Important Questions for Class 10 English A Question of Trust Chapter 4 (Footprints Without Feet)
40-50 words
Question 1:
How can you say that Horace Danby was good and respectable but not completely honest?
Answer
In “A Question of Trust” by Victor Canning, Horace Danby appeared good and respectable because he was polite, well-dressed, and lived a simple life making locks. However, he was not completely honest, as he secretly robbed one safe every year to buy rare books, showing his hidden criminal side.
Question 2:
What was Horace Danby suffering from? How did it affect him?
Answer
In “A Question of Trust” by Victor Canning, Horace Danby suffered from hay fever. It caused frequent sneezing and irritation, especially near flowers. This weakness affected him during the robbery, as his sneezing forced him to remove his gloves, leaving fingerprints and leading to his arrest.
Question 3:
Why did Horace Danby feel sure of his success in that year’s robbery?
Answer
In “A Question of Trust” by Victor Canning, Horace Danby felt sure of success because he had carefully studied the house and knew the servants were away. He believed the safe was easy to open and that no one would disturb him, so he felt confident about the robbery.
100-120 words
Question 1:
The lady in the red turned out to be much smarter and clever in outwitting Horace Danby. Justify the statement citing examples from the lesson, ‘A Question of Trust’.
Answer
In “A Question of Trust” by Victor Canning, the lady in red proves to be far smarter than Horace Danby. She pretends to be the owner of the house and confidently orders Horace to open the safe, threatening to call the police. Her calm behaviour and convincing manner make Horace believe her story completely. She even tricks him into wearing gloves while opening the safe, ensuring that his fingerprints are left behind. After getting the jewels, she disappears cleverly, leaving Horace to be arrested. Thus, though Horace considered himself clever, the lady outwitted him with intelligence and quick thinking, proving that she was smarter than him.
Question 2:
Horace was clever but the lady in red was cleverer. Do you agree with this statement? Justify your answer.
Answer
Yes, I agree that Horace was clever, but the lady in red was cleverer. In “A Question of Trust” by Victor Canning, Horace Danby is shown as an experienced thief who carefully plans his robberies and steals only once a year. However, the lady in red deceives him by pretending to be the owner of the house. With confidence and intelligence, she tricks him into opening the safe for her. Horace, who believes himself to be smart, fails to recognize her lie. She escapes with the jewels, leaving him to be arrested. This proves that although Horace was clever, the lady in red was more intelligent and quick-witted.

