planning blinds him to warning signs, showing how even skilled people can be fooled by charm.

Q3. “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?

Answer:Horace is respected because of his everyday behavior and work, but he steals to fund his book collection, not out of greed or cruelty. He plans carefully and steals only what he needs yearly. This shows he is different from typical thieves, who steal for quick gain rather than passion.

Q4. Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?

Answer:Horace went wrong by underestimating the woman’s cleverness and trusting appearances. His careful plans did not account for someone outsmarting him. This shows that even the best plans can fail if people ignore unexpected risks and overestimate their control.

Q5. Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished, or that he deserved what he got?

Answer:Horace deserved punishment because stealing is wrong, even if his reasons seemed innocent. However, the story also suggests fairness depends on perspective, as the real criminal escaped blame. This teaches that justice can be complex and not always fair.

Q6. 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?

Answer:Intentions can explain but never fully justify wrong actions. Horace’s love for books doesn’t excuse theft. It is important to find honest ways to achieve goals. Sometimes, small compromises might be understandable, but honesty should remain a key value in lif

question of trust Grammar

Do as directed:

• Tenses – Fill in the blanks. 

a) Horace usually ______ (plan) his robberies for weeks, but this time he ______ (feel) extra confident in the July sun.

• Tenses – Correct the verb form. Do as directed:

a) The servants has gone to the movies while the family is stay in London. Correct the verbs.

• Voice Change – Active to Passive. Do as directed:

a) Horace opened the safe within an hour. Change to passive voice.

• Voice Change – Passive to Active. Do as directed:
• The burglar alarm was poorly built. Change to active voice.

Reported Speech – Statement. Do as directed:

a) The young lady said, “You are really afraid of going to prison, aren’t you?” Change into indirect speech.

• Reported Speech – Question. Do as directed:

a) She asked, “What are you going to do?” Change to indirect speech.

• Articles & Prepositions – Fill in the blanks. Do as directed:

a) He studied the house at Shotover Grange for two weeks, looking at ___ rooms, ___ electric wiring, and moving ___ the hall to cut ___ wire.

• Articles & Prepositions – Fill in the blanks. Do as directed:

a) The safe was in ___ drawing room, behind ___ rather poor painting, and there was ___ great bowl of flowers on ___ table.

• Modals – Use suitable modal. Do as directed:

a) “Society ______ be protected from men like you,” she said. Fill with a suitable modal.

• Modals – Advice/necessity. Do as directed:

a) “I think you’d better see a doctor,” she said. Rewrite using a different modal to keep the same meaning.

• Sentence Transformation – Comparative/Superlative. Do as directed:

a) The burglar alarm was poorly built. Rewrite to show comparison: “The burglar alarm was ______ than the one Horace expected.”

• Sentence Transformation – Negative without changing meaning. Do as directed:

a) “You didn’t frighten me,” she said. Rewrite the sentence in negative form without changing meaning using “fail to”.

• Sentence Transformation – Question Formation. Do as directed:

a) Horace had four hours before the servants returned. Frame a yes/no question for this statement.

• Editing – Error spotting. Do as directed:

a) For two day he keep his promise to the kind young lady. On the morning of the third day, he think of the books he want. Identify and correct four errors.

• Omission – Missing word. Do as directed:

a) He put on pair gloves, took the key, and opened the door. One word is missing. Write the missing word with the position it comes after.

• Gap Filling / Cloze – Do as directed:

a) Horace loved ______ (rare/rarer) and ______ (expensive/expensively) books, so he robbed a safe every year to buy ______ (they/them/their).

• Gap Filling / Cloze – Do as directed:

a) There were about fifteen thousand pounds’ worth of jewels in the safe. If he sold them one by one, he ______ (expect) to get at least five thousand, which ______ (be) enough for another year.

• Reported Speech – Command/Request. Do as directed:

a) “Down, Sherry,” she said. Change into indirect speech.

• Voice Change – Active to Passive. Do as directed:

a) A policeman arrested Horace for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange. Change to passive voice.

• Sentence Transformation – Combine using “though/although”. Do as directed:

a) She came back just in time. She didn’t expect to meet a burglar. Combine the sentences using “although/though.”

• Here are the answers to the grammar questions  

• planned; felt
• had gone; were staying
• The safe was opened by Horace within an hour.
• Someone built the burglar alarm poorly.
• The young lady said that he was really afraid of going to prison.
• She asked what he was going to do.

• the; the; into; the
• the; a; a; the
• must
• You should see a doctor.
• poorer
• You did not fail to frighten me.
• Did Horace have four hours before the servants returned?
• two days; kept; thought; wanted
• a (after “on”)
• rare; expensive; them
• expected; was
• She told Sherry to get down.
• Horace was arrested by a policeman for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange.
• Although she came back just in time, she didn’t expect to meet a burglar.

question of trust Short Answer Questions (30–40 words)

Q1. Why did Horace Danby steal only once a year?

