A Question Of Trust

Hello, my dear students! Welcome to today's English lesson. I'm so happy to see you all here, ready to learn something new and interesting. Today, we are going to study a very fascinating story from your NCERT textbook Footprints Without Feet. The chapter is titled "A Question of Trust" and it is written by a wonderful author named Victor Canning. Now, before we begin reading the story, let me tell you something that will help you understand the theme of this chapter better.

It is often said that "you must set a thief to catch a thief." This means that sometimes, to catch a criminal, you need someone who understands the criminal's mind. But there is another saying too — "there is honour among thieves." This means that thieves, despite being criminals, sometimes have their own code of conduct and they trust each other. Now, students, the question is — which of these sayings does this story illustrate? As we read through the story, you will find the answer yourself. So let's begin!

The story begins by introducing us to a man named Horace Danby. Everyone in his town thought that Horace Danby was a good, honest citizen. He was about fifty years old, he was unmarried, and he lived with a housekeeper who used to worry about his health. In fact, Horace was usually very well and happy, except for one problem — he used to get attacks of hay fever during the summer season. Now, students, hay fever is a disorder that affects the nose and throat, caused by allergy to pollen or dust. It makes you sneeze a lot and feel uncomfortable. So whenever summer came, Horace would start sneezing and his nose would tickle.

Horace Danby made locks for a living, and he was quite successful at his business. He had two helpers working with him. So, on the surface, everything about Horace looked perfectly normal and respectable. But here comes the twist — Horace Danby was not completely honest. Yes, students, he was good and respectable, but not completely honest. And this is where our story begins.

Now, let me tell you why Horace was not completely honest. Fifteen years before the events of this story, Horace had served his first and only sentence in a prison library. That means he had been to jail once before. And why was that? He loved rare, expensive books, and because he couldn't afford to buy them honestly, he started robbing safes. Every year, he would plan carefully just what he would do, steal enough to last for twelve months, and then secretly buy the books he loved through an agent. So, students, you can see that Horace was a thief — a lockmaker who stole from safes to feed his passion for rare books. This is a very interesting character, isn't it? He was not a violent thief or a dangerous criminal — he was someone who stole only to satisfy his love for books.

Now, let's move to the main part of the story. One bright July afternoon, Horace was walking towards a house called Shotover Grange. He had been studying this house for two weeks — looking at its rooms, its electric wiring, its paths, and its garden. He had planned everything very carefully. On this particular afternoon, the two servants of the house had gone to the movies because the family was in London. Horace saw them go, and he felt very happy, though he had a little tickle of hay fever in his nose. He came out from behind the garden wall, with his tools carefully packed in a bag on his back.

Now, students, let me tell you what Horace was planning to do. There were about fifteen thousand pounds' worth of jewels in the Grange safe. If he sold them one by one, he expected to get at least five thousand pounds — enough to make him happy for another year. And why did he need this money? Because there were three very interesting books coming up for sale in the autumn, and he wanted to buy them. So you see, his motive was not greed or luxury — it was simply his love for rare books.

Horace had seen the housekeeper hang the key to the kitchen door on a hook outside. He put on a pair of gloves, took the key, and opened the door. He was always very careful not to leave any fingerprints. This shows us how meticulous Horace was in his work. He was a professional thief, and he knew how to avoid leaving evidence.

Now, when he entered the kitchen, he found a small dog lying there. The dog stirred, made a noise, and moved its tail in a friendly way. Horace said, "All right, Sherry," as he passed. And students, here's a little trick that Horace knew — all you have to do to keep dogs quiet is to call them by their right names and show them love. So Sherry, the dog, became his friend instantly! This shows that Horace was not a cruel man — he even cared for dogs.

The safe was in the drawing room, behind a rather poor painting. Horace wondered for a moment whether he should collect pictures instead of books. But then he thought that pictures took up too much room, and in a small house, books were better. So he continued with his plan.

There was a great bowl of flowers on the table, and Horace felt his nose tickle. He gave a little sneeze and then put down his bag. He carefully arranged his tools. He had four hours before the servants returned. The safe was not going to be hard to open because Horace had lived with locks and safes all his life. The burglar alarm was poorly built, so he went into the hall to cut its wire. He came back and sneezed loudly as the smell of the flowers came to him again.

