Why does Danby evoke our Sympathy even though he is a thief?

Solution
“Horace Danby was a respectable and good person. But he was not completely honest. He was about fifty years old. He robbed only rich people. His purpose was to buy rare and expensive books with that money. He used to steal only once a year. The intention of buying books was good. His act of stealing to achieve this end showed that he was not completely honest. He cannot be considered as a typical thief because he did not steal to eat or drink. He had a house. He made locks and was a successful businessman. He only stole enough money to buy the books. For a couple of days, he even kept his promise to the lady he met at Shotover Grange by not stealing or planning any robbery.