Ans. He loved “rare, expensive books” and robbed a safe once a year to buy them, selling jewels “one by one” to get “at least five thousand,” enough for a year and upcoming autumn books.

Q2. How did Horace enter Shotover Grange without force?

Ans. He had seen the housekeeper hang the kitchen key on a hook, put on “a pair of gloves,” took the key, and opened the door carefully to avoid fingerprints.

Q3. What detail in the drawing room troubled Horace and why?

Ans. A “great bowl of flowers” made his hay fever worse; he kept sneezing, which drew attention and led to the young woman’s quiet, firm voice from the doorway.

Q4.Where was the safe and how did Horace locate it?

Ans. The safe was in “the drawing room, behind a rather poor painting,” a fact even mentioned in a magazine article that described the rooms and picture.

Q5.How did the young woman control the situation without violence?

Ans. She spoke kindly but firmly, threatened to “telephone the police,” used calm dialogue, and made Horace take off his gloves by asking for a light, gaining his trust.

Q6. What mistake led to Horace’s arrest?

Ans. He removed his gloves to offer a lighter; his fingerprints were “all over the room,” so the police arrested him for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange.

Q7. Who exposed Horace’s story as false at the end?

Ans. The real wife, “a gray-haired, sharp-tongued woman of sixty,” called his story “nonsense,” proving the young lady was an impostor.

Q8. What job did Horace get after prison and how does he feel about “honour among thieves”?

Ans. He became an assistant librarian in prison and gets very angry when anyone talks about “honour among thieves,” remembering how he was tricked.

question of trust Long Answer Questions (100–120 words)

Q1. Character sketch of Horace Danby.

Ans. Horace Danby is “good and respectable — but not completely honest,” a skilled lock-maker with hay fever who steals once a year for “rare, expensive books.”

He plans carefully—studies Shotover Grange for two weeks, notes the servants at the movies, wears “a pair of gloves,” and targets the safe “behind a rather poor painting.”

Yet he is overconfident and sentimental; he calms “Sherry” by name, trusts a “quiet, kindly voice,” and removes his gloves to offer a lighter, leaving fingerprints “all over the room.”

His cleverness is undone by a cleverer impostor in red, and he ends as a prison assistant librarian, bitter at talk of “honour among thieves.”

Q2.Theme: trust and deception in the story.

The opening contrasts “set a thief to catch a thief” with “honour among thieves,” and the plot tests both ideas through trust as a weapon.

Horace trusts “a quiet, kindly voice” that is “firm,” accepts the lady’s claim about the jewels and the bank, and even promises reform.

The impostor uses soft power—dialogue, timing, “Yes, but only if you’ll do something for me”—to make him open the safe “within an hour.”

His fingerprints doom him, and the real wife’s “nonsense” exposes the lie, showing deception beats planning when trust is misplaced.

Cause–effect: How did small choices lead to Horace’s fall?

Cause: Flowers trigger hay fever; Effect: sneezes reveal him to the woman.

Cause: Removing gloves to light her cigarette; Effect: “fingerprints… all over the room.”

Cause: Believing her bank-and-party story; Effect: he opens the safe and hands over jewels.

Cause: Overconfidence from careful study and a poorly built alarm; Effect: he underestimates human deceit and is arrested by noon.question of trust Extract Based Questions

question of trust Extract Based Questions

Extract 1: “The safe was in the drawing room, behind a rather poor painting.”

Q1.What does “rather poor painting” suggest about the owners’ taste?

Ans.It hints at weak artistic taste and careless security choices, making the safe easier to find.

Q2. How did Horace know about the safe’s location?

A magazine article described the rooms and even mentioned the painting hiding a safe.

Q3.What tools or steps did Horace prepare before opening the safe?

Ans. He arranged his tools, cut the burglar alarm wire, and wore gloves to avoid fingerprints.

Extract 2: “Yes, but only if you’ll do something for me.”

Q1.Who says this and to whom?

Ans. The young lady in red says it to Horace Danby.

Q2. What does she request and why?

Ans.She asks him to open the safe to get her jewels, claiming she wants them for a party and forgot the numbers.

Q3. How does this line change Horace’s plan?

Ans. It makes him act as her helper, so he opens the safe and gives her the jewels “within an hour.”

Extract 3: “His fingerprints… were all over the room.”

Q1. Why were fingerprints present despite his usual care?

Ans. He took off his gloves to offer his cigarette lighter to the woman.

Q2. What was the immediate outcome of this evidence?

Ans. A policeman arrested him for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange.

Q3. Who rejected Horace’s claim about helping the lady and how?

Ans. The real wife, “a gray-haired, sharp-tongued woman of sixty,” called his story “nonsense.”

FAQs