A Question of Trust
How was Horace Danby arrested for the robbery of the jewels in a house at Shotover Grange? Do you think his own foolishness was liable for this arrest? Give reason.
Horace Danby never acted recklessly in a hurry while committing a theft. He planned thoroughly before robbing a safe every year. His previous thefts were absolutely successful. Before burgling into a house at Shotover Grange, he made detailed and fool-proof preparations.
But, he proved a novice in comparison to the young lady in red. She, in a very confident and cogent way, ingrafted the trust that she was the lady of the house. She made him open the safe without his gloves on and handover all the jewels to her. She escaped with the jewels and Horace’ fingerprints were detected at the crime scene and he was arrested. He pleaded before the investigation that the wife of the owner of the house had asked him to open the safe for her. The real lady of the house appeared on the scene. She was not the young lady in red but a grey-haired woman of sixty. She said that Horace’s story was nonsense. Only then, Horace came to know that he was outwitted by a con-woman in red who was also a thief like him.
Give a description of Horace Danby.
Horace Danby was apparently a good and respectable citizen. He was about fifty years old, but he was unmarried. He was a locksmith and an expert burglar. He was very successful in his business. He was usually very well and healthy except for attacks of hay fever. But he was not completely honest in his crime business. He would make a detailed study before embarking on a crime. He was never caught.
How did Horace come to know of the details of the house?
Horace had been studying the house for the past two weeks. Moreover, a magazine article had described this house, giving a plan of all the rooms and a picture of the room. There were also the details of a secured safe hidden behind the safe.
Whose voice rang behind Horace about the special treatment of his hay fever?
When Horace was perpetrating burglary and was about to open the safe, he heard a female voice. She asked if he suffered from cold or hay fever, for he was sneezing to his own embarrassment. She remarked that he could get rid of the hay fever with special treatment. He must find out what plant gave him that disease. She also advised Horace to see a doctor.
Narrate the unexpected meeting of the young lady in red and Horace.
When a voice behind advised Horace to find a suitable treatment of his hay fever, he was startled. It was a quiet, kindly voice but one with firmness in it. A young woman, quite pretty and dressed in red, was standing there. She walked to the fireplace and straightened the ornaments. She said that she had not expected to meet a burglar at her own house.
How would Horace satisfy his wish of reading books after he was arrested?
After Horace was arrested, he became the assistant librarian in the prison and satisfied himself of voracity of reading books.
Horace stated that he robbed only those who had a lot of money. Was he really a threat to society? Did he lack the qualities of a good citizen?
Horace was not seemingly a threat to society. He never physically harmed anyone. He stole for a very good reason. He used to rob a safe once every year to pursue his hobby of getting rare and expensive books to read. He was not a professional thief and because he was never arrested and convicted, no one knew him as a criminal. He was considered a good and honest citizen by everyone. He was about fifty years old and unmarried. He had all the qualities of a good citizen. He was not a criminal or a typical thief. He did so only to fulfill his wish to buy and read rare books and maintain himself throughout the year.
Though Horace planned everything meticulously, why did he fail?
Though Horace planned everything meticulously; he failed because of the smart con-woman. She an imposter. She posed as if she was the owner of the house and convinced him to open the shelf as she did not set any password for the shelf, but she needed a few jewels to wear for the show. Horace got trapped in her plot.
How did the flowers cause him trouble?
Horace Danby had an allergy against flowers, especially during pollen season. The flowers were there at the crime scene where he was burgling the safe. He started sneezing. It was an unwanted, embarrassing sound loudly emitted by him. The only cure for it was to stay away from those path flowers.
How did Horace plan to loot the house at Shotover Grange?
Horace Danby never committed theft in a hurry. All his previous operations were flawless and successful. He robbed a safe every year. This money was enough to see him through for a year. He planned his latest robbery in a house at Shotover Grange in all details. For two weeks, he had studied the house, its rooms, electric wiring, paths and its garden. He also observed that two servants working there had gone to movies. He saw them go. He came out from behind the garden wall. He had packed his tools carefully in a bag on his back. He had noticed the housekeeper hang the key to the kitchen door on a hook outside. He put on a pair of gloves, took the key and opened the house. He always put on a pair of gloves before committing a theft. A magazine article had described the house with all the rooms. It also mentioned that a painting hid a safe. He collected all these details and made all preparations to make his latest theft without leaving a clue.
What was Horace Danby’s hobby? How did he manage to fulfil his hobby?
