Why did Horace Danby experience repeated sneezing fits while breaking into the safe at Shotover Grange?
Answer
Horace Danby suffered from hay fever, which was triggered by the strong smell of flowers placed in a bowl on the table in the drawing room.
Step-by-step solution
- Identify the setting inside the drawing room at Shotover Grange where the safe was located.
- Note that a large bowl of flowers was placed on the table near Horace's workspace.
- Horace Danby suffered from hay fever, an allergic reaction affecting his nasal passage when exposed to certain plant scents.
- The potent fragrance of the flowers repeatedly triggered his hay fever, causing him to sneeze while preparing to crack the safe.
Common mistake: Attributing the sneeze to dust or cold weather instead of his hay fever caused by flowers.
Concept tested: Plot details and character weakness
Published · How this solution was prepared and checked
Related questions
- 1 Explain why Horace Danby decides to break into Shotover Grange even though he knows the risks involved.
- 2 How often did Horace Danby commit a robbery to buy the rare and expensive books he loved?
- 3 Why does Horace Danby get angry whenever anyone mentions the phrase 'honour among thieves' after his arrest?
- 4 How did the young woman in red trick Horace Danby into opening the safe without wearing his gloves?
- 5 Analyse how the author creates suspense in the safe‑breaking scene at Shotover Grange. Cite two specific descriptive techniques and explain their effect on the reader.
- 6 What is the central theme of the passage "A Question of Trust"?