1)What was Horace Danby’s Profession? What was his hobby?
Ans. Horace Danby’s profession was making locks and his hobby was collecting rare and expensive books.
2)How can you say Horace Danby was good and respectable but not completely honest?
Ans. Horace Danby was a good and honest citizen. He used to make locks with the help of two helpers and he was quite successful at his business. But he was not completely honest because every year he used to rob a safe to satisfy his hobby of collecting rare and expensive books.
3)What was the passion of Horace Danby? How did he manage to fulfil it? OR. What was Horace Danby’s hobby? How did he manage to fulfil it?
Ans. Horace Danby’s hobby was collecting rare and expensive books. He was a great lover of studying books. He used to rob a safe every year. Before executing the burglary, he planned it carefully. He stole enough so that it could last for the next twelve months. Then he secretly bought the books through an agent.
4)How did Horace enter the house at Shotover Grange?
Ans. After studying the house at Shotover Grange for two weeks and gathering all the information regarding its room, electric wiring, paths and garden, he entered the house. On that day, he found the two servants were going to the movies and the housekeeper hung the key to the kitchen door on a hook outside. Putting on a pair of gloves and taking the key, Horace opened the door.
5)How did Horace Danby prepare himself before committing the robbery at Shotover Grange?
Ans. Before committing the robbery at Shotover Grange, Horace Danby studied the house for two weeks. He collected all the necessary information about its rooms, electric wiring, paths and garden. He observed the activities of the servants and the housekeeper. Even he knew the name of the dog.
6) How did Horace Danby control the dog at the time of the robbery at Shotover Grange?
Ans. Horace Danby controlled the dog by calling it by its name, Sherry and showing his love for it. Actually, he was a skilful thief. He planned everything before executing the robbery.
7)Why did Horace Danby cancel his thought of collecting pictures instead of books?
Ans. Sometimes Horace Danby was fascinated by paintings. But they needed too much space in a room. And he had a small house. That was why he cancelled his thought of collecting pictures instead of books.
8)How did Horace Danby know about the safe behind the picture?
Ans. Once Horace Danby read a magazine in which every minute detail of the room had been described such as the plan of rooms and a picture of this room. Even the safe hidden behind the paintings was mentioned by the writer of the magazine.
9) Why was Horace covering his face with his handkerchief at the time of the robbery?
Ans. Horace Danby was a patient with hay fever. He could not tolerate the fragrance of flowers. The flowers that were kept in a great bowl on the table, hindered him in his work. When the smell of the flowers came to him, Horace felt his nose tickle and sneezed again and again. That was why he was covering his face with his handkerchief.
10) “What is it? A cold or hay fever?” – Who said this? What was the occasion?
Ans. A young lady disguised as the owner of the house said these words.
Horace had hay fever. The fragrance of the flower kept on the table tickled his nose and he sneezed. It was the occasion when the lady uttered these words.
11)What advice did the lady give Horace regarding his hay fever?
Ans. The lady advised Horace to find out the plants by which his hay fever was occurring. According to the lady, it was a special kind of treatment to cure his disease or he should go to a doctor for that.
12)Why did Horace have some hope to avoid trouble this time?
Ans. Horace had some hope to avoid trouble this time because the lady of the house seemed amused at meeting him. He felt if he behaved the right way, he would manage to avoid trouble.
13) “Society must be protected from men like you.” – Who said this and to whom? How would society be protected?
Ans. Here the young lady of the house said these words to Horace Danby.
Society must be protected by handing over Horace to the police. If the lady would allow him to go, he might rob someone else.
14) “Society must be protected from men like you.” – Bring out the irony of the statement.
Ans. Horace Danby requested the lady to forget everything and allow him to go. In this context, the lady said these words. Her words suggested that she was much concerned about the welfare of society. But at the end of the story, it reveals that she was a big schemer and crafty thief than Danby. So, the statement spoken by the lady is full of irony.
15)What story did the lady tell Horace to get the jewels?
Ans. The lady devised a false story that she had put the jewels in the safe. She wanted to get them now because she had a party to wear them that night. But the worst thing was that she had forgotten the numbers to open the safe.
16)Why was Horace Danby arrested for the Shotover Grange robbery?
Ans. Horace Danby was arrested for the Shotover Grange robbery because the police had found his fingerprints all over the room. He tried to defend himself by saying that it was the landlady of the house who asked him to open the safe for her. But the real owner of the house was an old lady of sixty. Actually, he was deceived by another thief.
17) Did the young lady want Horace to be caught after the theft?
Ans. I think the young lady did not want Horace to be caught after the theft. If he was caught, there would be a chance to reveal everything about the lady and the police might catch her for that. The purpose of her coming to the house was served. Even Horace did not suspect her. So, in my point of view, it was better for everyone to be kept quiet.
18)Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still, he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?
Ans. Horace Danby was a meticulous planner who studied the house for two weeks to execute his plan successfully. But still, his plan faltered due to an unexpected presence of a young lady. He did not expect her inside the room. Her sudden appearance, her confident talking, and her usual behaviour with the pet made Horace believe that she was the owner of the house and got trapped. To satisfy her, Horace opened for her without wearing gloves and later he was arrested.
Also read: 1)‘The Making of a Scientist’ by Robert W Peterson – Questions and Answers(S.A.Q.), Class 10, CBSE
2)‘Footprints without Feet’ by H.G. Wells – Questions and Answers(S.A.Q.), Class 10, CBSE
3)‘The Necklace’ by Guy De Maupassant – Questions and Answers(S.A.Q.), Class 10, CBSE