class 10 English - Very Important & Question Anwers

Short Answer Type Questions (2-3 Marks)

Word limit: 30-40 words

Q1. What kind of person was Horace Danby?

Ans: Horace Danby was a fifty-year-old unmarried man who ran a successful lock-making business. He was considered a “good and honest citizen,” but he wasn’t completely honest. He robbed one safe every year to fund his expensive hobby of buying rare and costly books.

Q2. How did Horace Danby prepare for the robbery at Shotover Grange?

Ans: Horace was very meticulous. He studied the house for two weeks, looking at the rooms, the electric wiring, the paths, and the garden. He even found out where the family was (in London) and where the servants had gone (to the movies).

Q3. Who was the “Lady in Red”? How did she trick Horace?

Ans: The “Lady in Red” was a young, pretty woman who was actually another thief. She acted as if she were the mistress of the house. She spoke with such confidence and authority that Horace believed her and did exactly what she asked to “save” himself from being reported to the police.

Q4. Why did Horace take off his gloves? What was the consequence?

Ans: The lady asked Horace to open the safe for her because she claimed to have forgotten the numbers. To be helpful and to please her, Horace took off his gloves to handle the lighter and the safe. Consequently, he left his fingerprints everywhere, which led to his arrest.

Q5. Why was Horace Danby arrested when he hadn’t actually “stolen” the jewels for himself?

Ans: Horace was arrested because his fingerprints were found all over the safe. The real mistress of the house was a sixty-year-old woman with grey hair, who confirmed that Horace’s story about the “young wife” was a lie. Even though he didn’t keep the jewels, he was the one who broke the safe.

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Long Answer Type Questions (5 Marks)

Word limit: 100-120 words

Q1. “Honor among thieves” is a popular saying. Was it followed in this story?

Ans: The saying “honor among thieves” implies that criminals have a code of conduct and do not betray each other. However, in this story, this code was completely broken. The young woman, who was a thief herself, used Horace to do the “dirty work” of breaking the safe. She treated him like a pawn and then left him to be arrested while she walked away with the jewels. Horace, who believed in being a “professional,” was shocked and angry that he was tricked by a member of his own profession. The irony is that Horace was betrayed by the very thing he trusted—the idea that a fellow “lady” (thief) wouldn’t lie to him.

Q2. Describe Horace Danby’s personality. Would you call him a “typical” criminal?

Ans: Horace Danby is an atypical criminal. Unlike most thieves, he was a respected member of society with a successful business. He was not a desperate man; he robbed only once a year to satisfy his sophisticated passion for rare books. He was meticulous and hated the thought of prison. He was also a very “polite” thief; he was afraid of the mistress and tried to please her. However, his biggest weakness was his over-confidence and his hay fever. His sneezing gave away his position, and his desire to be a “gentleman” made him forget to wear his gloves while helping the lady. He was a man of taste but lacked the “street-smartness” of the woman in red.

Q3. How did the young woman in red manage to deceive a seasoned thief like Horace?

Ans: The woman was a brilliant actress. She maintained perfect calm and composure. She walked in and treated the dog, Sherry, with familiarity, which convinced Horace she lived there. She criticized the “untidiness” of the house and talked about the “jewelry” as if it were her own. Her tone was authoritative yet kind, making Horace feel guilty for breaking in. She exploited Horace’s fear of going to jail. By the time Horace realized he was being tricked, she had already made him open the safe without his gloves. Her intelligence and quick thinking proved that she was a far superior criminal compared to the “methodical” Horace.

Q4. Discuss the irony at the end of the story.

Ans: The ending is deeply ironic. Horace Danby, who spent two weeks planning a “perfect” robbery, ended up doing all the hard work for someone else. He thought he was being a “good guy” by helping the lady of the house, but he was actually helping a rival thief. Another irony is that Horace, who made his living by making locks, was defeated by a woman who didn’t have to break a single lock—she simply talked her way into the jewels. Finally, Horace is now the assistant librarian in prison, where he has access to all the “rare books” he loved, but he can no longer enjoy them as a free man.

Q5. What was the “question of trust” in the story?

Ans: The “question of trust” refers to the misplaced trust Horace put in the lady in red. He trusted his eyes (her appearance) and her words (her authority) without verifying anything. He also trusted the “unwritten rule” that thieves don’t cheat each other. On a deeper level, the story asks the reader: Who can you trust? Horace’s trust in his own planning and his trust in the woman led to his downfall. The story suggests that in the world of crime, there is no such thing as trust, and one’s own “honesty” within a dishonest profession is a paradox that leads to ruin.