A Question of Trust

Everyone thought Horace Danby was a good, honest citizen. About fifty, unmarried, he made locks and had two helpers. He loved rare, expensive books. Fifteen years ago he had served one prison sentence. Every year he robbed a safe, stole enough for twelve months, and secretly bought books through an agent.

Horace Danby lived with a housekeeper who worried over his health. He suffered from hay fever in summer but was otherwise well. He was successful at making locks. Yet he was not completely honest: he loved rare books so much that once a year he carefully planned a robbery, took enough money to last a year, and bought books secretly. He had been to prison only once, fifteen years earlier.

In July, Horace studied Shotover Grange for two weeks. The family was in London; the servants went to the movies. About fifteen thousand pounds' worth of jewels were in the safe. Horace took the kitchen key, greeted the dog Sherry, and began work behind the painting that hid the safe.

Horace felt sure this year's robbery would succeed. He had examined the house's rooms, wiring, paths and garden. When the servants left for the movies, he came from behind the garden wall with his tools. He expected at least five thousand pounds from selling the jewels - enough for three interesting books coming up in autumn. Wearing gloves, he used the key hanging outside, calmed the dog Sherry, and set to work in the drawing room.

The flowers on the table made Horace sneeze. A woman's voice asked if it was hay fever. A young, pretty woman in red stood in the doorway; Sherry rubbed against her. She said she had come back just in time and did not expect to meet a burglar. Horace hoped to avoid trouble if he treated her well.

Horace sneezed at the bowl of flowers and buried his face in his handkerchief. A quiet, kindly but firm voice spoke from the doorway. A young woman dressed in red straightened ornaments on the fireplace and smiled. She seemed amused rather than frightened. Horace said he had not expected to meet a family member. She warned she could telephone the police. Horace replied he would cut the wires first - then admitted he was only trying to frighten her.

The woman said society must be protected. Horace begged to be let go and promised never to rob again. She agreed only if he opened the safe - she had forgotten the numbers but needed the jewels for a party. Horace took off his gloves to light her cigarette and opened the safe within an hour.

Horace claimed he stole only from the rich for a good reason and hated prison. The woman laughed and said she had always liked the wrong kind of people. She promised freedom if he would open the safe for her, saying she had left the jewels inside though she had meant to take them to the bank. Horace eagerly removed his gloves and used his lighter. He broke open the safe, gave her the jewels, and left happily - keeping his promise for two days before thinking of books again.

By noon on the third day police arrested Horace. His fingerprints were all over the room because he had opened the safe without gloves. No one believed his story. The real wife - a gray-haired woman of sixty - called it nonsense. Horace is now assistant librarian in prison and hates talk of 'honour among thieves'.

Horace never got the chance to rob again. His fingerprints proved his guilt. When he said the owner's wife had asked him to open the safe, the actual wife - sharp-tongued and sixty - denied it. Now Horace works in the prison library and often thinks of the charming young lady who was in the same profession and tricked him. The story asks which proverb it illustrates: setting a thief to catch a thief, or honour among thieves.