Now, students, Horace thought to himself — how foolish people are when they own valuable things! He knew that a magazine article had described this house, giving a plan of all the rooms and a picture of this room. The writer had even mentioned that the painting hid a safe! So the owners of the house were very careless — they had publicly revealed where they kept their safe!

But then, the flowers were hindering him in his work. He buried his face in his handkerchief. And then, something unexpected happened. He heard a voice say from the doorway, "What is it? A cold or hay fever?"

Before he could think, Horace said, "Hay fever," and found himself sneezing again. Students, can you imagine the situation? Here was Horace, a burglar, inside someone's house, and suddenly the owner walks in! How terrifying that must have been! But let's see what happens next.

The voice went on, "You can cure it with a special treatment, you know, if you find out just what plant gives you the disease. I think you'd better see a doctor, if you're serious about your work. I heard you from the top of the house just now."

It was a quiet, kindly voice, but one with firmness in it. A woman was standing in the doorway, and Sherry was rubbing against her. She was young, quite pretty, and was dressed in red. She walked to the fireplace and straightened the ornaments there.

"Down, Sherry," she said. "Anyone would think I'd been away for a month!" She smiled at Horace, and went on, "However, I came back just in time, though I didn't expect to meet a burglar."

Now, students, this is where the story gets really interesting. Horace had some hope because she seemed to be amused at meeting him. He thought he might avoid trouble if he treated her the right way. He replied, "I didn't expect to meet one of the family."

She nodded. "I see what an inconvenience it is for you to meet me. What are you going to do?"

Horace said, "My first thought was to run."

"Of course, you could do that. But I would telephone the police and tell them all about you. They'd get you at once."

Horace said, "I would, of course, cut the telephone wires first and then...," he hesitated, a smile on his face, "I would make sure that you could do nothing for some time. A few hours would be enough."

She looked at him seriously. "You'd hurt me?"

Horace paused, and then said, "I think I was trying to frighten you when I said that."

"You didn't frighten me."

Horace suggested, "It would be nice if you would forget you ever saw me. Let me go."

The voice was suddenly sharp. "Why should I? You were going to rob me. If I let you go, you'll only rob someone else. Society must be protected from men like you."

Horace smiled. "I'm not a man who threatens society. I steal only from those who have a lot of money. I steal for a very good reason. And I hate the thought of prison."

She laughed, and he begged, thinking that he had persuaded her, "Look, I have no right to ask you for anything, but I'm desperate. Let me go and I promise never to do this kind of thing again. I really mean it."

She was silent, watching him closely. Then she said, "You are really afraid of going to prison, aren't you?"

She came over to him shaking her head. "I have always liked the wrong kind of people."

She picked up a silver box from the table and took a cigarette from it. Horace, eager to please her and seeing that she might help him, took off his gloves and gave her his cigarette lighter.

"You'll let me go?" He held the lighter towards her.

"Yes, but only if you'll do something for me."

"Anything you say."

"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..."

Horace smiled. "You've forgotten the numbers to open the safe, haven't you?"

"Yes," replied the young lady.

"Just leave it to me and you'll have them within an hour. But I'll have to break your safe."

"Don't worry about that. My husband won't be here for a month, and I'll have the safe mended by that time."

And within an hour Horace had opened the safe, given her the jewels, and gone happily away.

Now, students, this is the climax of the story. Horace, the thief, had been tricked by a woman who claimed to be the lady of the house. But she was not the real lady of the house! She was another thief, just like Horace! She had come to rob the house too, and she cleverly made Horace do all the work for her. She pretended to be the mistress of the house, and Horace, who was so confident about his skills, fell right into her trap.

For two days Horace kept his promise to the kind young lady. On the morning of the third day, however, he thought of the books he wanted and he knew he would have to look for another safe. But he never got the chance to begin his plan. By noon a policeman had arrested him for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange.

Now, students, here comes the tragic part. His fingerprints, for he had opened the safe without gloves, were all over the room, and no one believed him when he said that the wife of the owner of the house had asked him to open the safe for her. The wife herself, a gray-haired, sharp-tongued woman of sixty, said that the story was nonsense. Can you imagine how Horace must have felt? He had been tricked, deceived, and now he was being blamed for a crime that he technically did commit, but in a very unusual circumstances.

