1 What does Horace Danby like to collect?
Answer Horace Danby likes to collect rare books.
2 Why does he steal every year?
Answer He steals every year in order to fulfil his hobby of reading rare books. He is different from other.
3 who is speaking to Horace Danby?
Answer The young lady is speaking to Horace Danby.
4 who is the real culprit in the story?
Answer The young lady thief is the real culprit in the story.
THINK ABOUT IT
1 Did you begin to suspect, before the end of the story, that lady was not the person Horace Danby took her to be? If so it what point did you realise this, and how?
Answer Yes, I begin to suspect, before the end of the story, that the lady was not the person Horace Danby took her to be.
I realised this at that point when she says, “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 ……………………”
No lady will ask the thief to get her jewels from the safe. Also no lady will say that she could forget the numbers to open the safe. Also no lady will say that her husband won’t be there for a mouth and she will have the safe mended by that time. It seems that all pre-planned here.
2 what are the subtle ways in which the lady manages to deceive Horace Danby into she is the lady of the house? Why doesn’t Horace suspect that something is wrong?
Answer the subtle ways in which the lady manages to deceive Horace Danby into thinking she is the of the house are-
- She tells Horace that anyone would think she’d been away for a mouth. She smiled and went on saying that she had come back in time, though she didn’t except to meet a burglar.
- Then she says that it would be an inconvenience for him to meet her. She also asks him what he was going to do.
Horace doesn’t suspect that something is wrong because he thinks that she is the lady of the house. He has never expected to meet one of the family members. The lady tricks him and he hands over the jewels to her. Horace Danby is the clever but the young lady is cleverer. She is a great actress also who befools Horace.
3. “Horace Danby was good and respectable − but not completely honest”. Why do you think this description is apt for Horace? Why can’t he be categorized as a typical thief?
Answer
“Horace Danby was good and respectable − but not completely honest”. This description is apt for Horace. He was about fifty years old. He robbed only from rich people, and his purpose was to buy rare and expensive books with the money. He stole only once a year. The intention of buying books was good. However, the fact that he stole to achieve this end showed that he was not completely honest. He cannot be categorized as a typical thief because he did not steal to eat or drink. He had a house. He made locks, had two people to help him, and was successful in his business. He only stole enough money to buy the books. For a couple of days, he even kept his promise to the lady he met at Shotover Grange by not stealing or planning any robbery.
4. Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?
Answer
Horace Danby failed to get enough information about real occupants of the house. He seems to be too occupied with collecting information about house map, wiring and location of valuable things. Although he was smart enough to know the dog’s actual name but overlooked getting identity of each and every occupants of the house. Once he was in problem then probably his clever mind gave way to carelessness leading him to open the safe without wearing gloves.
Talk about It
1. Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished, or that he deserved what he got?
Answer He deserved what he got. A crime is a crime no matter if it is committed a hundred times or just once.
2. 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 honest?
Answer “Ends do not justify means”, this is a very old and time tested saying. For 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 dealt with severely.
