**A QUESTION OF TRUST - COMPREHENSIVE CHEAT SHEET**
**AUTHOR BACKGROUND**
• Victor Canning (1911-1986) | British writer known for suspense and crime fiction | Master of twist endings and psychological narratives | Famous for stories exploring deception and moral ambiguity
**COMPLETE STORY SUMMARY**
Paragraph 1-2: Introduction to Horace Danby
• Horace Danby appears to be a respectable, honest fifty-year-old man living with a housekeeper | Makes locks for a living with two helpers | Successful businessman suffering only from hay fever | Secret: he has stolen every year for 15 years since his prison sentence
Paragraph 3-4: The Robbery Plan
• Horace targets Shotover Grange, planning to steal jewels worth £15,000 | Expects to get £5,000 from selling them one by one | Money will buy three rare, expensive books at autumn auction | Has carefully studied the house for two weeks | Takes advantage of servants going to movies
Paragraph 5-6: Entry and Discovery
• Uses gloves to avoid fingerprints (shows careful planning) | Takes kitchen door key | Encounters dog 'Sherry' and calms it by name | Finds safe behind poor painting in drawing room | Sets up tools and has 4 hours to work
Paragraph 7-8: The Unexpected Encounter
• Young woman in red dress unexpectedly arrives (the actual owner's daughter, not wife) | Catches Horace sneezing due to hay fever from flowers | Speaks kindly but firmly about his hay fever | Horace realizes he's been discovered but acts calmly
Paragraph 9-10: The Negotiation Begins
• Woman acknowledges meeting a burglar but seems amused | Horace considers various escape options | Woman threatens to call police → Horace suggests cutting telephone wires and restraining her | Horace hesitates when asked if he'd hurt her, saying he was trying to frighten her
Paragraph 11-13: The Persuasion
• Horace pleads for freedom, promises never to steal again | Woman questions why she should let him go | Horace argues he only steals from wealthy people for a good reason (books) | Woman mentions she likes 'wrong kind of people' → gives false hope
Paragraph 14-15: The Clever Trap
• Woman asks Horace to open her safe in exchange for freedom | Claims she forgot the combination and needs jewels for party that night | Horace eagerly agrees and opens safe without gloves (crucial mistake) | Woman takes jewels and Horace leaves 'happily away'
Paragraph 16-17: The Shocking Twist
• Horace keeps his promise for 2 days but plans new robbery on day 3 | Arrested by noon for jewel robbery at Shotover Grange | Fingerprints found everywhere because he removed gloves | Real wife (gray-haired, 60-year-old) denies any knowledge of his story
• Horace now works as prison assistant librarian → realizes young woman was fellow thief who tricked him
**CHARACTER SKETCHES**
Horace Danby
• Age: 50, unmarried, lives with housekeeper
• Appearance: Unremarkable, respectable
• Traits: Intelligent, careful planner, methodical, bookish, non-violent, somewhat naive
• Weakness: Hay fever (literally and symbolically gives him away)
• Profession: Locksmith (ironic — understands security but breaks it)
• Motivation: Loves rare books more than honesty
• Fatal Flaw: Removed gloves to please woman, left fingerprints
• Significance: Protagonist whose downfall teaches lesson about trust and deception
The Young Woman in Red
• Age: Young, pretty, described as charming
• Appearance: Dressed in red (stands out, attracts attention)
• Traits: Clever, manipulative, quick-thinking, charming, ruthless
• Role: Master thief posing as owner's daughter
• Method: Uses psychology — flattery, kindness, apparent vulnerability
• Significance: Reveals that Horace is not the cleverest thief; outsmarts him completely
The Real Wife
• Age: 60, gray-haired
• Traits: Sharp-tongued, unsympathetic
• Role: Legitimate owner who doesn't believe Horace's story
• Significance: Shows the real victim in the con game
Sherry (the Dog)
• Horace's first hint of inhabitants | Responds to its name | Shows Horace's understanding of animals but also foreshadows his weakness
**CENTRAL THEMES**
1. Deception and Trust | Story explores duality: 'honour among thieves' vs 'set a thief to catch a thief' | Both sayings are illustrated → there IS honour between the woman and Horace (she lets him go), but a thief IS needed to catch another thief (she out-thieves him)
