The Hack Driver

1. Why do you think Bill offered to help the lawyer find Lutkins?
Bill himself was Lutkins. He knew that the lawyer was searching for him. He made sure that he was with the lawyer every
moment. He even made some money in this process by being his hack driver.

2. What kind of a job was the lawyer usually entrusted with? Why wasn’t he satisfied with his job in the city?
The lawyer was a junior assistant clerk in a law firm. He was sent to serve the summons. He had to act like a cheap private
detective. It wasn’t easy and safe to go to the shadowy corners of the city. Sometimes he was even beaten up by
hooligans. He hated working in such a hostile environment in the city.

3. The writer wasn’t very fond of New Mullion when he reached the place. What made him grow fond of the
village and its people?
OR
Why was the lawyer disappointed when he got to New Mullion? What was the only ‘agreeable sight’ about the
place?
The lawyer had formed quite a romantic and pleasant picture of this country town called New Mullion. When he reached
there, he was disappointed. Its streets were narrow rivers of mud. Its shops were either badly painted or not painted at all.
The only agreeable sight about the place was the delivery man at the station who called himself Bill. The friendly
behaviour of Bill made him grow fond of the village and its people. He was so open and full of warmth and affection that
the writer was touched. He even decided to settle there and practice law.

4. ‘But he was no more dishonest than I’. Elaborate the statement with reference to ‘The Hack Driver’.
OR
Why did the lawyer feel that Bill’s helpfulness for him was not entirely of brotherly love?

The lawyer realized that Bill’s helpfulness for him was not completely out of brotherly love. He was a perfect
businessman. Bill charged the lawyer two dollars an hour for six hours for the carriage service, including one hour of his
lunchtime. However, the lawyer was fine with it as he charged all the expenses to its firm. Therefore, he said he was no
more dishonest than him.

5. Write the plan suggested by Bill for lunch and state the reason behind it.
The lawyer felt hungry and wanted to eat something in a restaurant but Bill suggested him to have home cooked food
prepared by his wife. He told him that it will cost him cheaper than the restaurant because she won’t charge him more than
half a dollar. He did so because he wanted to make some money out of it. Secondly, it would take nearly an hour to go to
hilltop and have lunch there, so he would earn two more dollars for that extra hour. It was a good business for him.

6. Why did the young lawyer wish to return to New Mullion?

Although the young lawyer failed to serve summons on Lutkins, he was so much impressed by the warmth and helpful
nature of the country people that he planned to practise law at New Mullion and leave his city job. The friendly behaviour
of Bill made him grow fond of the village and its people.

7. Why did he consider fleeing to his home town?

OR
Why did the lawyer rejoice at his new assignment?
Serving summons in the dirty and shadowy corners of the city was quite an unpleasant job. On many occasions, he was
beaten up by some shady people. Therefore, he considered fleeing to his home town because it was more pleasant and safe
to work there. He could have been a real lawyer out there without going through the training period. He was happy in
anything that made him leave the city, even serving the summons on Lutkins in New Mullion.

8. Why did Bill ask lawyer to stay behind him at every place they visited?
Bill kept the lawyer behind him always because he didn’t want him to talk to any person directly. Had he not done so,
Bill’s lie would have been exposed at once. The lawyer would have known that Bill was Lutkins.