Lesson-4

A Question of Trust

Introduction to the lesson

The plot revolves around a man named Horace Danby, who is 50 years old and is thought to be a good and honest man by everyone around him. He used to make locks and earn enough money to hire two servants to help him. He was imprisoned about 15 years ago for committing robberies every year. This year, when he goes to a house for robbery, he meets a woman who claims to be the house's owner. Later, when he leaves and is arrested after 2-3 days, he discovers the truth about that lady.

A Question of Trust Summary

The plot revolves around a 50-year-old man who manufactures locks and lives with his housekeeper. He is a good citizen, but he is not an honest one because he commits a robbery every year. He plans his robberies so that the money he gets from them lasts him at least a year and allows him to buy rare and expensive books. He purchases these books because he enjoys collecting rare and expensive books. He intends to rob a grange known as Shotover Grange. He takes all of the information about the house, such as where the family had gone, how many servants were in the house, what the name of the dog was, the wiring in the house, the safe in the house, and even how much money was in the safe. The real twist in the storey occurs when he arrives at the grange to commit a robbery and is met by a woman claiming to be the owner's wife. She offers him the option of forgetting she had seen him if he opens the safe for her because she has forgotten the code to the safe and needs to go to a party. He has no idea he is opening the safe for another thief and that she is not the true owner of the house. He leaves happily, believing that he is safe, but he is unaware that he has opened the safe for someone else, and that he has done so without wearing his gloves. Three days later, a police officer arrives and arrests him, claiming that his fingerprints were discovered at the Shotover Grange. He then realises that he had been duped by a lady who was also a thief and came from a similar background to his. He is imprisoned and works as an assistant librarian. He is enraged whenever someone mentions honour among thieves because he was duped by a member of his own community.

A Question of Trust Lesson and explanation

EVERYONE thought that Horace Danby was a good, honest citizen. He was about fifty years old and unmarried, and he lived with a housekeeper who worried over his health. In fact, he was usually very well and happy except for attacks of hay fever in summer. He made locks and was successful enough at his business to have two helpers. Yes, Horace Danby was good and respectable but not completely honest. Fifteen years ago, Horace had served his first and only sentence in a prison library. He loved rare, expensive books. So he robbed a safe every year. Each year he planned carefully just what he would do, stole enough to last for twelve months, and secretly bought the books he loved through an agent. Now, walking in the bright July sunshine, he felt sure that this year’s robbery was going to be as successful as all the others. For two weeks he had been studying the house at Shotover Grange, looking at its rooms, its electric wiring, its paths and its garden. This afternoon the two servants, who remained in the Grange while the family was in London, had gone to the movies. Horace saw them go, and he felt happy in spite of a little tickle of hay fever in his nose. He came out from behind the garden wall, his tools carefully packed in a bag on his back.

  • Citizen-  a legally recognized subject or national of a state or commonwealth, either native or naturalized.
  • Housekeeper- a person employed to manage a household.
  • Hay fever- an allergy caused by pollen or dust in which the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose are inflamed, causing running of the nose and watery eyes.
  • Sentence- the punishment assigned to a defendant found guilty by a court, or fixed by law for a particular offence.
  • Safe- a strong fireproof cabinet with a complex lock, used for the storage of valuables.
  • Grange- a country house with farm buildings attached.

Horace Danby was 50 years old, unmarried, and shared his home with his housekeeper. The housekeeper was concerned about his health. He was fit and healthy, but he suffered from hay fever in the summer. He used to make locks and make enough money to hire two people to help him with his work. Everyone thought he was a good and honest citizen, but no one knew he had gone to jail about 15 years ago and served his sentence in the prison library. From there he developed an interest in rare and expensive books. This year, during the summers of July, he was confident that he would be able to steal as easily without being caught as he did every other summer. He studied the house for more than two weeks, paying close attention to the smallest details such as the electric wiring, paths, and garden area. The servants who were supposed to stay at home when the family went to London went out to see a movie on that particular day. When Horace saw them leave, he was relieved rather than concerned about the tickle in his nose caused by hay fever. He then walked away with a bag containing his tools.

There were about fifteen thousand pounds worth of jewels in the Grange safe. If he sold them one by one, he expected to get at least five thousand, enough to make him happy for another year. There were three very interesting books coming up for sale in the autumn. Now he would get the money he wanted to buy them. He had seen 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 door. He was always careful not to leave any fingerprints. A small dog was lying in the kitchen. It stirred, made a noise, and moved its tail in a friendly way. All right, Sherry, Horace said as he passed. All you had to do to keep dogs quiet was to call them by their right names, and show them love. The safe was in the drawing room, behind a rather poor painting. Horace wondered for a moment whether he should collect pictures instead of books. But they took up too much room. In a small house, books were better. There was a great bowl of flowers on the table, and Horace felt his nose tickle. He gave a little sneeze and then put down his bag. He carefully arranged his tools. He had four hours before the servants returned. The safe was not going to be hard to open. After all, he had lived with locks and safes all his life. The burglar alarm was poorly built. He went into the hall to cut its wire. He came back and sneezed loudly as the smell of the flowers came to him again. How foolish people are when they own valuable things, Horace thought. A magazine article had described this house, giving a plan of all the rooms and a picture of this room. The writer had even mentioned that the painting hid a safe! But Horace found that the flowers were hindering him in his work. He buried his face in his handkerchief.