2. Consequences of Crime | Horace's stolen books are never worth the price → ends up in prison anyway | Irony: works as librarian in prison, surrounded by books he can't own
3. Appearance vs Reality | Horace seems respectable but is a criminal | Woman seems like innocent victim but is fellow thief | Nothing is as it appears
4. Greed and Temptation | Horace could have kept promise but desire for books pulled him back | Shows how one weakness leads to downfall
5. The Power of Psychological Manipulation | Woman defeats Horace not through violence but through understanding human psychology and flattery
6. Irony of Justice | Criminal arrested for theft he didn't commit (opening safe) | The real thief escapes while Horace takes fall
**LITERARY AND RHETORICAL DEVICES**
1. **Irony (Situational)**
• Horace is locksmith but gets locked into prison
• Horace carefully avoids fingerprints but leaves them everywhere
• Woman asks Horace to help her, but actually helps herself to his freedom
• Horace imprisoned for a theft he willingly committed thinking he'd escape
• 'Honour among thieves' — they both steal, but woman steals from Horace
2. **Foreshadowing**
• Hay fever mentioned early → becomes reason for his discovery and downfall
• 'There is honour among thieves' question → woman proves there can be, but not in Horace's favour
• Horace's careful planning and gloves → but removed for woman, undoes all caution
3. **Characterization (Direct and Indirect)**
• 'Horace Danby was good and respectable — but not completely honest' (direct contradiction)
• His love of books shows his passion, his stealing shows his willingness to break law
4. **Symbolism**
• Hay fever: weakness that exposes him; his Achilles heel
• Red dress: woman stands out, is dangerous, attracts attention
• Books: represent his moral corruption — willing to crime for them
• Safe: represents security that isn't secure; trust that is misplaced
• Gloves: symbolize his caution, their removal = loss of safety
5. **Contrast**
• Horace's careful 15-year record vs his one mistake
• Woman's 'kindly voice' with 'firmness' — contrasts kindness with danger
• Horace's respect for property (won't hurt woman) vs his willingness to steal
6. **Metaphor**
• 'Set a thief to catch a thief' — using criminal methods against criminals
• Prison 'library' — his books become his jail
7. **Suspense and Tension**
• Slow build as woman enters unexpectedly
• Back-and-forth dialogue where Horace tries different tactics
• Reader unsure if woman will turn him in or let him go
• Twist ending completely reverses expectations
8. **Dialogue**
• Shows character development through conversation
• Woman's questions are psychological probes
• Reveals Horace's values: desperate, non-violent, book-loving
9. **Tone Shift**
• Begins matter-of-fact about robbery
• Becomes tense during encounter
• Turns ironic and darkly humorous at end
**IMPORTANT QUOTES AND SIGNIFICANCE**
1. 'Horace Danby was good and respectable — but not completely honest.'
• Significance: Establishes central contradiction; moral ambiguity of character | Shows appearance ≠ reality
2. 'It is said that you must set a thief to catch a thief. But it is also said that there is honour among thieves.'
• Significance: Central paradox the story answers | Shows both proverbs can be true simultaneously | Woman is 'thief catching thief' | They share 'honour' briefly before she betrays him
3. 'How foolish people are when they own valuable things.'
• Significance: Shows Horace's rationalization of his theft | His contempt for the wealthy enables his crime
4. 'I didn't expect to meet one of the family.'
• Significance: Horace's first attempt to handle situation | Shows he's thinking on his feet
5. 'I have always liked the wrong kind of people.'
• Significance: Woman reveals her nature as criminal | Foreshadows her betrayal | Shows she operates on charm
6. 'You'll let me go? He held the lighter towards her.'
• Significance: Horace's moment of hope; he thinks he's succeeded in persuading her | Actually moment of his downfall | Shows his eagerness to be caught
7. 'For two days he kept his promise...But he never got the chance to begin his plan.'
• Significance: Shows Horace's weak resolve | He wanted to keep promise but greed pulled him back | Arrested before he could steal again
8. 'He often thinks of the charming, clever young lady who was in the same profession as he was, and who tricked him.'
