A Question of Trust
A careful burglar is robbed by a thief far cleverer than himself
Summary
Horace Danby is a respectable, well-off lock-maker who is secretly a successful burglar, robbing one safe every year to buy the rare books he loves. He plans carefully and has never been caught. One day he breaks into a country house and is about to open the safe when a charming young woman appears, claiming to be the lady of the house.
She pretends she will not report him on the condition that he opens the safe for her, since she says she has forgotten the combination and needs her jewels. Trusting her, and taking off his gloves to work, Horace opens the safe and hands over the jewellery.
Later Horace is arrested — because his fingerprints were all over the room. The 'lady' was in fact another thief who had cleverly used him to rob the safe and then vanished. The story shows how even a cautious criminal can be outwitted, and how dishonesty leaves one with no real defence.
Key points to remember
- Horace Danby: about fifty, respectable lock-maker and secret burglar who loves rare books.
- The young woman: a clever thief who poses as the lady of the house.
- Horace robs only once a year to fund his book-buying habit.
- The trick: she persuades Horace to open the safe and remove his gloves.
- Twist: Horace is jailed because his fingerprints betray him; she escapes.
- Theme: there is no honour among thieves; a thief can be outwitted by another.
- Irony — Horace, the careful planner, is fooled by misplaced trust.
- Title points to the 'trust' Horace foolishly placed in a stranger.
Important questions (board pattern)
- 6 marksHow did the young woman trick Horace Danby?
How to answer: Explain her pretence as the house owner, the threat-and-bargain, getting him to open the safe and remove gloves, then vanishing with the jewels.
- 3 marksWhy was Horace Danby arrested?
How to answer: His fingerprints were all over the room because he had removed his gloves at the woman's request.
- 3 marksWhy does the writer call it 'A Question of Trust'?
How to answer: Horace trusted a stranger who betrayed him; the story turns on misplaced trust among dishonest people.
- 3 marksWhat kind of man was Horace Danby?
How to answer: Respectable in appearance, methodical, fond of rare books, but a habitual safe-robber — support each point.
- 2 marksWhat is the irony in the story?
How to answer: A careful, experienced thief is himself robbed and jailed, while the real thief goes free.
Common exam traps
- The woman was NOT the lady of the house — she was another thief; this is the central twist.
- Horace is caught because of fingerprints, not because the woman reported him.
- Horace removed his gloves himself at her request — don't say he forgot them.
- He robs once a year for rare books, not out of poverty or greed for luxury.
Frequently asked questions
- Who wrote A Question of Trust?
- It was written by Victor Canning.
- Why did Horace open the safe for the woman?
- She pretended to be the house owner and promised not to report him if he opened the safe to get her jewels — so he trusted her.
- What is the moral of the story?
- Dishonesty offers no real security; even a clever thief can be deceived and there is no honour among thieves.