Horace’ only hobby was to read expensive and rare books. He used to rob a safe once every year in order to arrange money for his hobby. He used to get those books from an agent. Rest of the money would see him through for the year.
Morality-Based-Question: 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?
“Ends do not justify means”, this is a very old and time tested saying. For their own benefit nobody should harm others. But this world doesn’t function on idealism. There are many examples of people duping people for quick gains. These acts should be deplored and the perpetrators must be punished severely.
Give a character-sketch of the lady in red. Highlight how she outwitted Horace Danby.
We do have any information regarding the past history of the lady in red. But we know about Horace’ past. Her whole personality remains in mystery until the end. Only when the identity of the real lady of the house is revealed, do we come to know that she is a thief and con-woman. She is the real culprit. The lady in red comes there with the only purpose of committing a theft in the house like Horace. She cleverly escapes with the jewels while Horace is sent to prison.
The lady in red is gifted with a rare personality. She is full of confidence. She acts like a perfect actress presenting herself as the lady of the house. Her gestures, confidence and convincing power are enough to take Horace by surprise. He turns out to be quite a novice in understanding an unexpected circumstance and judging the lady in red with her motive. She dominates the proceeding. Horace only proves to be a puppet in her hands. She exploits his fear of going to prison. She makes him open the safe without his gloves. She convinces him that she needs those jewels to wear them to a party that night. Horace willingly hands over the jewels and she goes away with them. Only when the grey-haired, sharp-tongued woman appears as the real lady of the house, do we come to know that the lady in red was a professional and crafty thief much smarter than Horace.
How did the lady spoil his plan?
The lady posed as the lady of the house before Horace. Horace was unnerved and he readily believed her. She asked him to open the safe as she had forgotten the password. Horace opened the safe and handed over the jewels to her. Thus, Horace’ plan of robbing the safe was spoiled.
Why did Horace mistake the young lady in red as the lady of the house?
The young woman in red was even smarter than Horace Danby. She was a thief and came with the same purpose as Horace into that house. Both the arrivals timing converged. She appeared a little later. However, she encountered Horace with an air of confidence and authority. She didn’t allow him to doubt her intentions. She showed that the dog, Sherry, belonged to her. He told him that she returned ‘home’ just in time. Her manner of speaking, gestures and confidence made Horace mistake her for the lady of the house.
Why did the lady report to the police though she promised that she would not report to the police?
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How did the lady deceive Horace?
The lady was very clever and shrewd. She promised Horace that she would not report to the police if he would help her in getting the jewels from the safe. Horace broke the safe and helped her. But she didn’t keep her promise as she was also a thief.
“Horace had some hope because she seemed to be amused at meeting him.” Why did Horace feel so? Did he consider the young lady sympathetic towards him? Did he find her free from biases? Elaborate the values Horace should have imbibe understanding of the person.
Horace was a fifty-year-old undercover burglar who used to rob only to buy rare and expensive books to read and possess them. This time he decided to rob Shot over Grange. But as soon as he entered the room, a Young lady appeared. She posed as the lady of the house. She was good at befriending the dog also. She tried to be polite and nice to him. On hearing her, Horace felt that he had a hope of escaping if that lady allowed him to go unreported. He found her a bit sympathetic towards him. He was amused at Horace. She acted in quite a delicate manner and showed her sympathy and admiration towards a simple and honest man. He could not judge her ace. She made Horace promise that he would never commit the crime again. Horace was carried away by her gesture and later got arrested for stealing the jewels which he did not steal.
“I have always liked the wrong kind of people,” said the woman in red. Comment.
It was ironic that the woman whom Horace took to be the lady of the house and talking big things was herself a thief. Horace requested her to let him go. He was desperate and afraid of going to prison. He promised never to do such a thing again. The lady pretended to be generous and stated that she “always liked the wrong kind of people”.
How did Horace manage to enter Shot over Grange?
Horace Kept an eye on the house for quite some time. He had seen the housekeeper hang the key in the hook outside the kitchen door. He came out from behind the garden wall. He put on his gloves, took the key and opened the door of the kitchen and entered Shot over Grange.
Draw a character-sketch of Horace Danby in your own words. How was he outmaneuvered by the lady in red?
