10 English - A Question of Trust - Notes

Class X English
Footprints Without Feet

A Question Of Trust
Notes
INTRODUCTION
This story is about a thief who gets a taste of his own medicine. Horace Danby can be termed as a thief
with a difference. He breaks safes and commits burglaries only once in a year as he is fond of rare books
and spends most of his booty on financing his hobby. He plans meticulously before attempting any
burglary. Before making a burglary attempt at a big house at Shotover Grange, he gathers all the
necessary information and enters the house for stealing from the safe. However, he is caught by a pretty
young lady in red who claims to be the owner of the house but is actually a burglar like him. Finally,
Horace is arrested for jewel robbery and ends up in prison only to repent at the way he was deceived by
a person from his own profession.
THEME
Trust is the most important quality. However, a thief is a thief and has no scruples. The lady in red
defied the ‘honour among thieves’ by deceiving Horace Danby, thus breaking the code of conduct and
trust of another one of her profession by tricking him into cracking open the safe and handing over to
her the jewels.
DETAILED EXPLANATION
Horace Danby: A Businessman and an Unusual Thief
Horace Danby had a good reputation in society. He was about fifty years old and unmarried. He ran a
business of making locks and had two helpers. But Horace was not totally honest. He loved rare and
expensive books. Horace robbed a safe every year to finance his expensive hobby.
Horace Plans a Theft
For two weeks Horace had studied the country house at Shotover Grange, whose owners normally lived
in London. He wanted to burgle the jewellery lying in the safe of the house as he needed to buy three
interesting books coming up for sale in the autumn. He knew where the housekeeper hung the key and
had also carefully studied about the rooms, the electric wiring, paths and garden before the theft.
Horace Enters the House for Theft
Horace entered the house when the servants were away. A small dog lay in the kitchen. He silenced it by
calling out his name, Sherry. He had hay fever, an allergy to flowers. He felt his nose tickle due to the
flowers and started sneezing. The safe was not hard to open. He went into the hall to cut the wire of the
alarm bell.
Horace Meets a Young and Pretty Lady
Horace heard a lady’s voice which told him that he could cure the sneeze. A young and pretty lady in a
red dress appeared in the doorway. She said that she had come back in time but had not expected a
burglar. His first thought was to run, as the lady told him that she would telephone the police. Horace
begged her to let him go and forget that she had ever seen him. He also promised that he would never
commit a burglary if she would let him go.
Lady’s Condition for Horace’s Freedom
By now Horace was quite sure about the lady being the owner of the house. The lady put one condition
for letting Horace go. She told him that she had promised her husband to take her jewels to the bank.
She had, however, left the jewels in the safe, as she wanted to wear the jewels to a party that night. She
came down to get them, but had forgotten the number combination to open the safe. So she needed his
help to break open the safe. Horace opened the safe for her and handed her the jewels to get his freedom.
Horace Got Arrested
On the third day Horace thought of the books which he wanted. He would have to look for another safe.
But he never got a chance for another burglary as by noon a policeman had arrested him for the jewel
robbery at Shotover Grange. Horace’s fingerprints had been found all over the room. He had opened the
safe without using his gloves. He told the police that the lady of the house had told him to open the safe.
But the actual lady was a sixty year old, gray-haired and sharp- tongued woman. She said that Horace’s
story was nonsense. Horace then realised that the pretty young woman was also a jewel thief who had
used his skill to steal the jewels.
Horace’s Regret
Horace is now an assistant librarian in the prison. He often thinks of the charming and clever young
lady. She was in the same profession as him and had simply tricked him. He gets angry when anyone
talks about ‘honour among thieves’.
SUMMARY
• Horace Danby, who ran a business of making locks, had a good reputation in society. But he
was not totally honest.
• His hobby was collecting rare and expensive books. Horace robbed one safe every year to
finance his costly hobby.
• Horace had been studying the country house at Shotover Grange, whose owner normally lived
in London, as he wanted to burgle the jewellery, worth about 15000 pounds, lying in the safe in
this house.
