1.Did you begin to suspect, before the end of the story, that the lady was not the person Horace Danby took her to be? If so, at what point did you realise this, and how?

Explanation:

Certainly, even before the narrative concluded, we started to wonder if the lady was really the one who conned Horace Danby into believing her. When she saw Horace attempting to open the safe's latch, we noticed that she was being abnormally composed. This was strange since if she had been a Shotover Grange family member, she would have quickly reported a theft. Instead, she came up to Horace through the doorway and begged him to remove all the jewellery from the safe in exchange for her not telling the police and letting him leave unhindered. It seemed quite implausible that she was a member of the household and had forgotten the significance of all these events since they seemed strange. numerical sequence to unlock the safe. It was therefore obvious and unmistakable that she was merely employing Horace to access the safe for her. We could conclude that the woman was the genuine offender and definitely not the one Horace had thought her to be well before the story came to a finish.


2.What are the subtle ways in which the lady manages to deceive Horace Danby into thinking she is the lady of the house? Why doesnā€™t Horace suspect that something is wrong?

Explanation:

The young woman managed to trick Horace Danby into thinking that she was the lady of the house in a number of subtle ways, including her assured walk, the way she touched up her makeup, her familiarity with the dog Sherry, and the ease with which she picked up a cigarette from the correct position. Horace was shaken and unable to think clearly. He didn't realise that she was attempting to con him into opening the safe for her. 


3. ā€œHorace Danby was good and respectable ā€“ but not completely honestā€. Why do you think this description is apt for Horace? Why canā€™t he be categorised as a typical thief?

Explanation:

Horace was a thief who committed theft once a year in order to purchase rare and expensive books. He wasn't a common thief who committed crimes to support himself. He created locks, and two assistants supported him in his lucrative business. Nonetheless, a crime requires punishment regardless of how trivial or serious it may be. Consequently, stealing is likewise a crime; regardless of how well-behaved a thief is, he will still receive punishment. Horace belonged to this type of criminal and couldn't be classified as a normal or routine offender like other thieves who committed robberies to support themselves or their families. Horace's sole goal in carrying out an annual heist was to take a sizable sum of money. safe with careful planning that would last him for a year, allowing him to covertly purchase the books he cherished from an agency.


4.Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?

Explanation: 

Despite having sufficient knowledge of the mansion at Shotover Grange, its rooms, the locations of important goods, its electrical wiring, its walkways, and its garden, Horace Danby was unable to carry out his robbery effectively. Yet, he did not know anything about the home's actual occupants. Although he showed intelligence by correctly identifying the dog's name, he was unable to obtain accurate information about the home's residents. He was therefore too terrified to realise that the woman had duped him into believing her when she caught him in the act of trying to crack the safe's latch. Horace's shrewd thought gave way to carelessness when the woman told him that she would let him go unnoticed to the police. . Without gloves, he opened the safe, leaving his fingerprints all over the place.


5.Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished, or that he deserved what he got?

Explanation:

Yes, Horace Danby was due some sort of punishment. A criminal is still a crime, after all, whether it is performed out of self-interest or for the good of another. 


6.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 honestly?

Explanation:

The phrase "The ends do not justify the means" is an age-old proverb. No one should hurt another person to further their own narrow goals. But, we are aware that idealism is not the only force driving the world. There are many instances of deception, where dishonest people deceive others to get an advantage quickly. Such actions need to be denounced and punished severely.

 

7.Horace had served his first and only time in a prison library fifteen years prior. He cherished pricey, rare books. He so committed a safe theft each year. He meticulously considered what he would do each year, stole enough to last him a year, and used an agent to covertly purchase the books he adored. What does Horace enjoy collecting, in (a)?

(a) Why does he commit theft each year?

(b) Which word in the aforementioned extract 

(c) corresponds to the phrase "with a lot of alertness"?

(d) What about this passage strikes you as odd?

Explanation:


(a) Horace enjoys gathering pricey and rare books.

(b) He commits theft each year in order to cover his expenses and 

(c) buy pricey books attentively in .

(d) Theft of pricey books. 


8.Now that he was out for a stroll in the warm July weather, he was confident that this year's robbery would be equally successful as all the others. He had been examining the rooms, electrical wiring, pathways, and garden of the house at Shotover Grange for the last two weeks. The two maids who stayed in the gange while the family was in London went to the cinema this afternoon.

What gave Horace confidence in his ability to succeed?

(a) Why had he been examining Shotover Grange's home?

(b)Which word in the aforementioned extract 

(c) has the same meaning as "observing carefully"?

(d)Where had the slaves disappeared ?

Explanation:


(a)Because he had meticulously planned his task, Horace felt confident in his ability to succeed.

(b) He had been observing the residence at Shotover Grange since that was the place he planned to rob next.

(c)studying .

(d) The housekeepers had attended the movie. 


9.No one believed him when he claimed that the wife of the home's owner had asked him to unlock the safe for her because his fingerprints were all over the room because he had opened the safe without gloves. The wife, a sixty-year-old woman with grey hair and a quick tongue, declared that the tale was absurd.

(a)Horace Danby was a cunning thief, but was he duped in ?

 Who did she fool?

(b)How was he tricked, in?

(c)Which word in the extract  has the same meaning as "a place where all the precious are locked"?

