Class 10 English Footprints without Feet Chapter 4 A Question of Trust MIQs by PW

A Question of Trust follows the story of Horace Danby, a careful thief whose plan takes an unexpected turn. With CBSE Class 10 English most important questions, you can focus on the parts of the chapter that are usually asked in the board exam.

The story is driven by a single event, but the details around Horace’s actions and the twist in the end are important. Questions often come from these moments, along with character-based understanding.

Footprints without Feet Chapter 4 A Question of Trust MIQs

PW includes a set of most important questions, as per the CBSE Class 10 English syllabus, for A Question of Trust that focus on the main incident, Horace Danby’s behaviour, and the outcome of the story. These questions follow common exam patterns and require clear and focused answers.

1. A small dog was lying in the kitchen. It stirred, made a noise, and moved its tail in a friendly way.

(a) What is the name of the dog mentioned in the above extract?
(b) In which house is the kitchen referred to located?
(c) Find a word from the passage that means the same as ‘cordial’.
(d) What is the opposite of ‘friendly’?

Ans:  (a) The name of the dog mentioned in the above extract is Sherry.
(b) The kitchen referred to is located in Shotover Grange.
(c) The word is ‘friendly’.
(d) Its opposite is ‘hostile’.

2. Whom did Horace Danby see in the kitchen? How did they greet each other? What tact did Horace apply there?

Ans. Horace Danby saw the family dog, Sherry, in the kitchen. The dog greeted Horace by stirring, making a noise, and wagging its tail in a friendly way. Horace greeted the dog by tactfully calming it down, calling it by its name, and showing love to it.

3. How did Danby prepare for the robbery at Shotover Grange?

OR

How did Horace Danby plan his robberies?

Ans: Danby always planned his robberies meticulously. He prepared for the robbery at Shotover Grange by studying the house, the electric wiring, paths, and garden. He knew that the family normally lived in the city and knew about the movement of the servants, who had gone out that afternoon. He had kept his tools ready, packed in a bag.

4. What was the passion of Horace Danby and how did he satisfy it?

Ans: The passion of Horace Danby was collecting rare and expensive books. To satisfy this passion, he needed money and arranged it by robbing one safe every year and then secretly buying the books through an agent.

5. Describe the safe at Shotover Grange.

OR

Where was the safe at Shotover Grange? What was there inside it? What did Horace expect to get if he sold them one by one?

Ans: The safe at Shotover Grange was kept in the drawing room behind a poor painting and had jewels worth about 15000 pounds kept in it. It had a poorly built burglar alarm, but could be opened only through a specific code. Horace expected to get 5000 pounds if he sold the jewels one by one.

6. How did flowers hinder Horace in his work?

Ans: Flowers hindered Horace in his work because he had hay fever, a disorder affecting the nose and throat, caused by an allergy to pollen or dust. Due to this problem, whenever he came close to flowers, he began to sneeze and could be caught. He had to cover his face.

7. Why was Horace Danby sure that his robbery at Shotover Grange would be a successful one?

Ans: Horace Danby was sure that his robbery at Shotover Grange would be a successful one because he had studied the house, the drawing room where the safe was kept, the wiring, and its garden. He had also studied the movement of the servants, so he had planned well, thus ensuring that nothing could go wrong.

8. What did Horace Danby wonder about for a moment? What did he think and decide?

Ans: On seeing the poor painting in front of the safe, Horace Danby wondered for a moment whether to collect pictures instead of books. But then, he thought that books were better in a small house like his, as paintings took up too much room.

9. 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 where 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 (whom 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.

10. Horace was a successful thief because he carefully planned his robberies. Should we call him a successful thief and still appreciate his work? Why or why not?

Ans: Yes, as a thief, Horace is successful because he carefully planned his robberies and completed them well. He was living his life as a good and honest citizen. However, the wealth he gathered from his successful robberies did not belong to him. By stealing other people’s valuables, he may have become successful, but he is actually a criminal. He may be efficient in conducting his crimes so that he is successful, but we still cannot appreciate his work.

A Question of Trust Most Important Questions PDF by PW

The PW PDF for A Question of Trust has important questions from the chapter, based on the CBSE Class 10 English syllabus, covering the main events, Horace Danby’s character, and a few extract-based questions. The questions follow the flow of the story, so it’s easier to revise and understand what actually matters.

You can go through it to practise different types of questions and understand how answers should be written. Download it below and use it while revising.