English Language & Literature — CBSE Class 10 board question

A 'gentlemanly agreement' means an informal, unwritten agreement based on trust and honour between two parties, with no legal backing.

Horace gets angry at this phrase because he realises he has been completely deceived. He had trusted the young woman and opened the safe for her, believing she was the lady of the house. Later, when he is caught by the real police, he understands she was herself a thief who tricked him using a false 'gentlemanly agreement' — while he kept his word, she did not. He feels cheated and humiliated.

Source: A Question of Trust, Chapter 4

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• The question has two parts — define the phrase (1 mark) and explain Horace's anger (2 marks). Balance accordingly.
• The irony is key: Horace, a thief himself, was robbed of his trust by another thief who invoked the idea of honour. Examiners look for this irony in your answer.
• Avoid retelling the whole story — focus only on what the phrase means and why it angers Horace.