(d) Does the story's "title" match? 

Explanation:


(a) She was duped by the red-clad woman.

(a) The woman forced him to open the safe without gloves while posing as the home's owner, leaving his fingerprints behind.

(c) 'safe'.

(d) It does, as Horace trustedly opened the safe. 


10."Horace Danby was decent and honourable but not quite honest," Does this really describe Horace? And if so, why? 2012's Board Term I; Set EL2 - 046

Explanation: 

Indeed, Horace was decent but not quite truthful. He cherished pricey books. He thus stole just once a year. He was naturally passive and not confrontational, as evidenced by the lady thief in red. 


11.Horace was not your typical thief. How is this possible? [2014 Board Term I]

OR

What was Horace Danby's obsession, and how did he sate it? DDE-2014, 2012; Set EL2 - 017, 037; Board Term I

Explanation:

Horace Danby was not your typical thief. He cherished pricey, rare books. He therefore broke into a safe every year and, via an agency, covertly purchased the books he adored.


12.How did Danby get ready for the heist at Shotover Grange, question 3? NCT-2014, Board Term I, 2012; Set EL2 - 067

Explanation:

Danby examined every aspect of the house, including the walkways, garden, and electrical wiring. He amassed family-related information. He was aware of every action the servants took. He was always prepared with his tools. 


13.Horace Danby was not interested in the picture; he was interested in the literature. Why ? 2012's Board Term I; Set EL2 - 02

Explanation:

In response, Horace Danby enjoyed reading unusual literature. He briefly considered acquiring paintings from the modest house, but he was unable to do so because the books were superior there.


14.Fifth, Horace sneezed. How come he did it? 2012's Board Term I; Set EL2 - 024

Explanation:

Instead of intentionally sneezing, Horace was experiencing a hay fever attack. He sneezed because of a large bowl of flowers that was kept in the drawing room.


15.What went wrong when Horace Danby committed a robbery at Shotover Grange? 2012's Board Term I; Set EL2 - 014

Explanation:

The woman in red arrived and identified herself as the home's owner while Horace Danby was inside. He was duped by the way she appeared. She requested him to help her open the safe. Horace's fingerprints are all over the place. He was therefore detained.


16.Describe the red-clad woman. (A Trust Issue). [Board Term I, Set B09VSND for 2016ā€“17]

Explanation:

She was a young, intelligent thief. She was amazing and incredibly graceful. She addressed Horace in a commanding manner, as if she were the house mistress. [2016 CBSE Marking Scheme] 


17.Why was Horace detained when he had not committed any thefts? [Board Term 1 Set F1X1EH5 for 2016ā€“17]

Explanation:

As Horace unlocked the safe with his bare hands, his finger prints were all over it, which led to his imprisonment. [2016 CBSE Marking Scheme] 


18.What was Horace Danby's obsession, and how did he indulge it?

Explanation:

Horace Danby was a devout and honourable citizen. Apart for his hay fever bouts, which he typically had in the summer, he usually remained healthy and strong. Nevertheless, he had another side to him. He wasn't quite truthful. If there was anything he was passionate about, it was rare and expensive books. He cherished them. Every year, he used to rob a safe to indulge his passion. He meticulously planned each year's robbery before stealing enough to last the entire year. Because of his love, he covertly purchased the books from an agency to gratify himself.


19.Please sketch out Horace Danby's personality.

Explanation:

Horace Danby, a fifty-year-old bachelor and well-respected member of society, was the answer. But he wasn't entirely truthful. He had a strong preference for pricey and rare literature. He was an excellent planner who paid close attention to even the smallest things. Horace never had a theft detected on him. He never hurt anyone and only took from wealthy people. He never carried a weapon, either.


20.Please explain what prompted Horace Danby to steal from Shotover Grange.

Explanation:

Horace choose Shotover Grange because it featured a safe filled with gems valued at 15,000 pounds. He only ever stole enough money from a safe to last him one year, and never any more. He also possessed the house's construction blueprint. Horace was a voracious reader of rare books and desperately needed money to purchase new ones.


21.Given that Horace Danby didn't succeed in robbing Shotover Grange, why was he arrested?

Explanation:

When Horace was about to approach the safe, a woman in red entered and claimed to be the home's owner; Horace was duped by her appearance. He grew eager to win her favour. In order to hold the lighter to her cigarette and open the safe, he had earlier taken off his gloves. His prints were therefore discovered on the safe, and two days later he was taken into custody..


22.When someone mentions "Honour among thieves," Horace Danby gets irritated. Comment.

Explanation:

Although being a decent and respectable citizen, Horace Danby lacked perfect honesty. He was extremely passionate about reading. So, he only stole from the wealthy once a year in order to acquire books. In one of these attempts, a cunning and vicious lady thief managed to trick him. Horace only understood this after being taken into custody for the robbery


23."Since she appeared to be amused upon seeing him, Horace had some hope." Why was Horace feeling that way? Did he believe the girl was sympathetic towards him? Did he discover her to be impartial? With roughly 80ā€“100 words, describe the principles Horace should have upheld to have a deeper picture of the person.

Explanation: 

Horace believed that the young woman showed him compassion. He discovered her freedom town prejudice. Horace ought to have had more awareness and a greater knowledge.