• Horace entered the house when the servants were away. But he started sneezing because he had
hay fever, an allergy to flowers.
• Suddenly he heard a young lady’s voice saying that he could cure himself. He then saw her
appear in the doorway.
• His first thought was to run, as the lady told him that she would telephone the police. Horace
told her to let him go and forget that she ever saw him.
• The lady agreed on one condition – he should open the safe for her, as she had to wear the
jewels in the safe for a party the same night, but she had forgotten the combination to open the
safe.
• So Horace opened the safe for her and handed her the jewels to get his freedom.
• After two days Horace was arrested for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange. Horace’s
fingerprints were found, as he had opened the safe without using his gloves.
• When he told the police that the lady of the house had asked him to open the safe, he was
surprised to learn that the actual owner was a 60-year old woman.
• Horace then realised that the young woman was also a jewel thief who had used his skill to steal
the jewels.Horace is now in prison. He understands now that the charming and clever young
lady had simply tricked him.
VOCABULARY
Spite- desire to hurt or offend someone
Tickle- lightly touch in a way that causes mild discomfort, itching or laughter
Hindering- blocking
Grange - a country house with farm buildings attached.
Sharp-tongued - a person who is in the habit of using harsh, or critical language.
Honour- great esteem.
Mended- repaired
MESSAGE
Ends do not justify the means. Nobody should harm others for one’s own personal gains. The lady in red
duped Horace Danby and broke his trust. However, the wealth that Horace had gathered from his
successful robberies did not belong to him. He is actually a criminal and we cannot appreciate his means
to become successful.
CHARACTERS
Horace Danby
Horace Danby was about fifty years of age and unmarried. He lived with a caring housekeeper and was
usually well and happy except for a few attacks of hay fever in summer. He made locks and was
successful enough in business to afford two helpers. He was extremely fond of rare and expensive
books. He had a good reputation in society but was not completely honest as everyone thought him to
be. Horace used to commit robberies by cracking a safe every year. He used to steal enough to last for
twelve months. He secretly bought the books that he loved with the stolen money. He would plan his
burglaries meticulously and would steal only from those who had a lot of money. He was always careful
not to leave any fingerprints behind. He had served his first and only sentence in a prison library fifteen
years ago and hated the thought of prison. He was so afraid of going to prison that he almost begged the
lady in red dress whom he mistook as the owner of the house to forgive him and let him go. Deceived
by the lady, Horace got arrested and served as assistant librarian in the prison and learnt the bitter lesson
of life regarding the code of conduct as well as question of trust and honour among thieves.
Lady in Red Dress

The lady in red dress whom Horace Danby met at in the house at Shotover Grange and mistook as the
owner of the house was a pretty, young and confident woman. She had a kindly voice which had
firmness in it. She was charming and alluring and carried herself confidently. She was a burglar and an
intelligent and shrewd one at that. Like Horace, she had also come to Shotover Grange in order to
commit burglary. She spoke to Horace in an authoritative tone and made him believe that she was the
owner of the house. Very cunningly she was able to unnerve Horace by threatening to call the police to
get him arrested. In order to save him from the embarrassment of getting arrested, she cleverly assigns
him the task of breaking the safe for her and committing the burglary. She falsely cooked up the story
of her jewels being locked up and about forgetting the combination numbers to open the safe. Her
confident walk, her manner of straightening her ornaments and her familiarity with the household were
enough to convince Horace that she was genuine. Thus, she effortlessly got away with what she wanted
by outwitting Horace who got arrested and learnt the lesson of his life. She defied the ‘honour among
thieves’ by breaking the code of conduct and trust of another one of her profession.

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Class X English

Footprints Without Feet

Horace Plans a Theft

Horace Enters the House for Theft

Horace Meets a Young and Pretty Lady

Horace Got Arrested

Lady in Red Dress

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