# XXII explained — Memoirs of a Midget

> Chapter companion for Memoirs of a Midget by Walter de la Mare.

## What happens

The narrator meets a mysterious stranger in the garden of Wanderslore, sharing a long conversation that touches on solitude, reading, and the haunting history of the house. The stranger reveals a tale of a woman who hanged herself there, and the narrator agrees to meet him again, leaving behind her book and Fanny's letter under a stone.

## Themes in this chapter

### Solitude and Self-Discovery

The narrator's solitary walks in the garden are interrupted by the stranger, yet she reflects on the peace of solitude and the new self-awareness his presence brings.

### Deception and Self-Deception

The stranger's secrecy and the narrator's own romanticized view of their meeting suggest layers of concealment and self-deception.

### Mortality and Memory

The tale of the hanged woman and the narrator's musings on flesh and spirit evoke themes of death, memory, and the haunting past.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown (Narrator)

The narrator recounts her first meeting with the stranger, describing his appearance, voice, and the profound effect he has on her.

### Mr. Anon

The mysterious stranger who has been watching the narrator; he speaks of secrecy, evil spirits, and the house's dark legend.

### Fanny Bowater

Mentioned in the narrator's thoughts as she reflects on Fanny's face and recalls their shared moments; Fanny's letter remains hidden under a stone.

### Mrs. Bowater

The narrator thinks of Mrs. Bowater's biscuits and her inability to explain the house's vacancy; she is warmly remembered at the chapter's end.

### Mr. Crimble

Briefly referenced in the narrator's thoughts as 'the dark bark of Mr. Crimble tossing in jeopardy.'

## Key lines

> What had I to conceal? Of my short history, though not of myself, I told him freely; yet asked him few questions in return.

I shared my past openly but withheld my inner self, and I did not press him for his own story.

_The narrator reveals her selective openness and the imbalance in their exchange._

> There was a tale about, that many years ago a woman had hanged herself in one of its upper rooms.

A story circulated that a woman once committed suicide by hanging in an upstairs room of the house.

_The stranger recounts the house's dark legend, deepening the Gothic atmosphere._

> He made a movement with his hands; at which I saw the poor creature up there in the darkness, suspended lifeless, poor, poor human, with head awry.

His gesture made me vividly imagine the hanged woman, a pitiful figure in the dark.

_The narrator's imagination is powerfully triggered by the stranger's simple motion._

> I promised to come again to meet him on the very first fine morning that showed.

I agreed to return and see him as soon as the weather was fair.

_The narrator commits to a future meeting, signaling her growing fascination._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/memoirs_of_a_midget_se/chapters/xxii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/memoirs_of_a_midget_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/memoirs_of_a_midget_se/chapters