A QUESTION OF TRUST

VICTOR CANNING

Q. 1 D i d y o u b e g i n t o s u sp e c t , b e f o r e t h e e n d o f t h e s t o r y , t h a t t h e
l a d y w a s n o t t h e p e r s o n H o ra c e D a n b y t o o k h e r t o b e ? I f so , a t
what point did you realise this, and how?

Ans. Y e s , o n e d o e s b e g i n t o s u sp e c t b e f o r e t h e e n d o f t h e s t o r y t h a t
t h e l a d y w a s n o t t h e p e r so n H o r a ce D a n b y t o o k h e r t o b e . S h e
w a s u n u s u a l l y c a l m o n s e e i n g H o r a c e . T h i s se e m e d s t r a n g e
enough when she didn’t call the police, and instead asked
H o ra c e t o b re a k o p e n t h e sa f e f o r j e w e l s , i t se e m e d s u s p i ci o u s .
M o r e o ve r , i t a l so s e e m e d u n l i k e l y t h a t s h e w o u l d f o r g e t t h e
n u m b e r s t o o p e n t h e sa f e . T h e r e f o re , i t w a s e v i d e n t b e f o r e t h e
story ended that the lady was not who she claimed to be.

Q. 2 W h a t a r e t h e s u b t l e w a y s i n w h i c h t h e l a d y m a n a g e s t o d e c e i ve
H o ra c e D a n b y i n t o t h i n k i n g sh e i s t h e l a d y o f t h e h o u s e ? W h y
d o e sn ’ t H o r a c e s u sp e c t t h a t s o m e t h i n g i s w r o n g ?

Ans. Her confident walk, her act of t o u ch i n g m a ke up, her

f r i e n d l i n e s s t o w a rd s t h e d o g a n d t h e e a s e w i t h w h i c h s h e p i c k s
u p a c i g a r e t t e f r o m t h e s i l v e r b o x a r e e n o u g h t o d e c e i ve
a n y b o d y . Sh e a p p e a r s ve r y co n v i n ci n g w i t h h e r sh a r p a n d f i r m
t o n e i n h e r c a su a l b a n t e r t h a t t o t a l l y t a k e s H o ra c e b y su r p r i se
so much so that he doesn’t have an iota of doubt.

Q. 3 “ H o ra c e D a n b y w a s g o o d a n d r e s p e c t a b l e - b u t n o t c o m p l e t e l y
h o n e s t ” . W h y d o y o u t h i n k t h i s d e s c ri p t i o n i s a p t f o r H o r a ce ?
W h y ca n ’ t h e b e c a t e g o r i s e d a s a t y p i c a l t h i e f .

Ans. “ H o ra c e D a n b y w a s g o o d a n d r e s p e c t a b l e - b u t n o t c o m p l e t e l y
honest. This description is apt for Horace. He was about fifty
y e a r s o l d , w e l l e s t a b l i s h e d , s u c ce s s f u l b u s i n e s s m a n . H e h a d a
 r e p u t e d b u si n e s s o f l o c k s w i t h t w o p e o p l e w o r k i n g f o r h i m b u t
he had tragic flaw of stealing once a year from the rich to fulfil
his d e s i re of collecting rare and e xp e n si v e books. This
c a t e g o ri c a l l y d e s c r i b e s h i m a s a d i s h o n e s t ma n ye t h e w a s n o t a
t y p i c a l l y t h i e f b e c a u se h e d i d n o t s q u a n d e r mo n e y o n u se l e s s
t h i n g s . H e o n l y s t o l e m o n e y t o b u y ra r e b o o k s . F o r a c o u p l e
d a y s h e e ve n k e p t h i s p ro m i s e t o t h e l a d y b y n o t s t e a l i n g o r
planning any robbery.

Q. 4 H o ra c e D a n b y w a s a me t i c u l o u s p l a n n e r b u t s t i l l h e f a l t e r e d .
W h e r e d i d h e g o w r o n g a n d w h y?

Ans. H o ra c e D a n b y f o r g e t s t o g e t e n o u g h i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e r e a l
occupants of the h o u se . He se e m s to be o c cu p i e d with
c o l l e c t i n g i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e h o u s e l a yo u t , l o ca t i o n o f t h e
valuables etc. Although, he was smart enough to know the dog’s
actual names, he overlooked getting the identity of each and
every occupant of the house. Once he was in his clever mind
p r o b a b l y g a v e w a y t o t h e c h a r m o f t h e l a d y a n d i n d e s p e ra t i o n
b e c a me ca r e l e s s e n o u g h t o o p e n t h e sa f e w i t h o u t w e a ri n g
gloves.

Q. 5 W h a t d o e s H o ra c e D a n b y l i k e t o co l l e c t ?

Ans. H o ra c e D a n b y l i k e d t o c o l l e c t r a re a n d e x p e n s i v e b o o k s .

Q. 6 W h y d o e s h e s t e a l e ve r y ye a r ?

Ans. H e s t o l e e ve r y y e a r so t h a t h e c o u l d b u y ra r e a n d e xp e n s i ve
b o o k s t h a t h e l o v e d t o c o l l e c t . Ea c h y e a r h e p l a n n e d ca r e f u l l y
a n d s t o l e e n o u g h t o l a s t t w e l v e mo n t h s a n d t h e n s e c re t l y g o t
the books through an agent.

Q. 7 W h o i s s p e a ki n g t o H o r a ce D a n b y?
Ans. A lady standing in the doorway was speaking to Horace Danby.
S h e w a s y o u n g a n d p re t t y a n d w a s d r e s se d i n r e d . S h e s p o ke
v e r y c o n f i d e n t l y a n d s a i d sh e h a d c a me * * * * H o r a c e . S h e t h u s
p r e t e n d e d t o b e o n e o f t h e me m b e r o f t h e f a m i l y l i v i n g i n
shotover Grange.

Q. 8 W h o i s t h e re a l c u l p r i t i n t h e s t o r y ?

Ans. T h e r e a l c u l p r i t w a s t h e w o m a n d r e s s e d i n re d ( y o u n g a n d
p r e t t y ) w h o p r e t e n d e d t o b e a me m b e r o f t h e f a m i l y l i vi n g i n t h e
Shotover Grange. She tricked Horace into believing her and
v e r y c l e v e rl y t o o k a w a y a l l t h e j e w e l s t h a t w e re ke p t i n t h e sa f e .