Footprints Without Feet (Supplementary Reader)
Chapter 4 A Question of Trust
DISCUSS – POST READING
Read and Find Out (Page 20)
1. What does Horace Danby like to collect?
Horace Danby likes to collect rare and expensive books.
2. Why does he steal every year?
He stole every year so that he could buy the rare and expensive books that he loved to collect. Each year he
planned carefully so as to steal enough to last twelve months.
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3. Who is speaking to Horace Danby?
Ans. A lady standing in the doorway is speaking to Horace Danby. She was young and pretty and was dressed
in red. She said she had come just in time, or else her family would have been robbed by Horace. Thus she
pretended to be one of the members of the family living at Shotover Grange.
4. Who is the real culprit in the story?
Ans. The real culprit in the story is the woman who pretended to be a member of the family living at
Shotover Grange. She tricked Horace Danby into believing her, and cleverly took away all the jewels that
were kept in the safe.
(To be given in the notepad)
Think About It (Page 25)
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?
Ans. Yes, we begin to suspect before the end of the story that the lady was not the person Horace Danby
took her to be. She was unusually calm on seeing Horace. This seemed strange. When she did not call the
police, and instead asked Horace to take out all the jewels from the safe, even if it meant breaking it open, it
seems suspicious. Moreover, it seemed highly unlikely that she would forget the number combination to
open the safe. Therefore it was evident, before the story ended, that the lady was not the person Horace
had taken her to be.
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 doesn’t Horace suspect that something is wrong?
Ans. Her confident walk, her familiarity with the dog Sherry, her act of touching up her make-up and the
ease with which she picks a cigarette from the right place are enough to deceive anybody. Horace was too
frightened to think properly, so he didn’t suspect anything.
3. “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?
Ans. Horace’s habits were not typical of a thief. He was fond of books. He used to steal only once in a year so
he was never stealing more than his needs. However, an act of theft is still a crime, no matter how well a
thief behaves, so this description is apt for Horace. He can’t be categorised as a typical thief because he is
not a regular offender like other thieves.
4. Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?
Ans. Horace Danby failed to get enough information about the real occupants of the house. He seems to be
too occupied with collecting information about the house map, wiring and location of valuable items.
Although he was smart enough to know the dog’s actual name, he overlooked getting information about the
occupants of the house. When he landed in trouble with the appearance of the young lady, his clever mind
gave way to carelessness, leading him to open the safe without wearing gloves.
5. Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished, or that he deserved what he got? (or)
Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished?
Horace Danby deserved what he got. A crime is a crime, no matter if it is committed for your own benefit or
for somebody else’s benefit.
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?
“Ends do not justify means”, is a very old and time-tested saying. For their own benefit nobody should harm
others. But this world doesn’t function on idealism. There are many examples of people tricking people for
quick gains. These acts should be deplored and dealt with severely.
EXTRA QUESTION
Q1.Horace was clever but the lady in red was cleverer. Do you agree with this statement? Justify your
answer.
Ans. Yes, I agree with this statement. Horace was clever, as he planned the robbery carefully, studied the
target, took the proper tools and also took his gloves, to ensure leaving no fingerprints. But the young lady in
red had all the necessary information, and, posing as the mistress of the house, exploited Horace’s fear on
being discovered, tricked him into cracking open the safe and handing her the jewels. She even ensured that
Horace left his fingerprints at the site, as she distracted him by picking up a cigarette which Horace offered
to light after removing his gloves. Thus the lady outwitted him.
Q2. Would you do something wrong (i.e. commit a crime) if you thought that the ends justify the means? Do
you think that there are certain situations you can be excused for acting dishonestly?
Ans. Yes, intentions do justify actions. If something wrong is done unintentionally, it may be pardoned.
However, it cannot be excused if it is carried out even when knowing it is wrong. As Horace had the
intention to rob the safe by breaking it open, his crime is intentional. Although he had good intentions in
helping the lady (who he thought was the mistress of the house), his crime cannot be excused. Breaking
open the safe cannot be justified at all. There may be certain situations when you can be excused for acting
dishonestly, but this is not so in Horace’s case.