Horace Danby was about fifty years old and unmarried. Everyone thought him a good and honest citizen. He was a professional burglar. But he never got caught. He was otherwise very well and happy except for attacks of hay fever in summer. He was a locksmith and was fairly successful at his business. Outwardly, in society, Horace Danby was good and respectable. He used to rob a safe every year. He did so because he needed money to buy books. Horace had a passion for buying rare and costly books. With that money, he secretly bought the books he admired through an agent.
Like a professional thief, he made a lot of preparations. He made it sure that every year’s robbery was going to be as successful as all the others. He studied the location of the house at Shotover Grange—its rooms, its electric wiring, its paths and its gardens in detail. He also came to know that the two servants of the house were out to the movies. He also knew where the safe was and the door key of the house. He befriended the little dog by calling his right name.
In spite of all his professionalism, Horace Danby proved a novice in judging the lady in red. The lady in red behaved with so much confidence and authority that Horace became totally a puppet in her hands. Easily passing off as the lady of the house, she made Horace open the safe without wearing his gloves. While the lady in red decamped with the jewels, Horace was sent to prison.
Who is the real culprit in this story, the lady or Horace? How did he/she manage to rob the safe without leaving a single fingerprint?
In this story, the real culprit is the young lady. She managed to trick Horace into breaking the safe for her. She did not even touch the safe herself. She managed to get all the jewels. She did not have to sweat for this. In this way, she managed to rob the safe without leaving a single fingerprint.
What do you think is the meaning of the phrase ‘honour among thieves’?
Ans. The phrase ‘honour among thieves’ means that thieves have their code of conduct. One thief is honest to the other thief. They never betray one another.
Which of the two lacked honour?
Between Horace and the young lady in red, the latter lacked honour. She came face to face with a thief, still, she tricked him. But Horace did not know that she was a thief. She got all the jewels. She went free but poor Horace was arrested. It was against the professional ethics among thieves.
How did Horace Danby manage to get rare and expensive books?
Horace Danby loved rare and expensive books. He bought them secretly through an agent. But for this, he had to rob a safe every year because he did not have enough money to buy those rare, expensive books. In this way, he possessed them.
What did the young lady ask Horace to do for her?
The young lady told Horace that she had returned home to take the jewels from the safe. She said that she had to wear them that night at a party. She made an excuse of having forgotten the number to open the safe. So she compelled Horace to break open the safe for her; if not, she would tell the police everything about him.
What story did Horace tell the police when he was arrested?
Horace told the police that he had not stolen any jewels. He said that he broke open the safe for the young wife of the owner of the house. But the wife was herself an old lady of about sixty with grey-hair. So, none believed his story.
Why didn’t the dog bark when Horace Danby and the young lady in red entered to commit theft in the house?
Both Horace Danby and the young lady in red knew all the tricks of their trade. They knew the real nature of dogs and applied how to be friendly with them. A small dog when made a noise, Horace called out “All right, Sherry,” as he passed. Perhaps, the lady in red also knew like Horace that to keep dogs quiet, one must call them by their right names. Their trick worked and Sherry remained quiet.
Why did Horace Danby prefer books to collect paintings?
Horace Danby bore a deep passion to own and read rare expensive books. Collecting and buying rare and expensive books was his passion. He resorted to robbing a safe every year to buy them. When the preference between collecting books and paintings came, he chose the former. Paintings took up too much space. In a small house like his, books were a better choice.
Why is Horace Danby described as good and respectable but not completely honest?
Horace Danby was a good person. He was a locksmith and worked honestly before the society. He was very successful in his business. He had engaged two helpers in his business. But he was not completely honest because he robbed a safe every year.
Why did he rob every year? Was he a typical thief? If so, why?
Ans. Horace loved reading rare and expensive books. So he robbed a safe every year to buy these books. He was a typical thief because he robbed only one safe every year.
What went wrong when he attempted to rob Shotover Grange?
Danby was a very successful thief. He always used gloves while breaking a safe. He never left any fingerprints behind. This time when he started his work, he felt a little tickle in his nose. It was because of a big flower pot lying on the table. He was repeatedly sneezing. This happened wrong with him.
What advice did the lady give Horace regarding his hay fever? Was she really interested in his health?
The lady told Horace that he could get rid of the disease if he found out which plant had given him the disease. She advised him that he should see a doctor. Actually, she was not interested in his health. She was just trying to be friendly and look sympathetic.
Did the young lady expect Horace to be caught after the theft?
Yes, the young lady expected Horace to be caught after the theft to put the blame conclusively upon him. She thought that it would be very easy to detect Horace with the help of fingerprints.