  • Pounds- basic monetary unit of the UK, equal to 100 pence.
  • Autumn- the season after summer and before winter, in the northern hemisphere from September to November and in the southern hemisphere from March to May.
  • Stirred- move or cause to move slightly.
  • Tickle-  in a way that causes mild discomfort or itching and often laughter.
  • Sneeze- make a sudden involuntary expulsion of air from the nose and mouth due to irritation of one’s nostrils.
  • Burglar- a person who commits theft.
  • Hindering- make it difficult for (someone) to do something or for (something) to happen.

According to Horace, the grange's safe contained approximately £15,000 in jewels. He reasoned that if he sold them one by one, he'd make at least 5000 pounds, which would keep him happy and content for a year. He also considered the three books that would be released in the autumn and realised that he would now have the funds to purchase them. He noticed the grange's housekeeper hang the keys on the hook outside the kitchen door. He took the key while wearing a glove to avoid leaving fingerprints. He used to be very careful about fingerprints when he opened the grange door. He then noticed a small dog dozing in the kitchen. The dog shifted his weight, made a noise, and then moved his tail in a friendly manner. Horace then said, alright Sherry, which was the dog's name. He knew that calling dogs by their names and showering them with affection was the best way to keep them quiet.

The grange's safe was hidden behind a painting in the drawing room. When he saw the painting, he decided that he should collect paintings rather than books, but then decided that it would be better to collect books in a small house because pictures required more space. As he moved forward, he noticed a bowl of flowers on the table. Because of his hay fever and the smell of the flowers, his nose was tickling. He gathered his tools and calculated that he had about 4 hours until the housekeepers arrived. The safe would not have been difficult to open because he had grown up with safes and locks, and the house's burglar system was inadequate. He went into the hall to cut the burglar alarm wires. As the smell of the flowers hit him again, he sneezed loudly. As he remembered the entire plan of the house, including the information about the safe, he was thinking to himself how foolish rich people were when they had valuable things. He noticed that the smell of the flowers was constantly making him sneeze loudly, so he did something about it. He wiped his brow with a handkerchief and went about his business.

Then he heard a voice say from the doorway, “What is it?A cold or hay fever?” Before he could think, Horace said, “Hay fever,” and found himself sneezing again. The voice went on, “You can cure it with a special treatment, you know, if you find out just what plant gives you the disease. I think you’d better see a doctor, if you are serious about your work. I heard you from the top of the house just now.” It was a quiet, kindly voice, but one with firmness in it. A woman was standing in the doorway, and Sherry was rubbing against her. She was young, quite pretty, and was dressed in red. She walked to the fireplace and straightened the ornaments there. “Down, Sherry,’ she said. “Anyone would think I’d been away for a month!” She smiled at Horace, and went on, “However, I came back just in time, though I didn’t expect to meet a burglar.” Horace had some hope because she seemed to be amused at meeting him. He might avoid trouble if he treated her the right way. He replied, “ didn’t expect to meet one of the family.” She nodded. “ see what an inconvenience it is for you to meet me. What are you going to do?” Horace said, “My first thought was to run.” “Of course, you could do that. But I would telephone the police and tell them all about you. They’d get you at once.” Horace said, ‘ would, of course, cut the telephone wires first and then…,” he hesitated, a smile on his face,’ would make sure that you could do nothing for some time. A few hours would be enough.” She looked at him seriously. “You’d hurt me?” Horace paused, and then said,’ think I was trying to frighten you when I said that.’”You didn’t frighten me.” Horace suggested, “would be nice if you would forget you ever saw me. Let me go.” The voice was suddenly sharp. “Why should I? You were going to rob me. If I let you go, you’ll only rob someone else. Society must be protected from men like you.” Horace smiled. not a man who threatens society. I steal only from those who have a lot of money. I steal for a very good reason. And I hate the thought of prison. She laughed, and he begged, thinking that he had persuaded her, “Look, I have no right to ask you for anything, but I’m desperate. Let me go and I promise never to do this kind of thing again. I really mean it.” She was silent, watching him closely. Then she said,”You are really afraid of going to prison, aren’t you?” She came over to him shaking her head. “ have always liked the wrong kind of people

  • Doorway- an entrance to a room or building through a door.
  • Ornaments-a thing used or serving to make something look more attractive but usually having no practical purpose, especially a small object such as a figurine.
  • Amused- finding something funny or entertaining.
  • Hesitated- pause in indecision before saying or doing something
  • Frighten- make (someone) afraid or anxious
  • Persuaded- induce (someone) to do something through reasoning or argument.