Horace is now the assistant librarian in the prison. He often thinks of the charming, clever young lady who was in the same profession as he was, and who tricked him. He gets very angry when anyone talks about 'honour among thieves'. And this, students, is the answer to our opening question. The story illustrates that there is NO honour among thieves. The young lady betrayed Horace, even though they were both thieves. She used him for her own benefit and then let him take the blame. This is very sad but also very realistic. In the world of crime, trust is a rare thing, and those who trust other criminals often end up being betrayed.

Now, let's go back to the "Read and Find Out" questions that appear in your textbook.

The first question was: What does Horace Danby like to collect? Students, Horace Danby likes to collect rare, expensive books. This is his passion, his one weakness. He steals only to buy these beautiful books that he loves so much.

The second question was: Why does he steal every year? He steals every year because he needs money to buy rare books. He steals enough to last for twelve months, and he uses this money to purchase the books he loves through an agent.

The third question was: Who is speaking to Horace Danby? The person speaking to Horace Danby is a young woman who pretends to be the lady of the house. But in reality, she is another thief who has come to rob the house. She is clever, charming, and manipulative.

The fourth question was: Who is the real culprit in the story? Well, students, there are two culprits in this story. One is Horace Danby, who was trying to rob the house. But the real culprit, the one who actually stole the jewels, is the young lady who tricked Horace. She is the mastermind behind the entire plan. She used Horace to open the safe and then took the jewels for herself, leaving Horace to take the blame.

Now, let's move on to the "Think about it" questions. These are important because they help us understand the story deeply.

Question number one: 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?

Students, if you read the story carefully, there are several clues that should make you suspicious of the lady. First of all, she came back at a very convenient time — just when Horace was about to rob the house. Secondly, she seemed too understanding and too helpful for someone who had just caught a burglar. A real lady of the house would have been frightened and would have called the police immediately. But this lady was calm, composed, and even amused. Thirdly, she claimed to have forgotten the numbers to open her own safe — which is very strange. Why would anyone forget the combination to their own safe? Fourthly, she said her husband would not be there for a month and she would have the safe mended by that time — but a real wife would want to tell her husband about the robbery immediately. Fifthly, she was dressed in red, which is a colour that a lady of a wealthy family might not wear casually at home. And finally, she took off Horace's gloves and made him touch the silver box and the cigarette lighter — so that his fingerprints would be on those items! This was a clever way to frame him. So, students, if you noticed any of these clues, you would have suspected that something was wrong.

Question number two: What are the subtle ways in which the lady manages to deceive Horace Danby into thinking she is the lady of the house? Why doesn't Horace suspect that something is wrong?

Students, the lady uses several subtle tricks to deceive Horace. First, she acts calm and confident, which makes her seem like the real owner. Second, she knows the dog's name, Sherry, and the dog responds to her, which makes Horace believe she lives there. Third, she talks about her husband and mentions that they went to London, which matches what Horace already knew about the family. Fourth, she is very friendly and understanding, which makes Horace lower his guard. Fifth, she appeals to his emotions by saying she likes "the wrong kind of people," which makes Horace feel a connection with her. And sixth, she creates a sense of urgency by saying she needs the jewels for a party that night, which makes Horace want to help her.

Why doesn't Horace suspect? Because he is too confident in his own skills. He has been stealing for years and has never been caught. He also feels a strange sympathy for this woman because she seems to understand him. Moreover, he is in a hurry to finish the job and leave before the servants return. And finally, he is flattered that a young, pretty woman is talking to him nicely. All these factors make him lower his guard and trust her.

Question number three: "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 categorised as a typical thief?

Students, this description is very apt for Horace Danby because he was indeed a good and respectable man in many ways. He was successful in his business, he had a housekeeper who cared for him, he was well-liked in his community, and he was meticulous and professional in his work. He was not violent, he did not threaten people, and he only stole from wealthy people who could afford to lose some money. He stole to satisfy his love for books, not for luxury or greed. He even treated the dog kindly and tried not to hurt anyone.

He cannot be categorised as a typical thief because a typical thief is usually poor, desperate, and steals out of necessity or greed. Horace, on the other hand, was middle-class, successful, and stole only to feed his intellectual passion. He was a "gentleman thief" — someone who steals for art's sake, not for profit. He was also very careful and professional, using his skills as a lockmaker to break into safes without leaving any evidence. So, students, Horace is a unique kind of thief — not a dangerous criminal, but a passionate book lover who crossed the line.