• Significance: Reveals woman was fellow thief, not innocent victim | Shows Horace's grudging respect | 'Same profession' = both thieves
9. 'He gets very angry when anyone talks about honour among thieves.'
• Significance: Final twist of irony | Proves honour can exist between thieves | But it's conditional and can be weaponized
**KEY POINTS FOR CBSE BOARD ANSWERS**
1. **Character Analysis of Horace Danby**
• Respectable locksmith with secret criminal life | Steals annually to buy rare books | Non-violent, careful, methodical | Fatal weakness: susceptible to charm; removed gloves to impress woman | Intelligent but naive about fellow criminals | Ultimately receives justice (imprisonment) but is ironically imprisoned for a crime he willingly committed
2. **The Woman's Character and Role**
• Real identity: fellow professional thief, not innocent victim | Uses psychology and charm as weapons | Outsmarts Horace through flattery and apparent vulnerability | Represents the proverb 'set a thief to catch a thief' | Escapes unpunished, leaving Horace to face justice
3. **Theme of Deception**
• Story explores how appearance deceives: Horace seems respectable, woman seems innocent | Trust is misplaced → Horace trusts woman who betrays him | Demonstrates danger of judging by surface | Shows criminals can be charming and manipulative
4. **The Two Proverbs**
• 'Set a thief to catch a thief': Woman (thief) catches Horace (thief) | 'Honour among thieves': Woman and Horace briefly share understanding; she lets him go as promised (honour) but then uses his own actions against him | Story proves both sayings can be true
5. **Irony in the Story**
• Horace's greatest strength (understanding locks/safes) becomes irrelevant | His caution (gloves) undone by single mistake (removing them) | Arrested for theft he willingly attempted | Works in prison library surrounded by books he loves but cannot own | The 'honour' between thieves is weaponized against him
6. **Why Horace Gets Caught**
• Removed gloves to impress/please the woman → left fingerprints | Emotional manipulation made him abandon safety protocol | Greed returns him to crime on day 3 → provides police opportunity | His own admission of safe-opening used against him | Real wife (legitimate victim) doesn't corroborate his story
7. **The Twist Ending's Significance**
• Woman revealed as fellow thief, not innocent victim | Horace out-thieved by better criminal | Shows that criminals are not safe from each other | Proves intelligence/planning insufficient without moral restraint | Demonstrates that honour among thieves is temporary and conditional
8. **Hay Fever as Plot Device**
• Initial reason for woman's appearance (heard him sneezing) | Symbol of Horace's vulnerability | Shows that small, uncontrollable details can expose us | Demonstrates importance of luck in crime (and life)
9. **Message/Moral**
• Crime doesn't pay: Horace imprisoned despite 15 successful years | Greed/weakness of character leads to downfall | Trust misplaced in fellow criminal | Appearance/charm can be deceptive weapons | Two wrongs don't make a right: Horace's theft justified as stealing from wealthy, but doesn't protect him from fellow thief
10. **Answer Framework for 'Which Proverb Does Story Illustrate?'**
• Story illustrates BOTH proverbs simultaneously
• 'Set a thief to catch a thief': Woman uses Horace's own criminal knowledge and desire to help against him; she thinks like a thief because she IS one
• 'Honour among thieves': Woman honors her promise (lets him go); they briefly share understanding; BUT this 'honour' is conditional and becomes a trap
• Conclusion: Story shows these proverbs are not contradictory but complementary — honour can exist between criminals, but it's fragile and can be weaponized
Q1. What is Horace Danby's profession, and what is his secret?
Answer: B — The text explicitly states Horace 'made locks and was successful enough at his business' but 'robbed a safe every year' to buy rare, expensive books he loved.
Q2. Why does Horace sneeze in the drawing room at Shotover Grange?
Answer: C — The text states 'There was a great bowl of flowers on the table, and Horace felt his nose tickle' and later 'the smell of the flowers came to him again.'
Q3. How does the woman gain Horace's trust?
Answer: B — The woman tells Horace she will let him go if he opens the safe for her, claiming she forgot the combination and needs jewels for a party, making him believe he is helping her instead of being tricked.
