A Question of Trust
A Question of Trust by Victor Canning is an ironic tale of a thief who is himself robbed by a cleverer thief. The page gives a clear summary, the theme, the characters and exam-style questions.
Learning objectives
- Recall the events of the story.
- Understand the irony and the theme of trust.
- Describe Horace Danby and the young woman.
- Answer comprehension and exam questions.
Key concepts
Summary
Horace Danby is a respectable, well-liked man and a lover of rare books. To fund his passion, he robs one safe a year, planning each theft carefully. One day he breaks into a house and is about to open the safe when a charming young woman appears, pretending to be the lady of the house. She scolds him lightly, then claims she has forgotten the safe's key and asks Horace to open it for her, even getting him to remove his gloves so he can work the lock. Trusting her, he opens the safe; she takes the jewels and lets him go, promising not to tell. Later Horace discovers she was not the owner at all but another, cleverer thief who tricked him. Worse, because he had taken off his gloves, his fingerprints are on the safe, and he is arrested for the robbery — while the real culprit goes free.
Theme
The central theme is irony and the danger of misplaced trust. A practised thief is outwitted and robbed by another thief, and his trust in a stranger leads to his downfall. The title points to the question of whom one can trust, and the story shows how easily appearances and charm can deceive.
Characters
Horace Danby is a respectable, book-loving man who is also a careful thief, but proves gullible when charmed. The young woman is the real trickster — clever, confident and deceptive — who poses as the house's owner to make Horace open the safe and take the blame.
About the author and irony
Victor Canning was a British writer of thrillers and mysteries. The story is built on dramatic irony: the reader gradually realises, as Horace does too late, that the trusting thief has been completely outsmarted, making his arrest both surprising and fitting.
Key definitions
- Irony
- A contrast between expectation and outcome — here, a thief is robbed.
- Gullible
- Easily deceived or tricked, as Horace proves to be.
- Fingerprints
- Marks left by fingers that identify a person, leading to Horace's arrest.
- Deception
- The act of misleading someone, as the young woman does.
Solved examples
Q1. Why does Horace Danby rob a safe each year?
Solution: To fund his hobby of buying rare and expensive books.
Q2. How does the young woman trick Horace?
Solution: She poses as the owner and gets him to open the safe and remove his gloves.
Q3. Why is Horace arrested?
Solution: His fingerprints are on the safe because he had removed his gloves.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Thinking the young woman was really the house owner.
- Forgetting that removing his gloves led to Horace's arrest.
- Believing Horace stole the jewels (the woman took them).
- Missing the central irony that a thief is robbed by a thief.
A Question of Trust — MCQ Quiz
10 questions with instant feedback. Use number keys 1–4 to answer.
A Question of Trust was written by:
Practice questions
Short answer
Why does Horace rob safes?
To pay for his hobby of buying rare books.
How is Horace tricked?
A woman posing as the owner makes him open the safe and remove his gloves.
Why is Horace caught?
Because his fingerprints are on the safe.
Long answer
How is Horace Danby outwitted in 'A Question of Trust'?
Horace Danby, though an experienced thief, is completely outwitted by a cleverer one. Having broken into a house to rob the safe and fund his love of rare books, Horace is interrupted by a charming young woman who pretends to be the lady of the house. Instead of raising an alarm, she scolds him lightly and then cunningly claims that she has forgotten the key to the safe, persuading Horace to open it for her. Crucially, she gets him to take off his gloves so that he can work the lock. Trusting her completely, Horace opens the safe; she takes the jewels and lets him leave, promising to keep quiet. Only later does Horace realise that she was not the owner at all but another thief who had used him to do the dangerous work. Because he had removed his gloves, his fingerprints are on the safe, and he is arrested for the robbery, while the real thief escapes with the jewels.
Why is the story titled 'A Question of Trust', and how does irony work in it?
The title 'A Question of Trust' points directly to the story's central concern: the matter of whom one can safely trust. Horace, a careful and rather respectable thief, makes the fatal mistake of trusting a stranger who seems charming and authoritative, and that misplaced trust destroys him. The story is rich in irony. It is ironic that a thief, who himself deceives others for a living, is so easily deceived by another; ironic that his trust in the young woman leads to his arrest; and ironic that he is punished for a robbery whose rewards were carried off by someone else. The reader gradually grasps the truth before or alongside Horace, which heightens the effect. Through this clever, ironic twist, the story warns that charm and appearances can be deeply deceptive, and that trust given without care can prove very costly.
HOTS (Higher Order Thinking)
Why does Horace believe the young woman so easily?
Because she behaves with the confidence and manner of the house's owner and is charming, so he does not suspect she is a fellow thief.
What is the poetic justice in Horace's fate?
A thief who profits by deceiving others is himself deceived and punished, which feels like a fitting, ironic justice.
Quick revision
Revision notes
- Author: Victor Canning; Horace Danby steals to buy rare books.
- A woman posing as the owner makes him open the safe and remove his gloves.
- She takes the jewels; his fingerprints get him arrested.
- She is a cleverer thief; theme = irony and misplaced trust.
Key takeaways
- A thief is robbed by a cleverer thief.
- Misplaced trust leads to Horace's downfall.
- Charm and appearances can deceive.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote A Question of Trust?
The British writer Victor Canning.
Who really took the jewels?
The young woman, who was a cleverer thief.
Why was Horace arrested?
His fingerprints were on the safe because he had removed his gloves.