Question number four: Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?

Students, Horace went wrong in several places. First, he forgot to wear gloves when he opened the safe for the lady. This was a huge mistake because his fingerprints were all over the room, which became the main evidence against him. Second, he trusted the lady too easily. He should have been more suspicious of her convenient arrival and her strange request. Third, he took off his gloves to light her cigarette, which was a big error. He was so eager to please her that he forgot his own safety rules. Fourth, he didn't check if there was anyone else in the house before starting his work. He assumed the house was empty, but the lady was there. Fifth, he was too confident in his abilities and thought he could handle any situation. This overconfidence led to his downfall. So, students, the main reason Horace faltered was that he let his emotions take over his professional judgment. He was charmed by the lady and wanted to help her, which made him forget all his careful habits.

Now, let's discuss the "Talk about it" questions. These are open-ended questions that require you to think about moral issues and express your opinions.

Question number one: Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished, or that he deserved what he got?

Students, this is a matter of opinion. Some people might think that Horace was unfairly punished because he was tricked by another thief. He never intended to steal the jewels for himself — he was just helping the lady open the safe. And when the police caught him, he was blamed for a crime that was actually committed by someone else. However, other people might say that Horace deserved what he got because he was a thief, after all. He had been stealing for years, and he was caught in the act. The law does not care about your intentions — if you commit a crime, you must face the consequences. Also, even though he was tricked, he was still breaking into someone's house and attempting to steal. So, it's a difficult question, and you can have your own opinion.

Question number two: 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?

Students, this is a very important question that makes us think about morality and ethics. Some people believe that intentions do justify actions — if your goal is good, then the means you use to achieve it are also justified. For example, if you steal food to feed a hungry child, some people might say that is acceptable because your intention was good. However, other people believe that the ends never justify the means — if an action is wrong in itself, then doing it for a good purpose is still wrong. Stealing is stealing, no matter why you do it.

In Horace's case, he stole to buy books, which is a noble passion. But does that make his stealing acceptable? The answer is no, because stealing is still a crime, and it hurts other people. The owners of the jewels lost their property, and Horace caused them distress and financial loss. So, students, I would say that intentions do not justify actions. There might be some rare situations where it is excusable to act less than honestly, but in general, we should always try to be honest and law-abiding citizens. If we start making exceptions for ourselves, we will soon live in a world where everyone does whatever they want, and that would be chaos.

Now, students, let me also tell you about the suggested reading at the end of your chapter. Your textbook suggests three other stories that you might enjoy reading. They are "The Unexpected" by Ella Edkin, "The Confession" by Anton Chekhov, and "A Case for the Defence" by Graham Greene. These are all interesting short stories that deal with themes of crime, mystery, and human nature. If you have time, I highly recommend that you read these stories as they will help you understand the genre of mystery and suspense better.

Now, let me give you a brief summary of what we learned today. In this chapter, we read the story of Horace Danby, a lockmaker who was also a thief. He loved rare books and stole from safes every year to buy them. One day, he planned to rob the house at Shotover Grange, but he was caught by a woman who pretended to be the lady of the house. This woman was actually another thief who tricked Horace into opening the safe for her. Horace gave her the jewels, and she left. Later, the police arrested Horace for the robbery because his fingerprints were all over the room. The real lady of the house, a sixty-year-old woman, said that Horace's story was nonsense. Horace is now the assistant librarian in the prison, and he often thinks about the young lady who tricked him. He gets very angry when anyone talks about "honour among thieves" because he was betrayed by someone in his own profession.

The story teaches us several important lessons. First, there is no honour among thieves — criminals cannot be trusted. Second, we should always be honest and not steal, no matter what our intentions are. Third, we should not let our emotions override our judgment. Fourth, we should be careful about who we trust. And fifth, the law applies to everyone, and if we break the law, we must face the consequences.

So, students, that brings us to the end of today's lesson. I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed teaching it to you. Remember to read the chapter again at home and try to answer all the questions on your own. And always remember — honesty is the best policy! Thank you for listening so attentively. See you in the next lesson!