Then someone from the doorway asked him if he had a cold or hay fever. Horace sneezed again and quickly replied, “ hay fever”. The other person then went on to say that he could cure it if he knew which flower caused the allergy and that if he wanted to be a good thief, he should see a doctor. The other person then stated that his sneezing could be heard from the house's top floor. The tone was firm and calm. He became concerned when he noticed a woman standing in the doorway. The woman was young, attractive, and dressed in red. She approached him and rearranged the decorations on the fireplace. Then she told the dog to stay away and said that people might think she was gone for a month, but she was back in time and didn't expect a burglar to greet her when she returned home. Horace was encouraged when he noticed that the woman was amused rather than alarmed when she saw a burglar. He reasoned that if he treated her well and did nothing wrong, she might let him go. He also joked with her that he didn't expect to see a family member because he assumed there was no one at home. Then she said she realised how much of a bother she was to him and asked him what he would do now.

He responded that at first, he wanted to flee. The woman replied that he could, but she would call the cops and inform them that he was robbing her house, and they would apprehend him. Horace responded that he would obviously cut the telephone wires first, and then do something to her that would prevent her from doing anything for a few hours. She gave him a serious look and asked if he was going to hurt her. Horace responded that he was only saying that to scare her. She was not scared by what he said, and Horace then told her that it was best if she forgot she ever saw him and let him go. Suddenly, she exclaimed in a sharp and loud voice, "Why should she let him go?" Â He was there to rob her, and if she let him go, he'd go rob someone else. She stated that society needed to be safeguarded against people like him. He smiled and stated that he was not a threat to society because he only stole from wealthy people. Furthermore, he stole for a good reason and despised the prospect of going to prison. She laughed at his response, and he begged her not to call the cops. Horace was pleading only because he believed he had persuaded her to let him go. He was pleading with the woman not to call the cops and promising that he would stop robbing people. He made a promise to her and assured her that he meant what he said. She then turned to face him and asked if he was truly afraid of going to prison. She shook her head and stated that she was always drawn to the wrong types of people. (This was a hint to Horace that she, too, was a thief, but he ignored it.)

She picked up a silver box from the table and took a cigarette from it. Horace, eager to please her and seeing that she might help him, took off his gloves and gave her his cigarette lighter. You’ll let me go? He held the lighter towards her. Yes, but only if you’ll do something for me.” “Anything you say.” “Before we left for London, I promised my husband to take my jewels to our bank; but I left them here in the safe. I want to wear them to a party tonight, so I came down to get them, but”, Horace smiled. “You’ve forgotten the numbers to open the safe, haven’t you. Yes, replied the young lady. Just leave it to me and you’ll have them within an hour. But I’ll have to break your safe.” “Don’t worry about that. My husband won’t be here for a month, and I’ll have the safe mended by that time.”  And within an hour Horace had opened the safe, given her the jewels, and gone happily away. For two days he kept his promise to the kind young lady. On the morning of the third day, however, he thought of the books he wanted and he knew he would have to look for another safe. But he never got the chance to begin his plan. By noon a policeman had arrested him for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange. 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, a gray-haired, sharp-tongued woman of sixty, said that the story was nonsense. Horace is now the assistant librarian in the prison. He often thinks of the charming, clever young lady who was in the same profession as he was, and who tricked him. He gets very angry when anyone talks about “honour among thieves”.

  • Jewels- a precious stone.
  • Mended- repair (something that is broken or damaged).
  • Charming- very pleasant or attractive.
  • Profession- a paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification.
  • Sharp – tongued – (of a person) given to using cutting, harsh, or critical language.
  • Honour- high respect; great esteem.

The woman took a cigarette from a silver cigarette box and lit it. Horace reasoned that if he pleased her, she might help him. As a result, he quickly took off his gloves and handed her his cigarette lighter. Then he asked her if she would let him go, pointing the lighter at her cigarette. Yes, she replied, she would let him go, but only if he did something she desired. Horace quickly responded that he would go to any length for her. The lady stated that before leaving for London, she promised her husband that she would deposit all of the jewellery in the bank, but instead left it in the grange's safe. She needed to get to a party right away, but she had forgotten the locker code. Horace said he'd do it but would have to break the locker, to which she replied that he shouldn't worry because her husband won't be back for another month and she'd have it repaired by then. Within an hour, Horace had broken open the safe, given her the jewels, and left happy, thinking he was now safe. For the first two days, he kept his promise to the lady that he would not steal, but on the third day, he began to think about the books he wanted to buy and realised that he would have to look for another locker to steal from. As a result of his arrest, he couldn't even plan his next robbery. Because his fingerprints were all over the Shotover grange, a police officer came to his house and arrested him. When he claimed that the owner's wife had asked him to open the safe, no one believed him. The owner's actual wife was a sixty-year-old woman with a sharp tongue. She dismissed the storey, claiming that she had never met Horace, let alone asked him to open the safe. This means that the young woman who asked Horace to open the safe was a thief who pretended to be the owner's wife. Then Horace went to work as an assistant librarian at the jail and remembered the woman who had duped him and gotten him caught because they were both in the same profession. When someone mentioned honour among thieves, he became enraged.

About the Author

Victor Canning (16 June 1911 - 21 February 1986) was a prolific British novelist and thriller writer who thrived in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. He was a private man who didn't write memoirs and gave only a few newspaper interviews.