Q4. What critical error does Horace make while opening the safe?
Answer: C — The text states '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' because 'His fingerprints, for he had opened the safe without gloves, were all over the room.'
Q5. Why is Horace arrested after leaving Shotover Grange?
Answer: C — The text explains 'By noon a policeman had arrested him for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange' because '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...said that the story was nonsense.'
Q6. What does the phrase 'honour among thieves' mean in the context of this story?
Answer: B — The phrase 'honour among thieves' suggests that even criminals have a code of loyalty, but the story disproves this by showing the woman betrays Horace despite being a thief herself.
Q7. Why does Horace keep his promise not to steal for two days after the woman lets him go?
Answer: B — The text states 'For two days he kept his promise to the kind young lady,' showing that Horace trusted her and honoured his agreement, believing she would reciprocate his loyalty.
Q8. Which statement best explains why the woman tricks Horace?
Answer: B — The story reveals that the woman is also a thief using her profession to trick Horace into opening the safe; she then escapes while he is arrested for her crime.
Q9. What is ironic about Horace being arrested for the Shotover Grange robbery?
Answer: A — Horace is arrested for opening the safe for the woman, but he did not steal the jewels himself; the woman stole them and blamed him, leaving his fingerprints as evidence.
Q10. What does Horace's current position as an assistant librarian in prison suggest about his character?
Answer: B — Even in prison, Horace works as an assistant librarian, showing that his deep love for books and reading is an essential part of his identity that imprisonment cannot change.
What does Horace Danby steal and why?
He robs safes to buy rare, expensive books which he loves and cannot afford otherwise.
Why does Horace mention his hay fever to the woman?
He sneezes loudly while working, and she hears him; he reflexively admits the truth when she asks if it is a cold or hay fever.
Who is the woman in the red dress at Shotover Grange?
She is a professional thief using the same profession as Horace, posing as the owner's wife to trick him into opening the safe.
What does the woman ask Horace to do in exchange for letting him go?
She asks him to open the safe so she can retrieve jewels she claims to need for a party, though she is actually robbing the house.
Why does Horace get arrested after leaving Shotover Grange?
His fingerprints are found all over the safe because he opened it without gloves, and the real owner's wife denies his story about the young lady.
What critical mistake does Horace make while opening the safe?
He removes his gloves to hand the woman his cigarette lighter, leaving fingerprints all over the safe and room.
What is the significance of the phrase 'honour among thieves' in this story?
The story proves this saying false by showing that the woman, also a thief, betrays Horace and exploits his trust instead of showing professional loyalty.
How does the woman manipulate Horace into helping her?
She sympathises with his hay fever, acts amused rather than angry, and makes him believe she will help him escape if he opens the safe for her.
What does Horace's current job in prison reflect about his character?
As a librarian's assistant, he remains connected to books he loves, showing that his core passion for knowledge has not changed despite his punishment.
Why does Horace keep his promise to the woman for two days?
He believes she will help him escape and genuinely trusted her, so he avoided stealing again to honour their agreement.
Why does Horace decide to open the safe for the woman? What does this decision reveal about his character? (2 marks) [2 marks]
He believes opening the safe will allow him to escape (she promises to let him go). This shows he is desperate, trusting, and values his freedom over completing his robbery — he chooses hope over survival.
How does the woman manipulate Horace into helping her? Explain with two examples from the text. (3 marks) [3 marks]
She identifies his hay fever and sympathises (gains emotional connection), acts amused rather than angry (removes fear), and promises to help him escape if he opens the safe (creates false sense of mutual benefit). Show how each tactic exploits his desperation and shared profession.
Does the story support or refute the saying 'honour among thieves'? Analyse Horace's experience with the woman to answer this question. What does this reveal about trust between criminals? (5 marks) [5 marks]
The story REFUTES the saying — the woman, also a thief, completely betrays Horace despite their shared profession. Analyse: How Horace keeps his 2-day promise (he believes in honour), How the woman breaks her implied promise (she has no honour), How desperation blinds people to betrayal, Why trust is weaponised in criminal relationships. Conclude: Trust is dangerous when built on false assumptions of loyalty.
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