In what way could his arrest have helped her?
If Horace Danby had not been arrested for the jewels robbery at Shotover Grange then she would have been unsafe. She got the jewels but Horace broke the safe for her. Thus, his arrest stopped the investigation conclusively.
Who is the real culprit in the story, the young lady in red or Horace Danby? Comment.
Ans. Law of any land works on evidence. Horace Danby opened the safe without wearing his gloves. He didn’t think it necessary to wear them as he thought he was working for ‘the lady of the house’. So the police matched his fingerprints and he was arrested. The lady in the red was actually the real culprit. She made Horace open the safe for her. She was also a thief and decamped with the jewels. But in the eyes of the law, Horace was the real culprit because the evidence was against him.
Horace Danby requested the lady to forget what she saw. Was Horace afraid of being caught? Did he lack the courage to accept his crime publicly?
Yes, Horace Danby was afraid of being caught. He lacked the courage to accept his crime publicly. He was not a professional criminal or thief. He was considered a good and honest man by everyone. Apparently, his occupation was that of a locksmith’s and he was pretty successful in his business. He was about fifty years old and unmarried. His house was looked after by a housekeeper. He used to rob only one safe every year to pursue his habit of getting rare and expensive books to read. He used to rob only those who were rich. He had a good reputation in the society and hence did not want anyone to know about his crimes. Although he helped the lady but was caught by the police for the crime he did not commit. He learnt from his mistake.
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?
Yes, one does begin to suspect that the woman is not who she claims to be. She was unusually calm on seeing Horace near the locker. Then she doesn't even call the police and also asks him to open the locker for her even if it means breaking it open as she had forgotten the code of the safe. It is very unusual that someone forgets the passcode to their own locker, even breaks it without trying to remember/ retrieve the password.
Horace Danby was a respectable man but he could not be called loyal. What do you think could be the reasons for leading a respectable man like him on the path of thievery? Did he feel lack of sense of freedom? Was it not in his nature to accept the differences among people regarding their social status?
Horace Danby’s habits were not typical of a thief. He was fond of books was a respectable man but his passion for books led him to thievery. He used to steal only once. In a year, he never stole more than his needs. He stole only to buy rare books; he loved rare and expensive books. Moreover, Danby used to rob only rich people. It was his nature.
What are the delicate 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?
The way she walks up to the doorway, starts talking to him, arranges the ornaments in their right place and picks up the silver cigarette box with so much confidence can make anyone believe that she is the lady of the house. Apart from that, Horace had become nervous and frightened when he saw the woman in the doorway and for this, he could not think properly.
Why didn’t Horace Danby ever get any chance to look for another safe?
Horace got nothing from the house at Shotover Grange. The lady in red escaped with the jewels. For two days, he kept his promise given to the kind, young lady in red. On the third day, he realised that he would have to look for another safe to buy books. But he never got that chance because the police soon arrested him for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange.
Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?
He did not gather enough information about the real occupants of the house. He gathered all the information about the tracks, wirings, gardens, servants and even the dog’s name but he forgot to confirm the identities of the house owners. He even took out the information of the valuables inside the safe. Once with the lady in red, he could not even think with a clear mind. He carelessly opened the safe and left his finger prints in the room without wearing his gloves.
Why was it not hard to open the safe for Horace Danby?
It was not going to be hard to open the safe for Horace Danby. After all, he had `lived with locks and safes all his life’. He made locks himself with two helpers. The burglar alarm was poorly built and he cut the wires of the burglar alarm. He knew about the safe and the key, and it was not a difficult job for him to open it when no one was present in the house.
Why did the woman in red threaten to telephone the police?
Ans. Horace was caught red-handed. Appearing silently behind him, the woman in red said that she didn’t expect to meet a burglar there. She added that she knew that he was very unhappy to meet her. She also asked what he was going to do. Horace replied that he was thinking of running away. The lady threatened that if he did so, she would telephone the police and tell them all about him. They would get him at once.
When and why did the woman in red say, “Society must be protected from men like you”? Does it not sound ironic?
Horace assured the woman in red that he would not hurt her. She must forget she ever met him. It made her angry. She couldn’t let him go, otherwise, he would rob someone else. Society must be protected from people like him. It sounds ironic because she herself was a thief and had come for the same purpose for which Horace was there in the house. Besides, she duped Horace into taking the blame of burglary.
Disclaimer: Images have been taken from Google sites
