A Question of Trust

Answer

Horace Danby is a lock-maker about fifty years old, unmarried, and respected by others. He is not fully honest because he steals every year to buy rare and expensive books.

Answer

He steals to fund his book collection. He loves rare, expensive books and robs a safe each year so that he can buy them through an agent.

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Horace Danby is a burglar who plans carefully and avoids violence. He is a skilled lock-maker, not a dangerous criminal, but he still commits theft.

Answer

He had served one prison sentence fifteen years earlier. This was his first and only sentence before the events of the story.

Answer

Hay fever is an allergy that affects the nose and throat. Horace suffers from it in summer, and the flowers in the room make him sneeze, which leads to his discovery.

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He studied the house carefully so that his robbery would be successful. He checked the rooms, electric wiring, paths, and garden before entering.

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The safe was behind a painting in the drawing room. A magazine article had already revealed this layout, which helped Horace plan the robbery.

Answer

He had worked with locks and safes all his life, so he trusted his skill. He also found the burglar alarm poorly built, so he felt confident.